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 MoreBy 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 MoreAuthorities 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 MoreBy 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 MoreBy 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 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 […]
Read MoreBy Lawrence Chungin Taipei Israel’s sweeping intelligence operations against Iran have jolted Taiwan’s security community, raising concerns that Beijing could adopt similar tactics to cripple the island’s leadership or critical infrastructure. As assassinations and sabotage rattle Tehran, analysts in Taipei warn that Beijing’s infiltration of Taiwan is no longer a purely political threat, and it […]
Read MoreBy Lawrence Chungin Taipei Beijing has rolled out the red carpet for Ma Ying-jeou, the first former Taiwanese leader to take part in the Straits Forum, the 17th edition of which opened in Fujian province on Sunday. But back home, Ma is facing a fierce backlash from pro-independence politicians and critics, who accuse the former […]
Read MoreTAIPEI, May 8 (Reuters) – Taiwan and Europe face the same threat from authoritarianism, President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday, marking 80 years since the end of World War Two in Europe and warning that indulging aggressors only whets their appetite for expansion. Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from China, including war games, as […]
Read MoreTaiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has repeatedly complained about “grey zone” Chinese activities around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation, such as balloon overflights and sand dredging. Taiwan’s coast guard said it detained a China-linked cargo ship on Wednesday after a nearby undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in […]
Read More
