By Lawrence Chung in Taipei A proposal to invite Taiwan to next year’s US-led Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) military exercises has been removed from defence policy legislation progressing through Congress, raising concerns in Taipei that Washington’s political calculus may be shifting. Some analysts have warned that the removal of language approved by the US […]
Read MoreBy Alcott Wei in Beijing Beijing sent a Type 055 destroyer fleet to the south of Japan on Tuesday, according to Tokyo, just days after comments about Taiwan from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew a strong reaction from Beijing. Japan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that three Chinese ships, including a Type 055 destroyer, […]
Read MoreTAIPEI: The United States has approved $330 million-worth of parts and equipment in its first military sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the island’s foreign ministry said Friday. While the United States does not recognize Taiwan’s claim to statehood, Washington is Taipei’s biggest arms supplier and a key […]
Read MoreBy Lawrence Chungin Taipei In a high-stakes bilateral exchange where Taiwan has historically been an enduring flashpoint, the unusual silence was deafening. Last week’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump produced a rare omission – no mention of Taiwan at all in official statements from both Washington and Beijing. The […]
Read MoreBRUSSELS: Taiwan’s deputy leader urged the European Union to boost security and trade ties with the self-governing island and support its democracy in the face of growing threats by China, in a rare address to a group of international lawmakers in Brussels on Friday. “Peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and […]
Read MoreTAIPEI: Taiwan’s new opposition leader took office on Saturday, warning of the risk of war with China and pledging to open a new era of peace with Beijing. Former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun takes the reins of the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), at a time of rising military and political tension with Beijing, which […]
Read MoreTAIPEI: 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 MoreBEIING: 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 MoreTAIPEI: 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 MoreBy 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 […]
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