In memoriam Gerald Segal

London, November 1999

On 2 November 1999, Dr. Gerald Segal of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies passed away.

The people of Taiwan and the overseas Taiwanese community lost a great friend. Over the past year, he spoke out forcefully and frequently on the issue of Taiwan's safety and security, and about the rising China threat.

This past summer, during the stormy debate about President Lee Teng-hui's "state-to-state" relationship, Dr. Segal wrote "The Logic of Taiwan Independence" in the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, and "China's Options against Taiwan are Limited" in the Wall Street Journal. Both titles speak for themselves.

Dr. Segal was a very straightforward man. In an earlier article about the American "engagement policy" ("We can shape China as a Congenial Superpower" Los Angeles Times, 7 August 1995), Mr. Segal stated: "Tying China into the international system has elements of both "containment" and "engagement," and it is not worth feigning that we cannot use either term in our debates."

Even as he was losing the battle against cancer, he continued to write articles. His last article, "Does China Matter?" (Foreign Affairs, Sept/Oct 1999) was a major contribution to the political debate about China, and a must-read for anyone dealing with East Asia.

We extend our deep condolences to Dr. Segal's wife and daughter.

Further links regarding Dr. Segal's passing:

• International Institute for Strategic Studies
• Taipei Times editorial, 21 November 1999

For a more complete list of tributes, and a link to Dr. Segal's own website, please go to: http://segal.org/g/