Defeat of Ukraine would embolden China toward Taiwan, Taiwanese officer says in Poland
TAIPEI: If Russia defeats Ukraine it will embolden China’s moves toward Taiwan and Taipei hopes that Kyiv emerges victorious, a senior uniformed Taiwanese military officer said this week in a rare visit to Europe to attend a security forum. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has found an increasingly sympathetic ear in parts […]
Read MoreChina’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sails through Taiwan Strait
BEIING: China said on Friday that its third and newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, recently sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait to carry out “scientific research trials and training missions” in the South China Sea. Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into modernizing its military in recent years, a trend that has unnerved some governments […]
Read MoreTaiwan criticizes strongmen cults as China holds military parade
TAIPEI: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te criticized strongmen personality cults and secret police networks on Wednesday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the leaders of Russia and North Korea at a military parade marking the end of World War Two. Democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, has repeatedly lambasted China for what Taipei […]
Read MoreDouble blow for Taiwan’s William Lai as recall votes fail, leave ruling DPP cornered
By Lawrence Chung in Taipei Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has suffered his sharpest political defeat yet, as two waves of recall votes against opposition lawmakers collapsed in a 31-0 shutout – leaving his government cornered, his party shaken and his energy policy under siege. The unprecedented recall campaign, launched by pro-government civic groups and […]
Read More‘Treat drones like bullets’: Taiwan seeks 50,000 new UAVs over 2 years to boost defences
By Lawrence Chungin Taipei Taiwan is moving to buy nearly 50,000 drones over the next two years as it seeks to bolster its asymmetric combat capabilities against mounting military pressure from Beijing. The move comes as the island’s military prepares to classify unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as consumables to accelerate procurement – a policy that […]
Read MoreWhy is Taiwan’s William Lai facing ‘extraordinary’ Japanese media backlash?
By Lawrence Chungin Taipei An unprecedented wave of criticism from Japan’s major newspapers against William Lai Ching-te has sparked debate over whether Tokyo is losing trust in the popularly elected Taiwanese leader just over a year into his term. The “extraordinary” media backlash followed the failed July 26 mass recall vote targeting opposition lawmakers, which […]
Read MoreTaiwan to evacuate hundreds as Typhoon Podul barrels towards southeast coast
Authorities in Taiwan were scrambling on Tuesday to evacuate hundreds ahead of a possible landfall by Typhoon Podul on the island’s southeastern coast, while nearby areas battle to recover from floods and record winds brought by previous storms. Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. […]
Read MoreTaiwan and mainland China coastguards engage in close Dongsha Island encounter
By Lawrence Chung in Taipei Taiwanese and mainland coastguard vessels engaged in a tense 22-hour stand-off near the disputed Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea on the weekend, the latest in a series of incidents that Taipei sees as a deliberate test of its maritime response. According to Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, the confrontation […]
Read MoreTaiwanese leader said to be planning US ‘stopover’ that’s set to anger Beijing
By Mark Magnierin New York Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te is planning a US “stopover” trip in August that could take him to New York and Texas en route to South America, sources said, a move that is bound to anger Beijing. On Monday, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena confirmed that Lai would visit his country […]
Read MoreTaiwan to simulate Chinese invasion in major drill
Taiwan will simulate a Chinese blockade and invasion of the democratic island in its annual military and civil defence drills next week, as President Lai Ching-te warned on Tuesday the island was already facing China’s “war without gun smoke”. The annual Han Kuang exercises starting on July 9 will last for 10 days and mobilize […]
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