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☆ Developing Taiwan’s own ‘Starlink’ crucial for island-wide emergency, space agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The communication satellite is very important for our communication resilience during urgent periods,” Wu said, calling it his agency’s most sensitive project. Taiwanese authorities previously announced the space agency would develop two communication satellites, the first of which could be launched by 2026. Wu Jong-shinn, director general of the Taiwan Space Agency, speaks to CNN on March 5, 2024 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. In the future, Taiwan’s satellite system could replace third-party deals, but Wu, the space agency director, declined to provide more specific details about the project’s timeline. A rocket model in development at the Taiwan Space Agency on March 5, 2024 in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Wu Jong, shinn, Elon, Wu, ” Wu, ” Starlink, Heidi Levine, John Mees, CNN Brad Tucker, you’re, ”, Su, yun, OneWeb, Sam Yeh, Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Taiwan’s, “, CNN’s Will Ripley Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan Space Agency, CNN, Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, Ukrainian, The Washington Post, Communist Party, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Australian National University, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Getty, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple, Nvidia, Triton Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, China, Gaza, Beijing, London, Xiamen, Taiwan's, AFP, Guiana, South America

☆ Taiwan earthquake: ‘Roger,’ overly playful dog who failed police academy, becomes star of quake response
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Chris Lau | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

While other dogs also played similar roles and were paraded for the media, Roger captured the island’s imagination — partly because of his backstory of an initial career failure. But his ebullient personality and intelligence made him a much better candidate to be a rescue dog, which was the career that was then chosen for him. Kaohsiung Fire DepartmentChen Chih-san, captain of the rescue dog unit of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, told reporters that Roger was transferred to the rescue training school when he was 1 year old. According to the Kaohsiung City Government, Roger was certified by the International Rescue Dog Organization in 2022, an accolade last achieved by a Taiwanese rescue dog in 2019. But retirement is looming for Roger, with the Kaohsiung Fire Department sending rescue dogs to a suitable home once they reach age 9, CNA said, citing Chen.

Persons: Roger, Kaohsiung Fire Department Roger, Chen Chih, “ I’m, ” Chen, ” Roger, Chen Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Central News Agency, CNA, Kaohsiung Fire Department, Kaohsiung Fire, Kaohsiung City Government, Dog Organization Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, lunged, Kaohsiung

Hualien, Taiwan CNN —Wu was preparing breakfast for guests at the small hotel he runs in Taiwan’s Hualien County when the shelves around him shook violently and the mountain behind his house roared. “It’s not too bad.”Video Ad Feedback Rescue efforts underway in Taiwan after deadly earthquake 02:54 - Source: CNNA checkpoint is set up outside Taroko Gorge just north of Hualien city in Taiwan. Yan Zhao/AFP/Getty ImagesWorkers demolish a damaged building following the earthquake in Hualien County, Taiwan on April 4, 2024. Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesTaiwan’s recent push for preparedness comes from the hard lessons learned from the devastating quake 25 years ago, experts say. That quake left more than 100,000 buildings across Taiwan completely or partially collapsed, including nearly 300 schools.

Persons: Taiwan CNN — Wu, Wu, “, ”, It’s, Annabelle Chih, Chong, “ I’ve, Hualien . Yan Zhao, Tyrone Siu, Daniel Aldrich, Sam Yeh, Aldrich, ” Aldrich, “ They’ve, –, Wei Chia, Wei Organizations: Taiwan CNN, CNN, ”, Getty, Workers, Reuters, Northeastern University Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, Taiwan’s Hualien County, Taroko, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Shanghai, “, Hualien . Yan, AFP, Hualien County, Haiti, India, China, Taipei

☆ Taiwan needs more babies. But conservative traditions are holding back some fertility solutions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —For married Taiwanese men Alan Hung and Danny Huang, the process of having a biological child together was never easy. Cases like this are troubling to Chen Ching-hui, who last month became the first fertility specialist to win a seat in Taiwan’s parliament. Same-sex couples and single women are banned from accessing procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or egg freezing in Taiwan, while surrogacy is outlawed entirely. The issue is particularly pressing for Taiwan because, as its population dwindles, so do its military ranks. A nurse handling egg freezing inside a Taipei clinic run by fertility specialist, and now lawmaker, Chen Ching-hui.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Alan Hung, Danny Huang, “, ” Huang, Chen Ching, Hung, Huang, Aiden, Danny Huang “, Chen, –, Dr Chen Ching, Eric Cheung, ”, ” Chen, Hsueh, Chang, Paula Bronstein, Huang – Organizations: Taiwan CNN, CNN, Kuomintang, KMT, Communist Party, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Democratic Progressive Party, China Medical University Hospital Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Russia, United States, Taiwan’s, China, East Asia, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, South Korea, Southeast Asia

☆ TSMC: How the world’s biggest chipmaker is working to overcome a shortage of talent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Eric Cheung | Will Ripley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

All that changed three years ago, when a global chip shortage and rising geopolitical tension turbocharged growth at TSMC. TSMC set up the Newcomer Training Center inside a sprawling science park in the city of Taichung in central Taiwan in 2021. “After many years, what we want to do is to gradually reduce assignees [and] increase the local hires.”The Newcomer Training Center opened in 2021. The soaring demand, particularly for chips that power AI, has created a shortage of talent for the semiconductor industry. Countries compete for this talent.”TSMC’s Ho said a shortage of talent is one of the main challenges the company faces.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, —, TSMC, Joe Biden, ”, Marcus Chen, ” Lora Ho, John Mees, Stewart Randall, ” TSMC’s Ho, Ho, Kristy Hsu, “, it’s, ” Ho, “ It’s, — CNN’s Juliana Liu Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Moore’s, Apple, Nvidia, AMD, CNN, “, Training, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, IC, Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center, Economic Research Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, TSMC, Arizona, fabs, United States, Japan, Germany, China, Washington, Kumamoto, Phoenix , Arizona, Dresden, Europe

Boat tours around Kinmen are still operating, though under a closer watch by Taiwan’s coast guard. Officers visit each boat before they set sail and warn captains not to stray into Chinese waters. “In the past, whenever a mainland ship crossed the median line (into Taiwan’s waters), our cannons would fire toward it without warning,” Hung said. On Monday, five Chinese coast guard ships entered prohibited or restricted waters around Kinmen, but left shortly after being warned away by Taiwan’s coast guard, according to a Taiwan minister. Last week, Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese tour boat for inspection, an unprecedented move that startled passengers on board.

Persons: ”, Hung Ho, cheng, Hung, Mao Zedong’s, Chiang Kai, John Mees, Kinmen, ” Hung, Sam Yeh, Kuan, ” Kuan, Chang, Wu Chia, chiang Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Residents, Mao Zedong’s Communist, Nationalist, CNN, Mao’s Communist, Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Tourism Association Locations: Kinmen, Taiwan, China, China’s, Beijing, It’s, Staten Island, “, Taipei, Xiamen, AFP, Taiwanese, China's Xiamen

☆ The dangerous parallels between Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine and Xi’s claims on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Will Ripley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

What is happening is to a certain extent, an element of a civil war,” Putin claimed. The island remained a Japanese colony for half a century until the end of World War II, when it came under the control of China’s ruling Nationalist government. Today Xi is expanding China’s military at a pace the world hasn’t seen in a century – since before World War Two. Long-time China analyst Steve Tsang, author of “If China Attacks Taiwan,” once told me that Xi’s military build-up is, by comparison, larger than Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan combined. Many here in Taiwan fear it’s only a matter of time before Xi, like Putin, puts his words into action.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Kolas Yotaka, Tucker, Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, Xi, ”, Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Yotaka, –, Jens Stoltenberg, “, ” Stoltenberg, it’s, ” China’s, Russia –, Carlson, ” Putin, Critics, Chiang Kai, shek, ” Xi, He’s, Tsai Ing, Steve Tsang Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan Presidential, Taiwan –, NATO, Munich Security, Communist Party, Russia, Observers, Nationalist, Communists, Taiwan’s National Chengchi, Democratic Progressive Party, Taipei, Xi, Navy, Global China, Atlantic Council, Taiwan Relations Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Ukraine, Beijing, China, Russia, Soviet, Ukrainian, Soviet Union, Japan, Republic of China, Taiwan Strait, United States, Hong Kong, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Washington

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —American support for Taiwan will continue no matter who wins the upcoming US election, House Rep. Mike Gallagher told an audience in the democratic island on Thursday, as tensions simmer between Taipei and Beijing. “I’m confident regardless of how the presidential election goes, we will maintain our support not only for Taiwan but also a posture of internationalism and engagement,” Gallagher told reporters in the capital Taipei. Gallagher said American efforts to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion were also critical to deterring Beijing from using force against Taiwan. American lawmakers regularly visit Taiwan and have supported legislation to bolster US support for the island and its defensive capabilities. 07:53 - Source: CNNTroubled watersThe delegation’s visit comes during a period of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, sparked by the drowning of two Chinese fishermen near Taiwan’s Kinmen Island last week.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, “, ” Gallagher, Gallagher, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Tsai, ” Tsai, China, ”, ” “, …, ” Zhu Fenglian, Chen Chien Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Communist Party, Taiwan, NATO, Democratic, Washington, CNN, Taipei, Republican, Wisconsin, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Affairs Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Ukraine, Europe, Raja, United States, Taiwanese, ”

☆ Taipei protests against Beijing’s ‘unilateral’ change of flight path closer to sensitive median line
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan has protested against China’s “unilateral” adjustment of civil aviation flight routes that could result in civilian aircraft flying closer to the sensitive Taiwan Strait median line, adding pressure on Taipei in its aviation safety and aerial defense. This means all southbound flights will no longer need to veer off six nautical miles to the west from the designated route – as agreed by Beijing and Taipei in 2015 – and can now fly on the original path, bringing the aircraft closer to the median line and the Taipei Flight Information Region. In 2015, China unilaterally declared the operation of M503 route, prompting protests from Taipei. After negotiations with Taipei, Beijing agreed at the time to move the route six nautical miles to the west of its original path. The median line dividing China and Taiwan has been a tacit understanding between both sides not bound by any legal pact.

Persons: China’s, ” Organizations: Taiwan CNN, China’s Civil Aviation Administration, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration, Mainland Affairs Council, MAC, Communist Party Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai, China, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Fujian province, Matsu, Taiwan Strait

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party pulled off a historic third consecutive presidential victory on Saturday as voters shrugged off warnings by China that their re-election would increase the risk of conflict. The counting of votes has concluded, with Lai – the candidate of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – receiving just over 40% of the total votes, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC). Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party candidate Hou Yu-ih garnered 33.49% of the votes, with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je received 26.45%. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office insisted the election result “does not represent the mainstream view on the island.”“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. “There’s multiple times that China could cause a fuss over a DPP victory, either now or later this year,” Nachman said.

Persons: Taiwan CNN — Taiwan’s, Lai Ching, ” Lai, “, Hsiao Bi, Lai –, Taiwan’s, –, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, je, Xi Jinping, Xi, Yasuyosh Chiba, Tsai Ing, Lai, Tsai, China’s, ” Xi, Hsiao, ”, Jaw Shaw, kong, Sam Yeh, Biden, Wang, Lev Nachman, ” Nachman, Nachman, hasn’t, they’ve Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Commission, Kuomintang, KMT, ih, Taiwan People’s Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Xinhua, China’s Communist Party, Party, Taiwan, Communist, DPP, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan’s, Illinois State University, National Chengchi University, China’s Taiwan Affairs, Taiwan “, Analysts Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, United States, Beijing, ”, China’s Taiwan, AFP, “, New Taipei City, Washington, Taiwan Strait

☆ Secretive Taiwanese power plant opens to public for the first time — as an art space
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Beigan, Taiwan CNN —In a sleepy Taiwanese island village just eight miles off the coast of mainland China, scooters whiz past an unassuming building that has stood here, largely overlooked, for decades. YI.ng Lighting DesignKnown locally as Jun Hun (or “Army Soul”), a nickname shared with the Taiwanese army division that built it, the Beigan Power Plant entered service in 1975 and became a linchpin of the local economy before closing in 2010. Art in the ‘heart’ of MatsuThe transformed Beigan Power Plant is the flagship venue of the Matsu Biennial, which runs through November 12 and features artworks exploring the outlying islands’ heritage, cultural identity and military past. “The power plant is the heart of Matsu that hasn’t stopped beating, and the generators are the essence of the power plant,” Liu said told CNN at the studio he shares with Chu. “I want to use sound to breathe new life into the deserted power plant, so that viewers can grasp what it was like when these generators were still running,” Wang told CNN at her studio.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, —, Hun, ”, Mao Zedong’s, Matsu —, Matsu, Annie Chu, Liu Ping, hasn’t, ” Liu, Chu, Kinmen, Wang Yu, ” Wang, ” Chu Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Matsu, Taiwanese, Plant, Kuomintang, KMT, People’s Liberation Army, CNN, Visitors, Beigan, Matsu Biennial Locations: Beigan, Taiwan, China, Matsu, Taiwan’s, Taipei, Wang, Beijing

☆ 'Narwhal' ship: Taiwan unveils first domestically built submarine as China threat grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It is also important equipment for our naval forces in developing asymmetric warfare strategies.”“In the past, many people thought building an indigenous submarine would be an impossible task. Taiwan's president gives a speech at the launch ceremony of Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, in Kaohsiung on September 28. Tsai said the indigenous submarine project was “a top priority” of her administration. Video Ad Feedback Taiwan's military is preparing in case China attacks. But Taiwan’s indigenous military procurement program remains a lynchpin of its defense strategy, particularly when it comes to systems like anti-ship missiles that could defend against a potential invasion.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Kun, ” Tsai, “, Tsai, Taiwan's, Eric Cheung, Sandra Oudkirk, Washington’s, Admiral Huang Shu, kuang, Huang, ” Huang, Collin Koh, ”, Admiral Huang, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Nancy Pelosi, Lee Teng Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan, CNN, National Security Council, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, PLA Navy, Party, US Pacific Fleet Locations: Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Taipei, Beijing, China, ”, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Philippine, United States, Taiwan Strait, South Korea, India

Chen told CNN he “felt sad, angry and afraid” after receiving such a call on July 21, when police told him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. When evening fell, he crossed the border into the Laos mountains, he told CNN – and by early August, he’d crossed the Mekong River and entered Thailand. Many Chinese dissidents do not feel safe in Thailand given the government’s often friendly links with Beijing, and in the past dissidents based there have turned up in Chinese custody. Soon after posting his video, Chen was taken for questioning by Taiwan’s immigration authorities and the Mainland Affairs Council, he told CNN. Laos lies across China’s southwestern border and has long been a common, albeit risky, exit point for Chinese dissidents trying to leave the country.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Chen Siming, Chen, Xi Jinping, “, ”, he’d, Beijing’s, Jiang Yefei, Dong Guangping –, Lu Siwei, Lu, Wang Dan Organizations: Taiwan CNN, CNN, United Nations, Refugees, Taoyuan International Airport, Chinese Communist Party, Communist Party, Mainland Affairs Council, UNHCR, Taiwan Affairs Office Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, United States, Canada, Thailand, China, Beijing, Laos, Guangzhou, Taoyuan, Hong Kong, West, Southeast Asia

☆ Taiwan’s defense ministry urges Beijing to stop ‘military harassment’ after 103 Chinese warplanes fly near island
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s defense ministry has urged Beijing to stop its “persistent military harassment,” after it detected more than 100 Chinese warplanes close to the island in a 24-hour span between Sunday and Monday. The number of warplanes recorded posed “severe challenges to the Taiwan Strait and regional safety,” the ministry said in a statement. According to a flight map provided by the ministry, 40 of the 103 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line on the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Those 40 incursions were made by 10 Su-30 fighter jets, 12 J-10 fighter jets, four J-11 fighter jets, 10 J-16 fighter jets, two Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft, and two KJ-500 airborne early warning and control planes. The highest record of Chinese warplanes that entered Taiwan’s ADIZ within 24 hours was reported in October 2021, when 56 planes made the incursion in one day.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Su, Taiwan – Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Party, Taiwan, Communist Party, Taiwan’s ADIZ Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, Taiwan Strait

Taoyuan, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport became the scene of a simulated Chinese invasion on Wednesday for the first time ever as the island’s military conducted an anti-takeover drill to fend off any possible attack from Beijing. The drill was designed to test the Taiwanese military’s cross-branch coordination and emergency response capabilities during a simulated Chinese invasion, the Ministry of National Defense previously said. At Taoyuan on Wednesday, soldiers wearing red helmets to mark themselves as simulated infiltrators engaged in a shootout drill with airport police. As they approached an airport building, they exchanged fire along the way with the Taiwanese military defending the facility and those hiding in makeshift covers. Elsewhere, Taiwan’s military canceled some Han Kuang exercises as Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in the northern Philippines on Wednesday.

Persons: China’s, Moscow’s, Han, Han Kuang, Doksuri Organizations: Taiwan CNN — Taiwan’s, Airport, Ministry of National Defense, Communist Party, Firefighters, Taoyuan International, CNN, Weather Bureau, Taiwan’s Air Force Locations: Taoyuan, Taiwan, Taiwan CNN — Taiwan’s Taoyuan, Beijing, Taipei, Ukraine, Airports, Kyiv’s, Philippines, China, Fengnian

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Two Taiwan police officers are under investigation after a botched sting operation led to a minor being sexually assaulted, prompting public uproar and an official apology from the local police department. According to the court verdict, Chang solicited sex from the girl, offering 5,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $160), and asked her for nude photos. The police put together a sting operation, with the girl agreeing to meet with Chang under the pretense of having sex with him, the verdict revealed. The guardian had agreed to the sting operation, the spokesperson added. The two officers involved in the sting operation have been referred to the district prosecutor’s office for investigation of their alleged negligence and failure in performing their duties, said the spokesperson.

Persons: Chang Ming, Chang Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Taiwan, Taoyuan Police Department, Focus, Central News Agency Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Zhongli, Taoyuan, Taoyuan city, Focus Taiwan

The series, “Wave Makers,” follows the fictitious lives of a team of campaign staffers in the run-up to a presidential election in Taiwan. The turn of events took the creators of “Wave Makers” by surprise. The main story line of "Wave Makers" features the solidarity and support between its two female protagonists. “Even the protagonists in ‘Wave Makers’ might not be able to persevere in our system,” said Kang at the National Chengchi University. These are people we must protect, not treat with prejudice.”For the show’s scriptwriters, Taiwan’s #MeToo moment has not fully arrived.

Persons: MeToo, ”, Tsai Ing, ” Tsai, Chien Li, Nina Peng, Wen, Let’s, “ Let’s, William Lai, Wang Dan, Wang, Kang Ting, Kang, “, Chien, Tsai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taiwan’s, Liao, ” Kang, Lu Sheng, ” Peng Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Netflix, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, KMT, “, National Chengchi University, Chinese Communist Party, Inter, Parliamentary Union, CNN, National Taiwan Normal University Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, “, Asia

Kinmen, Taiwan CNN —As the sun sets over Taiwan’s Kinmen islands, the neon lights of mainland China dazzle in the distance just 2.5 miles away. That lingering potential for invasion might make it seem like an unlikely place to construct a bridge to mainland China. Anti-invasion spikes along the coast of Taiwan's Kinmen islands. During a recent trip to Kinmen, Taiwan Vice President and DPP presidential candidate William Lai said he recognized the sacrifices of the islanders during decades of conflict. “The Taiwanese government looks at the Chinese military threat as something that cannot be accepted and we condemn it,” he added.

Persons: John Mees, Ko Wen, ”, Xi Jinping, Ho Chih, Sam Yeh, Kinmen, Yang Chien, ” Yang, “, Yang, Yang Pei, Huang Li, cheng, Tsai Ing, William Lai, Wu Chia, chiang, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Joseph Wu, ” Wu, Maestro Wu Tseng, Maestro Wu Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Communist, People’s Liberation Army, CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s Presidential, Mainland Affairs Council, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Mainland Affairs, Russo, Getty, Communist China's, Tourism Association, Communist Party, Xi, United States, Taiwan’s, Taiwan Locations: Kinmen, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei, Taiwan’s, Xiamen –, Xiamen, Chinese, Ukrainian, Russia, Taiwan's, AFP, Jinsha, “, Fujian, California, Beijing’s

☆ US and Taiwan reach agreement on new trade pact in boost to economic ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The new initiative, titled the US-Taiwan Initiative of 21st Century Trade, was first unveiled in June last year. It will be the first official trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States since US President Joe Biden assumed office in 2021. “This accomplishment represents an important step forward in strengthening the US-Taiwan economic relationship,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in the statement. We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a robust and high-standard trade agreement that tackles pressing 21st century economic challenges,” she added. The new agreement marks the first official trade agreement since Taiwan was excluded from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a regional economic plan launched by Biden last year.

☆ Gay rights: Taiwan grants right of adoption to same-sex couples
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s legislature passed a bill Tuesday that granted same-sex couples the right to jointly adopt a child neither of them are related to, clearing one of the final hurdles in achieving full marriage equality. Taiwan in 2019 became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage but it stopped short of granting fully equal rights of adoption to same-sex couples. “I am very excited that we granted joint adoption rights to same-sex couples today,” said Fan Yun, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party who was among those that initiated the legal change. “Legally, we have finally returned same-sex couples to their children,” she added. Before the legal change Tuesday, some same-sex couples had spent years challenging the discrimination in Taiwanese courts.

☆ Taiwan National Day: 'No room for compromise' on sovereignty, President Tsai says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday there is “no room for compromise” over the self-ruled island’s sovereignty but she is willing to work with China to find “mutually acceptable ways” to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait. There is no room for compromise on this,” Tsai said in a speech marking Taiwan’s National Day, delivered as tensions between Taipei and Beijing simmer at the highest point in recent decades. Lawmakers from Taiwan and Japan wave flags at a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022. Taiwan National Day celebrationsThe Republic of China ruled the mainland until its defeat to the Communists at the end of the civil war in 1949, when it retreated to Taiwan. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (top C) attends a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022.

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