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☆ China warns US House Speaker not to meet Taiwan president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoBEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - China warned U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday not to "repeat disastrous past mistakes" and meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, saying it would not help regional peace and stability, but only unite the Chinese people behind a common enemy. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island last August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, visited the capital, Taipei. The U.S. says such stopovers are common practice and there is no need for China to overreact. In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said China had no right to complain, as the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island. "Even if the authoritarian government continues with its expansion and intensifies coercion, Taiwan will not back down."

☆ Honduras demanded $2.5 bln in Taiwan aid before China announcement-source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, March 22 (Reuters) - Honduras demanded $2.5 billion in aid from Taiwan the day before Honduran President Xiomara Castro tweeted her government would seek to open relations with China, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday. Castro tweeted on March 14 she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China, though her government has yet to formally end ties with Taiwan. Reina said Honduras had asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received an answer. Taking lawmaker questions in parliament earlier on Wednesday, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang said the government will not "lightly give up" on trying to keep Honduras and was "still working hard". Normally when countries break off diplomatic ties with Taiwan the announcement is swift, with Taiwan maybe only getting an hour or so's notice, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

☆ Honduran official: US 'respects' decision on China relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. government said it "respects" Honduras' decision to move towards establishing formal diplomatic ties with China, the Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said on Monday after a meeting with U.S. officials. Reina said Honduras' President Xiomara Castro made "general comments" on the decision during the meeting attended by different officials such as U.S. Special Presidential Adviser for the Americas Chris Dodd. Castro announced last week the country would seek diplomatic ties with Beijing, a move that risks further reducing Taiwan's pool of allies as China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes. Since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen was elected Taiwan's president, Panama, El Salvador and most recently, Nicaragua, have opted to establish relations with China.

"We truly don't know whether it will be days or weeks or months," a U.S. government official told Reuters on background. Since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen was elected Taiwan's president, Panama, El Salvador and most recently, Nicaragua, have changed sides. China does not allow countries to hold diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan, regarding the island as its territory. "If Honduras' switch to Beijing is formalized, Taiwan will have just 13 diplomatic allies, including Belize and Guatemala. Reporting by Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Dave Graham and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Honduras president says govt to seek official relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 14 (Reuters) - Honduras President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. Honduras' foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the announcement. China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan. If Honduras breaks off its relations with Taiwan, it would leave it with formal diplomatic ties with only 13 countries. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it was "in the process of understanding" the situation, without giving further details.

☆ Pacific's Micronesia in talks to switch ties from Beijing to Taiwan- letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

We can and will receive this, over a three year period, if and when we establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan," he wrote. In the letter, Panuelo accused China of waging "political warfare" in his country, and bribing his government's officials. Beijing and Taiwan have a history of competing in the Pacific islands, where four of Taiwan's 14 diplomatic allies are located. Two Pacific island nations, Kiribati and Solomon Islands, cut diplomatic ties with democratically ruled Taiwan in 2019 after offers of aid from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory. Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

Summary Taiwan says will not allow "repeated provocations" from ChinaChina warns US not to cross red line on TaiwanTaiwan President, US House Speaker plan to meet in USTAIPEI/BEIJING, March 7 (Reuters) - Taiwan will not allow "repeated provocations" from China, the island's defence minister said on Tuesday, as China's foreign minister said Taiwan was the "first red line" that must not be crossed in Sino-U.S. relations. Speaking to reporters at parliament, Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he was not aware of a planned meeting between Tsai and McCarthy. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said it was "absurd" for U.S. officials to say that Taiwan is not an internal affair of China's. "The United States has unshakable responsibility for causing the Taiwan question." Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Ryan Woo; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan says 'Fab 4' chip group held first senior officials meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationTAIPEI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led "Fab 4" semiconductor alliance of Taiwan, the United States, Japan and South Korea held its first video meeting of senior officials last week focused on supply chain resilience, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The United States last September convened the first meeting of the working group, colloquially called "Fab 4" or "Chip 4", to discuss how to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain, after a global chip crunch caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The semiconductor shortage, which forced some carmakers to halt production, thrust chip powerhouse Taiwan into the spotlight and has made supply chain management a bigger priority for governments around the world. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said the "U.S.-East Asia Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience Working Group", or "Fab 4", had after many months of coordination held the first video meeting of senior officials from its working group on Feb. 16. The group's members are home to the world's largest contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), South Korean memory chip giants Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS), and key Japanese suppliers of semiconductor materials and equipment.

☆ Paraguay president to visit Taiwan ahead of election that could end ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paraguay is one of only 14 countries to have formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, and Beijing has been stepping up efforts to get those remaining allies to abandon Taipei. Paraguay would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and open relations with China if the opposition wins the election, its presidential candidate Efrain Alegre has said, hoping to boost economically important soy and beef exports. "Taiwan and Paraguay have had diplomatic relations for more than 65 years and a deep friendship," the ministry added. Santiago Pena, the ruling Colorado Party candidate, has said Paraguay's relations with Taiwan would remain intact if he wins on April 30. China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei hotly disputes.

☆ Czech parliament chief assures Taiwan of her support after outcry in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel on a conference call in Taipei, Taiwan January 30, 2023 in this handout picture. Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERSPRAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Czech lower house of parliament speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova on Wednesday assured Taiwan of her country's support for partner states who respect human rights and liberal democracy, ahead of a visit to Taipei planned for March. The Czechs have been intensifying relations with the self-ruled island, which giant neighbour China claims as its own, and President-elect Petr Pavel spoke with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen on Monday, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing. "I assured the minister that systematic support of partners who respect human rights and the principles of liberal democracy belongs among priorities of our parliamentary diplomacy," she said in a statement issued through her spokesman. Most countries avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy.

☆ Lithuania's Teltonika in semiconductor deal with Taiwan group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

RIGA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Lithuanian tech firm Teltonika said on Wednesday it had signed a cooperation agreement with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Institute, giving the Baltic company access to semiconductor manufacturing technologies. The deal was valued at 14 million euros ($15.2 million), and was supported by a 10 million euro grant from Taiwan's foreign ministry, it said. ($1=0.9223 euro)Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Riga, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Paraguay election race puts Taiwan ties on a knife-edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Daniela Desantis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Paraguay is one of only 14 nations globally that retains diplomatic ties with Taiwan and the only South American country to do so. "Paraguay must have relations with China," Alegre said in a recent interview after being named presidential candidate. "We hold this critical position towards relations with Taiwan because we don't think we get enough back from this relationship." Santiago Pena, the Colorado Party candidate, said Paraguay's over six decades of ties with Taiwan would remain intact if he won the April 30 vote. "What we produce is enough for a neighborhood in a city in China, but what interests (Beijing) is us breaking ties with Taiwan.

☆ Australia's PM says he's not in group of Australian MPs to visit Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the APEC Leader's Dialogue with APEC Business Advisory Council during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand. The group, which includes Australia's governing Labor Party and opposition Liberal-National coalition MPs, will fly to Taiwan on Sunday and is the first delegation of its type to visit there since 2019, The Australian newspaper reported on Saturday. Albanese on Saturday described the trip as a "backbench" visit to Taiwan, not a government-led one. "There remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan," Albanese told reporters in the town of Renmark, in South Australia state. The group will reportedly meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, with the visit having support from Taiwan's foreign ministry.

TAIPEI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr will visit Taiwan this week, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Wednesday, the latest senior official from the country to visit the island. Carr will meet with "Taiwan interlocutors" to discuss issues including telecommunications and cybersecurity from November 2-4, the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement to Reuters. China has stepped up military activities near democratically governed Taiwan since August when it conducted blockade drills around the island following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan's government says the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island and so its sovereignty claims are void. Reporting By Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China likely to ramp up diplomatic 'attacks' on Taiwan, island's foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - China is likely to ramp up its diplomatic "attacks" on Taiwan following last week's twice-a-decade congress, including snatching more of the island's few remaining diplomatic allies, Taiwan's foreign minister said on Wednesday. "China is likely to increase its attacks and threats o Taiwan, especially in the diplomatic field," Wu told lawmakers. Wu said Taiwan has received "signs" and intelligence from unspecified diplomatic allies that China was boosting efforts to lure the island's allies into switching official recognition to Beijing. Under Wu's term, six countries have switched official recognition from Taipei to Beijing, which says Taiwan has no right to state-to-state ties. China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure to try to force Taiwan to accept Chinese rule.

☆ Vatican confirms renewal of contested accord with China on bishops' appointments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday said that it and China had renewed a secret and contested agreement on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in the communist country. The deal was a bid to ease a longstanding divide across mainland China between an underground flock loyal to the pope and a state-backed official church. The Vatican-China deal centres on cooperation over the appointment of bishops, giving the pope the final and decisive say. They also point to increasing restrictions on religious freedoms in China for Christians and other minorities. Last month, the Vatican tried to arrange a meeting between Xi, 69, and the pope, 85, while both leaders were in Kazakhstan, but China declined.

☆ U.S. sending 'dangerous signals' on Taiwan, China tells Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwan was the focus of the 90-minute, "direct and honest" talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. China has accused the United States of sending "very wrong, dangerous signals" on Taiwan after the U.S. secretary of state told his Chinese counterpart on Friday that the maintenance of peace and stability over Taiwan was vitally important. China's foreign ministry, in a statement on the meeting, said the United States was sending "very wrong, dangerous signals" on Taiwan, and the more rampant Taiwan's independence activity, the less likely there would be a peaceful settlement. The White House has insisted its Taiwan policy has not changed, but China said Biden's remarks sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's 23 million people can decide its future.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterU.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, have underscored this year that the United States does not support Taiwan independence. "It is incoherent to argue that America's Taiwan policy has not changed while also claiming that the U.S. has a commitment to fight for Taiwan and that Taiwan makes its own judgments about independence," said Craig Singleton, a China policy expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. read more"The President directly affirmed the United States' longstanding one China policy," said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for Biden's National Security Council. 'PRECISION OF LANGUAGE'Taiwan's Foreign Ministry responded to Biden's remarks by expressing its "sincere appreciation" for his staunch support of the island. "One issue where the precision of language is paramount is the discourse on our Taiwan policy," Blanchette said.

☆ Biden says U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Biden said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that U.S forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement so far on the issue. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty ImagesU.S. President Joe Biden said U.S forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement on the issue, drawing an angry response from China that said it sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan. Asked to clarify if he meant that unlike in Ukraine, U.S. forces - American men and women - would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: "Yes." He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn't changed. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing in Beijing that Biden's comments sent a "seriously wrong signal" to separatists forces for Taiwan independence.

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