Taiwan says Chinese drone made ‘provocative’ flight over South China Sea island
TAIPEI: A Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea on Saturday, in what Taiwan’s defense ministry called a “provocative and irresponsible” move. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, reports Chinese military activity around it on an almost daily basis, […]
Read MoreTaiwan seeks arrest of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus CEO over illegal hires
Taiwan prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the chief executive officer of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus, alleging he was involved in illegal business and recruitment activities in Taiwan. Taiwan’s Shilin District Prosecutors Office said in a document it had indicted two Taiwanese citizens for helping OnePlus CEO Pete Lau illegally operate a business and […]
Read MoreTaiwan targets Beijing-linked infiltration with push for stricter punishment
By Lawrence Chung in Taipei Taiwan’s legislature is weighing amendments to an anti-infiltration law that would impose a minimum one-year prison term on Beijing-linked influence and infiltration activities, while critics have raised concerns about tighter social controls. The proposed changes to the Anti-Infiltration Act, under review by the legislature’s Interior Affairs Committee on Monday, come […]
Read MoreSouth Korea’s Lee lands in China, hoping to sidestep Taiwan tensions
BEIJING: South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul’s largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan. Lee is the first South Korean leader to visit Beijing in six years and his four-day trip comes less than a week […]
Read MoreUS strike on Venezuela to embolden China’s territorial claims, Taiwan attack unlikely, analysts say
The US attack on Venezuela will embolden China to strengthen its territorial claims over areas such as Taiwan and parts of the South China Sea but will not hasten any potential invasion of Taiwan, analysts said. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s considerations about Taiwan and his timeline are separate from the situation in Latin America, influenced […]
Read MoreBeijing slams Taiwanese leader Lai’s New Year’s speech as ‘lies’ and ‘malice’
By William Zheng Beijing has condemned Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s New Year’s Day speech – including his vow to boost the island’s defences – as full of “lies, falsehoods, hostility and malice” and an attempt to “mislead the Taiwanese people and international public opinion”. Chen Binhua, spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), said […]
Read MoreCan Beijing and Washington shield their planned state visits from Taiwan tensions?
By Vanessa Cai in Shanghai and Meredith Chen in Hong Kong Tensions over the Taiwan Strait are likely to persist in 2026, but analysts expect Washington and Beijing to manage risks to ensure that reciprocal state visits planned for the new year are not derailed. Beijing launched massive live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday and […]
Read MoreTrump ‘not worried’ about Beijing’s military drills around Taiwan
By Khushboo Razdan in Washington US President Donald Trump on Monday described Beijing’s large-scale military exercises around Taiwan as routine activities that have occurred “for 20-25 years”, expressing no concern over the escalation and instead citing his personal rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t […]
Read MoreChina fires missiles on second day of military drills around Taiwan
BEIJING: China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels around Taiwan on Tuesday for a second day of live-fire drills aimed at simulating a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets. The two-day war games code-named “Justice Mission 2025” have been slammed by Taipei as “highly […]
Read MoreChina hits US defense firms with sanctions over arms sales to Taiwan
BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on Friday targeting 10 individuals and 20 US defense firms, including Boeing’s St. Louis branch, over arms sales to Taiwan. The measures freeze any assets the companies and individuals hold in China and bar domestic organizations and individuals from doing business with them, the ministry said. Individuals on the […]
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