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☆ As China Looms Over Taiwan’s Presidential Race, the Opposition Picks a Moderate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( John Liu | Paul Mozur | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Once a dominant political force, Taiwan’s main opposition party lost the last two presidential elections in large part because it has promoted closer ties with China. Mr. Hou launched his bid with a rallying call. “We must unite for victory, especially at this stage when our country is facing fierce and dangerous international circumstances,” Mr. Hou said following the announcement of his nomination. His candidacy sets the stage for a tight race next January that could chart a new course for Taiwan in the big-power standoff between China and the United States and reshape tensions around the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s most dangerous flash points. Under the seven-year leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen of the governing Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan has come under intensifying military and diplomatic pressure from China and pushed back by bolstering ties with the United States.

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - The speaker of Taiwan's parliament praised Japan, South Korea and the Philippines on Tuesday for helping to create a "crescent of defense" with Taiwan and the U.S. against China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. You praised Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for calling Taiwan a global issue and opposing a change to the status quo by force. "The crescent of defense formed by Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines will, with American support, be a key stabilizer of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," he added. China has been stepping up its military activities around Taiwan to try and force the democratically governed island to accept Beijing's sovereignty. It has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

☆ China's aircraft carrier Shandong returns to home port after show of might
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

This year, the Shandong has been spotted in the Taiwan strait, the Bashi channel between Taiwan and the Philippines, and even as far as Guam. "The Shandong carrier group, for the first time, in a formation and of scale, went to the waters of the western Pacific," it added. The carrier, commissioned in 2019, has featured prominently in China's military propaganda. During the April drills, China showed extensive images of the Shandong and its fighter jets being launched from the carrier. In March 2022, the Shandong, one of China's two operational carriers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait just hours before the Chinese and U.S. presidents were due to talk.

☆ China’s Foreign Minister Meets U.S. Envoy, Urges Washington to Reflect
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the three months since, China has ramped up a campaign of anti-American rhetoric and tried to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe, which is divided over how closely to align with Washington’s more hawkish policies toward Beijing. Mr. Qin blamed “a series of erroneous words and deeds” by the United States for undermining “the hard-won positive momentum of Sino-U.S. relations,” according to the Chinese readout. Mr. Qin said he hoped the Biden administration could “reflect deeply” and push the relationship “back on track.” To do that, Washington needed to respect “China’s bottom line” on issues such as Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing. Mr. Qin said the United States was “supporting and condoning ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”China reacted angrily to a visit last month by President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan to the United States. In a post on Twitter, Mr. Burns said he and Mr. Qin “discussed challenges in the U.S.-China relationship and the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication.”

☆ China says imperative to stabilise Sino-US relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 8 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Monday it is imperative to stabilise Sino-U.S. relations after a series of "erroneous words and deeds" threw ties back into a deep freeze. In response, Beijing severed formal communications channels with the United States including one between their militaries. "A series of erroneous words and deeds by the United States since then have undermined the hard-won positive momentum of Sino-U.S. relations," Qin told Burns, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. "The top priority is to stabilise Sino-U.S. relations, avoid a downward spiral and prevent any accidents between China and the United States," Qin said. Last month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

☆ Paraguay president-elect commits to 'strengthen' ties with Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 - Paraguay's president-elect, Santiago Pena, said on Friday that he would continue to strengthen his country's "historic ties" with Taiwan following a call with his counterpart there after winning Sunday's election. Paraguay is Taiwan's only South American ally and the island - claimed by China as its own - has lost support from other Central American nations in recent years. We will keep strengthening the historic ties between Paraguay and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and look forward to working on mutually beneficial cooperation projects," Pena said on Twitter, referring to President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwan faces an uphill battle to keep ties with the 13 countries that currently recognize it as a sovereign nation, amid pressure from China. (This story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in paragraph 1)Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US moving ahead with $500 million in arms aid for Taiwan, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration plans to send $500 million worth of weapons aid to Taiwan using the same emergency authority that has been used more than 35 times for Ukraine, a source familiar with the plan said on Friday. As a part of the 2023 budget, Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of weapons aid for Taiwan using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a type of authority that expedites security assistance and has helped to send arms to Ukraine. Last month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. The spokesperson declined to comment on whether the U.S. was moving ahead with the $500 million aid package. It was unclear what would be included in the aid package for Taiwan, which was first reported by Bloomberg news.

☆ Chinese Warships and Planes Test Taiwan Defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Karen Hao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In recent years, the Chinese military has engaged in increasingly bold maneuvers around Taiwan. Photo: Ng Han Guan/Associated PressHONG KONG—Dozens of Chinese military aircraft and navy vessels were detected around Taiwan early Friday, including one that flew around the island, the Ministry of National Defense said. The 38 warplanes and six ships represented the biggest deployment since China sent 91 aircraft and a dozen vessels to greet Taiwan President Tsai Ing -wen the day after her return from a visit to the U.S. this month. China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan, a self-ruling island, as part of its territory and had strongly protested Ms. Tsai’s visit.

☆ Top Taiwan chip designer MediaTek 'rapidly' shifts focus to autos, AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sarah Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, April 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's top chip design company MediaTek is focusing more resources on chips for cars and AI computing as its smartphone clients face a supply glut and inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty dent demand for consumer electronics. "We are definitely moving our resources very, very rapidly towards the automotive and computing areas, because those areas will provide our growth in the next three to five years," MediaTek Inc (2454.TW) Chief Executive Rick Tsai told an earnings call. Tsai said everyone, including MediaTek, was rushing to claim that they were able to support generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT. MediaTek is investing heavily in AI because the new areas the company is focusing on are all related to computing, Tsai said. While smartphone demand has remained lacklustre in the first quarter, the company expects signs of recovery later this year.

☆ Taiwan says Chinese combat drone circled island
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

This month China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily update of Chinese military activities from the previous 24 hours, said 19 military aircraft had entered the island's air defence identification zone. No shots were fired and Chinese aircraft have not flown in Taiwan's airspace. The air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats. Chinese military aircraft have since last year regularly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, though China says it does not recognise this.

☆ China flies combat drone around Taiwan; US Navy plane transits strait
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

This month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. TAIWAN STRAIT MISSIONSThe tensions around Taiwan have alarmed Washington and its allies, which have repeatedly expressed concern at China's behaviour and called for no forced change in the status quo. The United States, and occasionally its allies, have routinely sent warships and aircraft through the Taiwan Strait in recent years. "The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." China said last year that it has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, and said it was "a false claim" to refer to the strait as international waters.

☆ Founder of Taiwan's Foxconn says China won't attack if he's president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 27 (Reuters) - The billionaire founder of Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) and presidential hopeful Terry Gou said on Thursday China does not want war with the island and would not attack if he become president as he would not declare independence. Gou, one of Taiwan's most recognisable faces, stepped down as chief of major Apple Inc supplier Foxconn, which has extensive manufacturing facilities in China, in 2019. China wanted to develop its economy and focus on things like finding jobs for college graduates and feeding its people, Gou said. But Taiwanese politicians hope because of this the people can hate China and therefore they get elected," added Gou, 72. "I won't (declare) independence, you won't attack me or fly around Taiwan," he added, referring to the almost daily missions by China's air force in the vicinity of the island.

☆ Taiwan war games to focus on combating blockade, preserving forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills this year will focus on combating a blockade of the island and preserving the fighting ability of its forces, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military pressure over the past three years to try to assert its sovereignty claim. That will include using civilian airports and dispersing air assets, as well as how to disguise forces on the ground, the ministry said. The naval part will integrate sea, air and land forces to attack enemy forces and amphibious assault ships, and to protect sea lanes to counter blockade efforts, it said. Although Taiwan's military is generally well-trained and well-equipped with mostly U.S.-made hardware, China has huge numerical superiority and is adding advanced equipment such as stealth fighters.

☆ Guatemala president pledges strong support for 'Republic of Taiwan'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at a welcoming ceremony outside Taiwan's presidential office, Giammattei said Guatemala and Taiwan were "brotherly countries" and important allies. Speaking in Spanish, he referred twice to the "Republic of Taiwan", rather than its official name, the Republic of China, generally stylised these days by the government as the Republic of China, Taiwan. Giammattei, standing next to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, ended his speech with a rousing "long live free Taiwan", receiving a broad smile from Tsai who thanked him in English. [1/6] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen walks next to Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei during his welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential building in Taipei, Taiwan April 25, 2023. Giammattei is paying a return visit to Taiwan after Tsai visited Guatemala less than a month ago.

☆ Guatemala not asking Taiwan for 'free money', does not owe debt like Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A Taiwan and Guatemala flag is seen at an investment event in Taipei, Taiwan April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, April 24 (Reuters) - Guatemala is not asking for "free money" from Taiwan and does not owe debt in the same way Honduras does, but is looking for long-term investment and trade, senior Guatemalan financial officials said on Monday. Guatemala is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Honduras abandoned Taipei for Beijing last month after asking for almost $2.5 billion in aid. "We heard it in the news, but we are focused on solutions that we need for our country," Rosales said of China's comments.

☆ Chinese ambassador sparks European blowback over post-Soviet states comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Several leaders in former Soviet states, including Ukraine, were quick to hit back following the interview, which aired Friday on French station LCI. Beijing has formal diplomatic relations with post-Soviet states, which include Russia. Ties have soured as Europe has uneasily watched China’s tightening relationship with Russia and its refusal to condemn Putin’s invasion. Voices in former Soviet states, where many remember being under Communist authoritarian rule, have been among those in Europe critical of such an approach. For Russia, giving up control of Crimea is widely seen as a non-starter in any potential peace settlement on Ukraine.

☆ China's foreign minister: Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, April 21 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China, and that it is right and proper for China to uphold its sovereignty. Qin made the remarks at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, where he discussed a wide range of topics from debt, the global economy, and Taiwan. "Recently there has been absurd rhetoric accusing China of upending the status quo, disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Qin said. "It is not the Chinese mainland, but the Taiwan independence separatist forces and a handful of countries attempting to disrupt the status quo," Qin said. Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim the government in Taipei strongly rejects, and routinely denounces high-level meetings between Taiwanese and foreign leaders and officials.

☆ Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin dodges 2024 questions as he gears up for Asia trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Glenn Youngkin will travel to Asia next week to meet with political and business leaders, adding more fuel to speculation that the Virginia Republican is considering a run for president. Youngkin will lead a state delegation on a trade-focused visit that includes stops in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Youngkin framed the visit, his first to Asia as governor, as a chance to strengthen his state's supply chains in the semiconductor, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. "I'm going to put our best forward to have that foreign direct investment come to Virginia," Youngkin, a former co-CEO of Carlyle Group, said during an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. The planned six-day international visit, set to kick off Monday, prompted questions about whether he had presidential ambitions.

☆ Guatemala's Giammattei to visit Taiwan April 24-26
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei will visit Taiwan April 24 to 26, his office said Friday, following a recent visit by Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen to Guatemala. Giammattei will also speak at Taiwan's parliament and meet with Vice President William Lai, his office said. He is scheduled to give a joint conference following a meeting with President Tsai as well. On Wednesday, China's foreign ministry warned Guatemala to not aid Taiwan's "independence attempts." China maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory, which Taiwan disputes.

☆ Japan will keep calling for China to act responsibly, Kishida says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Yukiko Toyoda | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, April 20 (Reuters) - Japan will keep calling for China to act responsibly on the world stage, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday, a sign of Tokyo's deepening concern about stability in the Taiwan Strait following Beijing's recent military drills. The comments from Kishida, after China conducted drills in the waters off Taiwan earlier this month, highlight Tokyo's growing alarm about the possibility of an attack on nearby Taiwan. Japan would "continue to call on China to take the responsibility it should be taking as a major country on the world stage," Kishida said during a roundtable interview with members of the foreign media. Japan has joined the United States in putting export restrictions on chip-making tools but in doing so avoided mentioning China so as not to antagonise its neighbour. Kishida also said Japan was calling on China to allow for the return of a Japanese executive detained there.

☆ Opinion: Taiwan could teach a master class in preparing for the worst
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Opinion Lanhee J. Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I visited Taiwan in late March as part of a US delegation that met with senior Taiwanese leaders in government and civil society, including Tsai. Nonetheless, several senior Taiwanese officials expressed disbelief when I told them that Trump might actually be the Republican nominee for president again, particularly given his recent legal troubles. President Joe Biden is also viewed favorably in Taiwan, particularly because of promises that the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China. But senior administration officials have repeatedly stressed that, notwithstanding Biden’s statements, US policy toward Taiwan has not changed. Taiwanese officials must deal with the reality that with each passing day, an attack from China may be drawing near.

☆ Leaked US assessment says China readying supersonic spy drone unit - Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - A leaked U.S. military assessment says the Chinese military may soon deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday. The newspaper cited a secret document from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The Washington Post said it obtained the assessment of the program from a trove of images of classified files posted on the Discord messaging app, allegedly by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, who was arrested last week. The FBI on Thursday arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard, over the leaks online of classified documents that embarrassed Washington with allies around the world. The leaks first became widely known earlier this month, setting Washington on edge about the damage they may have caused.

☆ Yellen to lay out U.S. economic priorities on China in Thursday speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yellen, who said last week she still hopes to visit Beijing to meet with her new Chinese economic counterparts, will deliver remarks at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, the Treasury said in a statement. Yellen's speech will detail the Biden administration's economic priorities on China, including securing U.S. national security interests, fostering "healthy" competition and cooperating, where possible, on global issues such as climate change, debt relief and macroeconomic stability. Yellen also is expected to highlight U.S. economic strength. A Treasury official said the speech comes at an opportune time just after Yellen also spoke last week with counterparts from G7 democracies, Australia and New Zealand. Another audience for the remarks is China's new economic leadership team led by Liu's replacement, Vice Premier He Lifeng.

CNN —The Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies stressed their solidarity against Russia’s assault on Ukraine, and called on China to “abstain from threats,” in a communique Tuesday following talks in Japan. The G7 foreign ministers said, however, that they “recognized the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China” and working together with Beijing on global challenges, according to the statement. He pointed to the language referring to “one China policies” or agreements by which governments have established diplomatic relations with Beijing and not Taipei. The communique was released as the foreign ministers wrapped up three days of talks in the central Japanese town of Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture. The minister also urged fighting parties in the recent outbreak of violence in Sudan to “end hostilities immediately,” and return to negotiations.

The posturing between the United States and China has been intensifying in recent weeks — China responded with condemnations and military drills after Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, met the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. Today, Edward Wong, who covers foreign policy at The Times, explains why China is so fixated on Taiwan, and how the U.S. got in the middle of it.

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