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☆ Photos shine a light on Taiwan’s ‘betel nut beauties’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Emma Russell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

To meet her sales targets, the betel nut “must be delicious.” she told CNN in an email. A betel nut stall in Taipei. “I loved driving there because there were the betel nut girls,” she recalled in a phone interview. One of Han's subjects, Ju Ju, is pictured at a booth in the city of Taoyuan. But Ju Ju has since grown to value the stability of the job.

Persons: Mong Shuan, Mong, Constanze Han, “, ”, we’d, Han, Han “, ’ ”, Susan Meiselas, Xiao Hong, Ju, Ju Ju, —, Constanze Organizations: CNN, Mong, ”, island’s Ministry of Health, Welfare Locations: Taiwan, Asia, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and New York, America, New England, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Constanze

☆ China’s Xi to host former Taiwan president in Beijing, in rare meeting echoing bygone era of warmer ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Joint concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness under Xi, including toward Taiwan, are a key driver of that summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping shakes hands with then Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou before their meeting in Singapore on November 7, 2015. Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou speaks to reporters ahead of his visit to China at the Taoyuan International Airport on April 1, 2024. Ma Ying-jeou” or former chairman of the KMT, with no mention of his former role as the president of Taiwan. Reaction in TaiwanMa’s itinerary – and his meeting with Xi – has been closely watched in Taiwan.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Ma Ying, Xi, Chiang Kai, Eric Chu, Ma, ” Chu, Lai Ching, Joe Biden, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Roslan Rahman, Amanda Hsiao, “, underscoring, ’ ”, Tsai Ing, –, Lai, Lai’s, fixating, ”, ” Sung, China –, Ma’s, Hsiao, Yan Zhao, Mr, Sun, Xi –, Sung, ” Ma, James Chen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, Kuomintang, KMT, China’s, shek’s Nationalists, –, Democratic Progressive Party, CNN Beijing, Japanese, Getty, International Crisis, Atlantic, “, Taoyuan International Airport, Communists, Nationalists, Atlantic Council, Taiwan’s Tamkang University, DPP Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Singapore, Washington, Japan, Philippines, AFP, Taoyuan, Guangzhou, Republic of China, Shaanxi, United States, China . Washington

☆ World Economic Forum risks report sees a ‘global catastrophe’ within 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The gloomy outlook comes from an annual survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF) of people paid to identify and manage global risks. According to the report published Wednesday, nearly two-thirds of respondents expect an “elevated chance of global catastrophes” in the next decade. Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty ImagesExtreme weather events were ranked the number two short-term risk, demonstrating heightened awareness about the environment and climate change in a year plagued by rising temperatures and rampant floods and wildfires. Cyber insecurity also made it into the top five short-term risks, for the first time in a decade. Lack of economic opportunity, persistently high inflation and an economic downturn were ranked sixth, seventh and ninth on the list of short-term risks respectively.

Persons: “, Carolina Klint, Marsh McLennan, ”, Hou Yu, Sam Yeh, “ It’s, Saadia Zahidi, ” Zahidi, ” John Scott Organizations: London CNN, Humanity, World Economic, American Psychological, Marsh, CNN, ih, Getty, Zurich Insurance Group Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Israel, Carolina, Europe, Taoyuan, AFP

Last year, Taiwan's chip industry generated T$4.837 trillion ($150.27 billion) in revenue, nearly half of which came from TSMC, compared with Taiwan's GDP of T$22.667 trillion ($704.21 billion). "Taiwan's limited land and limited energy have always created a lot of pressure," GlobalWafers (6488.TWO) CEO Doris Hsu told reporters. 'FIVE SHORTAGES'The chip industry has long complained about Taiwan's "five shortages": land, water, energy, labour, and talent. Taiwan's government - determined to keep its crown jewel's most advanced technology at home - has said it will provide alternative options. The Longtan expansion had proposed acquiring 159 more hectares in the north, where TSMC and many chip companies are based.

Persons: Wei Hsin, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taiwan's, Wang Mei, TSMC, Doris Hsu, Hsu Shih, Rich, Chen Ting, Chen, Liao Chen, Cliff Hou, Isaiah, Lucy Chen, Chen Chi, Sarah Wu, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Taiwan's, National Chengchi University, Hsinchu Science Park, Reuters, Residents, TMSC's, Thomson Locations: Longtan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights HSINCHU, LONGTAN, Hsinchu, United States, Japan, Germany, TSMC, Belgium, Arizona, Kaohsiung

☆ Foxconn founder Terry Gou lies low in Taiwan election as China tax probe reverberates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Terry Gou, founder of Taiwan's Foxconn poses for pictures while saluting during a news conference in Taoyuan, Taiwan April 5, 2023. But three months out from the election, Gou, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $6.7 billion, has gone to ground. China claims Taiwan as its own and believes Lai, who leads opinion polls, is a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence. Since the Global Times report came out, Gou's team has declined to comment, referring questions to Foxconn itself. Gou remains a lauded figure at Foxconn after stepping down as chairman in 2019, referred to reverentially as "the founder".

Persons: Terry Gou, Taiwan's, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taiwan's Terry Gou, Gou, Lai Ching, Lai, Steve Jobs, Foxconn, Democratic Progressive Party's, reverentially, Xi Jinping, Ben Blanchard, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple, Forbes, Global Times, Taiwan, Democratic Progressive, DPP, Taiwan People's Party, Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Chicago, Atari, Dell, Sony Corp, Nintendo Co, Microsoft Corp, Communists, Communist Party's, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Foxconn, Beijing, Kuomintang, People's Republic of China

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

☆ Opinion | Struggling to Understand TV Dialogue? Join the Club.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There Are Ways to Improve the Sound on Your TV?” (Business, Aug. 18):As an American expat, I got a good chuckle out of Brian X. Chen’s article about poor dialogue sound quality in streaming. In Chinese-speaking areas and other parts of East Asia, the wide variety of languages, accents and usages can make it tough to comprehend dialogue regardless of sound quality, so video nearly always comes with subtitles, whether it’s on TV, in a movie theater or online. Michael P. ClarkeTaoyuan City, TaiwanTo the Editor:We do not have to bring speakers to a movie theater to watch a movie and we should not have to put speakers on our TV sets to enjoy a television show. Modern television sets should come with high-resolution pictures and high-quality, audible sound. The quality of the sound is as important as the quality of the picture.

Persons: Brian X, Chen, Michael P Organizations: Clarke Locations: American, East Asia, Malaysia, Clarke Taoyuan City, Taiwan

☆ US trip pays off for Taiwan VP with China drills more 'thunder than rain'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China has a particular dislike of Lai, the frontrunner in polls ahead of January's presidential election, due to his previous comments about being a "worker for Taiwan independence". In his public events he talked about peace and dialogue, though he also said that Taiwan would not back down in the face of threats. "These drills were a lot of thunder, but less rain." 'NO SURPRISES'Lo Chih-cheng, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Lai's trip was also about the broader process of showing him to the United States as a steady and trustworthy leader. China could take other, trade-related, steps to punish Taiwan, having previously stopped Taiwanese fruit and fish imports.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Ma Chen, Shen Dingli, Lai Ching, Lo Chih, cheng, Lo, Ko Wen, Xi Jinping, Ben Blanchard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan, U.S, Liberation Army, National Defence University, United States, Relations, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwanese Public, National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate, of Political, Thomson Locations: United States, New York, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, U.S, United, Shanghai, Taipei, Beijing, Washington, Asia

☆ Taiwan details China drills, VP says election not China's to call
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai waves at Taoyuan International Airport following his trip to the United States and Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 18, 2023. "My position is that Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China. China has demanded that Taiwan's government accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of "one China", but it has refused. LOWER-KEY DRILLSChina's Saturday drills were much more low-key than two rounds of war games around Taiwan last August and again in April this year. Taiwan's military also released pictures of one of its fighter jets taking off and a pilot checking a missile underneath an aircraft.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Su, It's, That's, Taiwan's, Alexander Neill, Neill, lambasting Lai, Tian Dan, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, James Pomfret, William Mallard, Kim Coghill, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Democratic Progressive Party, APEC, Hawaii's, Eastern Theatre Command, Sunday, Taiwan, State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, New York, People's Republic of China, San Francisco, Singapore, U.S, Hong Kong

Taiwan's constitution states that the Republic of China is a sovereign state, and that has been a consensus shared by all Taiwan's main political parties. The Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic. "It is because if he is elected as the leader of Taiwan, he may come to advance his goal of Taiwan independence, which will provoke a crisis across the Taiwan Strait." China's Taiwan Affairs Office said his comments were "weird" and "deceitful" given that his "Taiwan independence nature" had not changed. China has demanded Taiwan's government accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China," something Tsai and Lai have refused to do.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Tsai Ing, Mao Zedong's, Wu Xinbo, Joseph Wu, George Yin, Yin, Tsai's, Lai ., Xi Jinping, Taiwan's, Tsai, Meng Chih, cheng, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Wu, Martin Pollard, Casey, Sonali Paul Organizations: International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai's Fudan University, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Affairs Office, Cheng Kung University, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: United States, New York, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, Taiwanese, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, The Republic of China, Republic, Republic of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ Taiwan vice president returns from sensitive visit to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Fabian Hamacher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai speaks to the media upon arrival at Taoyuan International Airport as he returns from a trip to the United States and Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAOYUAN, Taiwan, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan Vice President William Lai returned on Friday from a sensitive visit to the United States, thanking the Taiwanese people for supporting a trip he said showed the island's "self confidence" venturing into the international community. "Because of everyone's hard work, Taiwan's power is stronger and stronger, and it showed the international community that Taiwan is a force for good, that the international community really pays great attention to Taiwan," he said. China claims Taiwan as its territory and denounced the transit stops in the U.S., calling Lai a separatist and a "troublemaker". "Thank you for your contributions to the country and to society," he said, "allowing Taiwan to very progressively, self confidently and respectfully go into the international community, and winning the support of the international community."

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Tsai Ing, Fabian Hamacher, Chang, Kim, Ben Blanchard, David Gregorio, Lincoln Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan, American Institute, U.S, Russian, Pacific, East China Seas, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, Paraguay, Taiwan, Rights TAOYUAN, China, U.S, New York, San Francisco, Taipei, Beijing, Okinawa, Miyako, East, Tokyo

☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

☆ Taiwan vice president leaves on sensitive trip to United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Fabian Hamacher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Taiwan's Vice President William Lai arrives at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure to the United States for a stopover in New York on his way to Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsTAOYUAN, Taiwan, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan Vice President William Lai left on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the democratically governed island. Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing in of its president. The United States has not announced who may be going to Paraguay next week. Neither Taiwan nor the United States has given exact details about his U.S. schedule, and both are aiming to keep that part low key, according to officials briefed on the trip.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Kamala Harris, Laura Rosenberger, Fabian Hamcher, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Taiwan, U.S, United, American Institute, AIT, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, Carlos Garcia Rawlins TAOYUAN, China, Lai, Taipei, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Honduras, Virginia, San Francisco

☆ Taiwan boosts counter-espionage effort after suspected China infiltration
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan's armed forces hold two days of routine drills to show combat readiness ahead of Lunar New Year holidays at a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, January 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military vowed on Wednesday to step up counter-espionage efforts as authorities investigated several serving and former military officers suspected of spying for China. China, which is pressing the island to accept its sovereignty, has in recent years mounted a sustained espionage campaign to undermine democratically governed Taiwan's military and civilian leadership, a Reuters investigation has found. "Betraying your own fellow soldiers and country should be punished by law strictly," he said, adding that authorities had been working hard to prevent such incidents happening again. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Ann Wang, Hsiao, Alex Huang, Yimou Lee, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, army's Aviation, Special Forces Command, Central News Agency, CNA, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Thomson Locations: Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Ann Wang TAIPEI, China, Taoyuan, Taipei

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

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

[1/6] Black Hawk helicopters prepare to land at Taoyuan International Airport as part of the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Taoyuan, Taiwan July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAOYUAN, Taiwan, July 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan conducted an anti-aircraft landing drill at its main international airport for the first time on Wednesday, simulating the repulsion of an invading force as China ramps up military pressure to force the island to accept its sovereignty. The drill at the island's main Taoyuan international airport was part of Taiwan's main annual Han Kuang exercises that started on Monday, focusing on protecting its infrastructure and striking incoming enemy ships to keep key waterways open. Soldiers carrying rifles were seen running on the runway to fight off enemy forces being dropped off by the helicopters. Tsai has made modernising the military a top priority, pushing for various defence projects including developing Taiwan's own jets and submarines.

Persons: Han, Ann Wang, Han Kuang, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Fabian Hamacher, Yimou Lee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, Taiwan, Ann, Ann Wang TAOYUAN, China, island's, Taiwan's, Taipei

☆ Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world, a study found. See which others made the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com. Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com, a website for airline safety and product reviews. Air New Zealand was ranked first for best economy class; Qatar Airways took the lead for business class; and Singapore Airlines was ranked the best first-class airline. Air New ZealandSafety: 7/7Product: 7/7Air New Zealand, or Air NZ, is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. Korean Air has an average score of 7.8/10 based on 60 AirlineRatings.com reviews.

Persons: Geoffrey Thomas, Taylor Rains, Johannes P, Virgin Atlantic Sir Richard Branson, Steve Parsons, Richard Branson, Emirates Yursi Abu Barak Organizations: Morning, Air New, Qatar Airways, Air, Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Delta, US, Ryanair, New Zealand, Air New Zealand Air, Air New Zealand, Air NZ, . Air NZ, Qatar Airways Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Airbus, Etihad, UAE, Korean Air Korean, Airlines, Korean Air, Christo, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, SIA, Qantas Qantas, Qantas Media Safety, Qantas, Virgin, Virgin Atlantic Boeing, Heathrow Airport, Virgin Atlantic, Delta Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay, Boeing, Cathay, Nikkei, Emirates, Dubai . Emirates, UAE . Emirates Locations: Zealand, Air New Zealand, Europe, Air, Auckland , New Zealand, Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Seoul, South Korea, Bali , Indonesia, Singapore, Asia, Mascot, Australia, Virgin Australia, Crawley , England, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, East Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong, Nikkei Asia, Dubai ., Emirates, Dubai

☆ China launches weather satellite, flights avoid no-fly zone to north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ann WangBEIJING/TAIPEI, April 16 (Reuters) - China launched a weather satellite on Sunday as civilian flights altered their routes to avoid a Chinese-imposed no-fly zone to the north of Taiwan which Beijing put in place because of the possibility of falling rocket debris. The no-fly announcement rattled regional nerves as it followed shortly after China staged new war games around Taiwan, which Beijing views as sovereign Chinese territory. Flights to and from Taiwan and China, Taiwan and South Korea and Taiwan and Japan were amongst those detouring around the zone on Sunday morning, according to routes tracked on Flightradar24. The zone is in an area over the East China Sea slightly northeast of Taiwan that routinely sees heavy civilian flight traffic. China has denounced what it has called hype around China's space activities and an attempt to escalate confrontation across the Taiwan Strait.

☆ Photo catches Taiwan pilot with a patch of Winnie the Pooh getting punched in the face — a jab at China's Xi as Beijing ups the pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid this, Taiwan's defense ministry published a photo of a patch worn by fighter pilots. The patch depicts a cartoon Winnie the Pooh getting punched by a bear — a dig at Xi Jinping. Her visit stoked ire in Beijing, with China's defense ministry calling it "provocative." Beijing's defense ministry said the war games — dubbed "Joint Sword" — are meant to be a "stern warning" to Taiwan, which sharply criticized the exercises. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," Taiwan's defense ministry wrote in a statement posted to social media.

[1/5] Alec Hsu shows to the camera patches depicting a Formosan black bear holding Taiwan’s flag and punching Winnie the Pooh at his store in Taoyuan, Taiwan April 10, 2023. The patch shows an angry Formosan black bear holding Taiwan's flag and punching Winnie the Pooh, with the slogan "Scramble!" The endangered Formosan black bear is seen as a symbol of Taiwanese identity. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out taking the island by force. While the Winnie the Pooh patch cannot be found on Chinese social media, Beijing has also been promoting videos and commentary about its drills around Taiwan.

☆ Taiwan faces choice of 'peace and war', ex-president says after China trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou arrives at Taoyuan international airport after concluding his 12-day trip to China in Taoyuan, Taiwan April 7, 2023. Ma is the first former Taiwanese president to ever visit China. Since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, no serving island leader has visited China. The future is a choice between peace and war," Ma told reporters at Taiwan's main airport after arriving from Shanghai at the end of his 12-day visit to China. Ma said Taiwan could share a "common political basis" with China, which would be in the best interests of the people of Taiwan.

[1/5] Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou speaks to the media at the airport before departing on a visit to China, as for the first time a former or current Taiwanese leader will be visiting since the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island in 1949, in Taoyuan, Taiwan March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAOYUAN, Taiwan, March 27 (Reuters) - Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou left for China on Monday on a landmark trip, saying he hoped to bring about peace and improve relations through the interactions of young people. Ma, in office from 2008-2016, will be the first former or current Taiwanese president to visit China since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of a civil war with the Communists, where it remains to this day. Ma met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore in late 2015 shortly before the current Taiwan president, Tsai Ing-wen, won an election. The KMT says outreach to China is needed now more than ever given the tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

☆ U.S. to Expand Troop Presence in Taiwan for Training Against China Threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taiwanese military personnel trained at a base in Taoyuan, Taiwan, this week. The U.S. is working to help Taipei defend itself without provoking Beijing. WASHINGTON—The U.S. is markedly increasing the number of troops deployed to Taiwan, more than quadrupling the current number to bolster a training program for the island’s military amid a rising threat from China. The U.S. plans to deploy between 100 and 200 troops to the island in the coming months, up from roughly 30 there a year ago, according to U.S. officials. The larger force will expand a training program the Pentagon has taken pains not to publicize as the U.S. works to provide Taipei with the capabilities it needs to defend itself without provoking Beijing.

According to official statistics, there were about five medical personnel and fewer than five hospital beds per 1,000 people in China’s rural areas in 2020, compared with more than 11 medical personnel and almost nine hospital beds in urban areas. Jiao Yahui, an official at the National Health Commission, said the government’s Covid strategy for rural areas had two main focuses. The lack of facilities means those with Covid are more likely to travel elsewhere for treatment or simply recover at home to avoid further exposure in hospitals. A local resident with the last name Li said he had attended five funerals since last December, all for people who died after contracting Covid. He said he had heard that at least 300 older people died this winter in the county, not including its administered villages or towns.

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