Taiwan Officials Fear U.S. Actions in Venezuela May Embolden China
Ask students: Why does Taiwan fear invasion from China? How has the U.S. removal of Venezuela's president caused concern in Taiwan?
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
China removed its top army general in what many analysts see as a move to cement loyalty to President Xi Jinping. It’s rattling Taiwan, and as special correspondent Patrick Fok reports, it comes amid already heightened fears that the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro could embolden China to mimic the move against Taipei.
View the transcript of the story.
Warm-Up Questions
- Who did Chinese President Xi Jinping recently remove from his position?
- Where is Taiwan, and what is its relationship to China?
- Why does Taiwan fear invasion from China?
- How has the U.S. removal of Venezuela's president caused concern in Taiwan?
- What have Chinese officials actually said about U.S. actions in Venezuela?
Essential Questions
- Do you think the U.S. removal of Maduro in Venezuela will change calculations other countries might take about invading/removing leaders of neighbors?
- Do you think the United States should try to influence the relationship between China and Taiwan?
Media literacy: Why do you think the reporters involved in this story focused on a small island that is governed by Taiwan but close to the China mainland?
What Students Can Do
Policy experts often identify China as the greatest geopolitical rival to the United States because of its large population, emerging economic influence and growing military. But what concerns does the U.S. actually have regarding Chinese power and influence?
As a class, skim through the headlines of video segments and AP news articles on the News Hour site here. Then discuss —
- What seem to be the greatest concerns about China based on frequency of coverage? (If time allows, you may explore other news sites as well to see if coverage is different.)
- How do you think a more powerful China can impact day-to-day life for people living in the United States, if at all?
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
Lesson Plans on Global Politics
Find more resources on global politics and how they relate to your students with our free collection of preK-12 lesson plans and teaching resources.
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PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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