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SummarySummary Companies China starts three days of drills around TaiwanTaiwan says 71 Chinese planes crossed Taiwan Strait median lineTaiwan says it will respond calmlyChina angered by Taiwan president meeting U.S. House SpeakerAnnouncement comes shortly after French president left ChinaFUZHOU, China/TAIPEI, April 8 (Reuters) - Seventy-one Chinese military aircraft crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as China began drills around Taiwan in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The People's Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, having said earlier it would be holding them in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan "as planned". SITUATION 'AS EXPECTED'There was no broader sense of alarm in Taiwan about the drills, where people are long accustomed to Chinese threats. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, also in China this week to meet Xi, said stability in the Taiwan Strait was of paramount importance. The Taiwan security source said China's recent efforts to charm foreign leaders proved in vain after the announcement of the drills.

☆ 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.

TAIPEI, April 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan officials and defence analysts are bracing for intensifying pressure on the "median line" that has for decades helped keep the peace in the Taiwan Strait as China begins inspecting civilian shipping across the waterway. "As long as they are ships hoisting our country's flag they are all a part of our territory," he said. Taiwan's military will not allow China to "unilaterally" board Taiwanese ships, he said. A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning said Taiwan would not allow China to board ships in the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan's coast guard and military would jointly respond if China made a move to do so. Chinese state television broadcast live pictures of the Haixun 6 on patrol, including shaky footage of a Taiwanese coast guard ship shadowing it in the distance.

TAIPEI/BEIJING, April 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan was keeping a close watch on a Chinese aircraft carrier and threats to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday after Beijing condemned a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The meeting took place at a low ebb of U.S.-China relations and despite threats of retaliation from Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own. In March of last year, the Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the Chinese and U.S. presidents were due to talk. However, Taiwan is also concerned about China's announcement late Wednesday that its maritime safety administration is to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait, including possibly boarding them. Defence Minister Chiu said Taiwan will react if Chinese patrol ships cross the Taiwan Strait's median line, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.

☆ Taiwan says 10 Chinese aircraft crossed Taiwan Strait median line
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 1 (Reuters) - Ten Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, normally an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday, as Beijing continues its military activities near the island. Nine Chinese fighter jets and one military drone crossed the median line in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Saturday (2000 GMT on Friday), the ministry said in its daily report on Chinese military activities. Taiwan sent aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems monitored them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response. China staged war games around Taiwan in August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and has continued military activities near Taiwan, though on a reduced scale. Separately, nine Chinese aircraft crossed the median line on Friday carrying out combat readiness patrols, a move that Taiwan's defence ministry said has "deliberately created tension" and undermined peace and stability.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoTAIPEI, March 31 (Reuters) - Nine Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line on Friday carrying out combat readiness patrols, Taiwan's defence ministry said, days after Beijing threatened retaliation if President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the island's government, has been angered by what it sees as stepped up U.S. support for Taiwan. "China deliberately raises tensions, but Taiwan always responds cautiously and calmly, so that the world can see that Taiwan is the responsible party in cross-Strait relations," she said. 'ALL PREPARATIONS'A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning told Reuters the Chinese aircraft had only "slightly" encroached across the median line, and that no unusual movements by Chinese ships had been stopped. China staged war games around Taiwan last August following the visit to Taipei of then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and has continued its military activities near Taiwan since though on a reduced scale.

☆ Exclusive: Apple supplier Foxconn wins AirPod order, plans $200 mln factory in India - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

One source said Foxconn will invest more than $200 million in the new India AirPod plant in the southern Indian state of Telangana. The decision to set up production in India was requested by Apple, according to the source. Apple and its key suppliers have been shifting production away from China, where strict COVID-19 curbs disrupted Foxconn's biggest iPhone factory last year. Foxconn said on Wednesday it would ramp up investment outside China to meet customer demand and lower its reliance on China for production. It was not immediately clear whether Foxconn's production plan would have impact on current AirPod suppliers, including Luxshare Precision Industry (002475.SZ).

TAIPEI, March 15 (Reuters) - Apple Inc supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) said on Wednesday it expected smart consumer electronics demand would decline slightly this year, as it reported a 10% fall in fourth-quarter net profit from a year earlier, in line with analysts estimates. The world's largest contract electronics maker, which gets more than half of its revenue from consumer electronics, forecast significant growth this year in other areas such as computing, cloud and networking and component products. Net profit for the October-December quarter fell to T$40 billion ($1.31 billion) from T$44.4 billion in the same period the previous year, the company said. That was in line with an average forecast of T$39.98 billion profit by 13 analysts, according to Refinitiv. In the fourth quarter, revenue for its key consumer electronics products division was flat compared to a year ago, the company said in a statement, without elaborating.

"We are taking notes from Zelenskiy," a senior Taiwan security official said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's strong presence on social media. "We can't even fix sea cables on our own," the official said. "What if one day all 14 of Taiwan's undersea cables connecting us to the outside world break? Taiwan's military has long prepared back-up plans, including a fibre-optic network for communications within Taiwan, satellites, high-frequency radio, and microwave systems. "So the first step (for China) - with about 99 percent likelihood - is to cut our sea cables," Huang said.

TAIPEI, March 15 (Reuters) - Apple Inc supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) on Wednesday said it plans to ramp up investment outside of China and efforts to attract automakers to its contract manufacturing business, as the company reported weaker demand for consumer electronics. Foxconn, which assembles around 70% of iPhones, has been diversifying production away from China, whose strict COVID restrictions disrupted its biggest iPhone plant last year. The company also seeks to avoid a potential hit to its business from mounting trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. "Foxconn will actively expand its EV business in North America and work more comprehensively with traditional and start-up car makers," Liu said. Liu said revenue from EV components is expected to rise sharply to between T$50 billion and T$100 billion this year from T$20 billion last year.

[1/6] A view shows Cardinal III UAV on display as Taiwan's Defence Ministry showcases its domestically developed drones to the press in Taichung, Taiwan March 14, 2023. The war in Ukraine has lent new urgency to Taiwan military's efforts to bolster defence including a push to develop drones. NCSIST head Art Chang said the war in Ukraine had focused attention on drones, and his institution had teamed up with Taiwan companies to build a "national team" to develop military drones. President Tsai Ing-wen has championed the idea of "asymmetric warfare" to make Taiwan's forces more mobile and harder to attack. China has sent its drones to areas close to Taiwan to test its responses, the island's defence ministry has said.

REUTERS/Tyrone SiuTAIPEI, March 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence spending this year will focus on preparing weapons and equipment for a "total blockade" by China, including parts for F-16 fighters and replenishing weapons, the military said in a report. Xi also said that when it came to Taiwan, China must oppose pro-independence and secessionist activities and the interference of external forces. Taiwan's defence ministry said China has systematically increased the strength of its "joint combat readiness" actions around Taiwan. That is more than double the number from a year earlier and poses a "substantial threat" to Taiwan's defence, the ministry said. China has been "normalising" no-navigation zones around the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Strait, the ministry added.

☆ Taiwan says working on president's 'transit' plans amid reported U.S. trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, March 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's presidential office said on Wednesday that it is working on "transit" plans for an overseas visit by President Tsai Ing-wen, amid reports she will meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States. McCarthy plans to meet Tsai in the United States in coming weeks, two sources told Reuters on Monday. That could be instead of the Republican Speaker's anticipated but sensitive trip to the democratically governed island claimed by China. McCarthy on Tuesday confirmed plans to meet Tsai in the United States this year and stressed this did not preclude a later visit to Taiwan, Bloomberg news agency reported. The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

☆ Taiwan warns of China military's 'sudden entry' close to island
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, March 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned on Monday the island has to be on alert this year for Chinese military's "sudden entry" into areas close to its territory amid the rising military tensions across the sensitive Taiwan Strait. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including almost daily Air Force incursions into the island's air defence identification zone. He said the PLA might make a "sudden entry" into Taiwan's contiguous zone and get close to its territorial space, which the island defines as 12 nautical miles from its coastlines. Taiwan has vowed to exercise its right to self-defence and counterattack if Chinese armed forces entered its territory. China claims self-governed Taiwan as its own and has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under Chinese control, if needed.

☆ Taiwan wary of China charm offensive ahead of presidential vote - agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As Taipei and Beijing gradually resume travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan security officials expect China to relaunch an influence campaign that in the past included all-expenses-paid trips to China for Taiwan politicians. China refuses to talk to the government, believing Tsai is a separatist for refusing to accept Beijing's long-standing position that China and Taiwan both belong to "one China". "They might want Taiwanese to support certain political parties who support closer economic ties with the mainland," a Taiwan security official investigating the matter told Reuters. Also last month, a group of Chinese officials made their first visit to Taiwan in three years to attend a cultural event in the capital, Taipei. A second senior Taiwan security official said the island should be "on high alert" for efforts by China to press its message on reunification.

☆ Taiwan reports second day of large Chinese incursion into its air defence zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, March 2 (Reuters) - Taiwan reported on Thursday a second day of a large scale Chinese air force incursion into its air defence zone, with its defence ministry saying that in the past 24 hours it had spotted 21 aircraft, as part of Beijing's ongoing military pressure campaign. Taiwan's defence ministry said the aircraft, 17 J-10 fighters and four J-16 fighters, had flown into the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defence identification zone, according to a map the ministry released. The lightly-defended Pratas are strategically located at the top of the South China Sea and many of China's fly-bys happen nearby. Taiwan's forces monitored the situation, including sending up its own air force planes, the ministry added, using the normal phrasing for its response to such Chinese incursions. The ministry on Wednesday reported 19 Chinese aircraft flying in Taiwan's air defence zone.

☆ Taiwan reports 19 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, March 1 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday it had spotted 19 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone in the past 24 hours, part of what Taipei calls regular harassment by Beijing. Taiwan's defence ministry said 19 J-10 fighters had flown into the southwestern corner of the island's air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, though closer to the Chinese coast than Taiwan's according to a map the ministry released. Taiwan's forces monitored the situation, including sending up its own air force planes, the ministry added, using the normal phrasing for its response to such Chinese incursions. No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have been flying in Taiwan's ADIZ, not in its territorial air space. The ADIZ is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats.

☆ Apple supplier Foxlink says working to resume production after India fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, March 1 (Reuters) - Taiwanese Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Foxlink (2392.TW) said on Wednesday it is working hard to resume production following a fire at a plant in southern India that halted operations at the maker of iPhone charging cables. Foxlink was engulfed in a massive fire on Monday that led part of the building to collapse, but there were no casualties. Foxlink, in a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, said it is investigating the cause of the fire and "working hard to resume production". The company will coordinate with customers and suppliers to "discuss solutions for the production capacity affected before resuming work". The company's stock was down more than 2% in early morning trade Wednesday, compared to a 0.5% fall for the broader market (.TWII).

☆ Pentagon's top China official travels to Taiwan, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan March 27, 2018. Speaking earlier, Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he was "not very certain" about a report that the trip would take place. Chase would be the most senior U.S. defence official known to have visited the island since 2019. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly demanded that foreign officials not visit the democratically governed island. In 2020, a two-star Navy admiral overseeing U.S. military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region made an unannounced visit to Taiwan.

☆ Taiwan finds crashed weather balloon on remote island, likely Chinese
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TAIPEI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military said on Thursday it had found the remains of a probable crashed weather balloon likely from China on a remote and strategically located island near the Chinese coast, amid a dispute between China and the United States over spy balloons. 1 Factory Co., Ltd.", "GTS13 digital datmospheric sounding instrument" and "meteorological instrument", the army said. Speaking to reporters at parliament on Friday morning, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the ministry has dispatched a team to investigate the crashed balloon. Dongyin sits at the top of the Taiwan Strait on an important passage for any southbound Chinese forces from the eastern province of Zhejiang if they attack Taiwan, and the island is well defended. China also deployed drones close to Taiwan-controlled islands near the Chinese coast last August when Beijing staged war games near Taiwan, which only ended after Taiwanese forces shot one down.

☆ Taiwan says it has spotted no Chinese surveillance balloons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Taiwan has not spotted any surveillance balloons from China in its vicinity, the island's defence ministry said on Tuesday, as a dispute between China and the United States over spy balloons triggers worries about rising military tensions. The U.S. military on Feb. 4 shot down what it called a Chinese spy balloon over South Carolina. A Taiwan military intelligence officer said the armed forces had not seen any surveillance balloons from China near the island that were similar to the one shot down over the United States. "The majority of the balloons near our waters were used for meteorological purposes," the officer, Major General Huang Wen-chi, told a regular briefing in Taipei, adding that the weather balloons posed no serious security threat. The balloons detected near Taiwan has no steering capability and thus they were unlikely to be used for surveillance purposes, he added.

☆ Foxconn's January sales surge as China COVID disruption shaken off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Production of iPhones faced disruption ahead of Christmas and January's Lunar New Year holidays, after curbs to control COVID-19 prompted thousands of workers to leave Foxconn's factory lines in Zhengzhou. "Based on market consensus for first quarter 2023, January revenue came in slightly ahead. The outlook for the first quarter will likely reach market expectation," Foxconn said without elaborating. Foxconn shares have slid 0.3% so far this year, underperforming the broader Taiwan market (.TWII) which is up 10.4%. ($1 = 29.9660 Taiwan dollars)Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Meg Shen; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Czech president-elect to speak to Taiwan president in diplomatic breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PRAGUE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Czech President-elect Petr Pavel is due to speak with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, Pavel's spokeswoman said, a highly unusual move given the lack of formal ties and a diplomatic coup for Taipei that is likely to anger China. Most countries' leaders avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy. In 2016, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Tsai shortly after winning the election, setting off a storm of protest from Beijing. Pavel's spokeswoman said he and Tsai were expected to speak at 1000 GMT. The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no official diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but the two sides have moved closer together as Taipei seeks new friends in Eastern and Central Europe.

Still, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's most valuable chipmaker, forecast growth would return in the second half of this year. "We forecast the semiconductor cycle to bottom sometime in first half and see a recovery in second half 2023," CEO C.C. The world's largest contract chipmaker said its capital expenditure in 2023 would decrease to $32-36 billion from $36.3 billion in 2022. First-quarter revenue is expected in a range of $16.7 billion to $17.5 billion, compared with $17.57 billion a year earlier. For October-December, TSMC booked record net profit of T$295.9 billion ($9.72 billion) from T$166.2 billion a year earlier.

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