A U.S. and a Canadian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said, marking the second such joint mission since June and coinciding with the leaders of both countries attending the G20 summit in India. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph …
Read More »China slams US arms sales to Taiwan
American weapon dealers have “swarmed” to Taiwan, seeking new business opportunities, Beijing has said. US military support for Taiwan is turning the island into a “powder keg” and risks igniting a regional conflict, China has warned, urging Washington to cease weapon sales to Taipei, while warning of “consequences” for countries …
Read More »F-16 shipment to Taiwan delayed – minister
The arrival of the first batch of new US aircraft was pushed to 2024, the top defense official said. Delivery of 66 F-16V fighter jets from the US to Taiwan has been delayed due to pandemic-related production and supply-chain problems, the island’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, said on Thursday. The …
Read More »Taiwan to buy 400 anti-ship missiles from US amid tensions with China: Report
Taiwan is reportedly in the process of buying 400 land-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles from the US in a move that is expected to draw condemnation from China which considers the self-ruled island part of its own territory. Citing US-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers and sources, Bloomberg News reported on …
Read More »US says naval destroyer sailed through Taiwan Strait
The United States has sent a naval warship through the Taiwan Strait in a “freedom of navigation” operation days after China staged massive war games around the self-ruled island. The USS Milius guided-missile destroyer “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Sunday, the US Navy said, in the first US …
Read More »China sanctions senior US lawmaker for visiting Taiwan
China’s foreign ministry on Thursday announced sanctions against Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, for “interfering” in the country’s domestic affairs and for visiting Taiwan. McCaul visited Taiwan last week and met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
Read More »Taiwan says 71 Chinese planes, nine ships crossed Taiwan Strait median line
Taiwan’s defense ministry said that 71 Chinese planes and nine ships crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line as of 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) on Saturday, as China mounts drills around the island it claims as its own territory.
Read More »Taiwan’s president begins transit visit to US, amid China’s warning
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in New York on a sensitive transit trip to the United States, as China has threatened to “resolutely fight back” if she meets House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Taiwanese president left Taipei on Wednesday afternoon for a 10-day trip to visit Central …
Read More »Honduras to establish diplomatic ties with China
Honduras will establish diplomatic relations with mainland China, President Xiomara Castro said Tuesday, a move that would result in the severing of longstanding official ties with Taiwan. Castro wrote on Twitter that she had instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina “to undertake the opening of official relations with the People’s Republic …
Read More »China warns conflict is inevitable unless U.S. changes course
The United States and China are hurtling toward inevitable “confrontation and conflict” unless Washington changes course, Beijing’s new foreign minister warned Tuesday. The fiery comments from Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang underlined the deepening tensions between the world’s two largest economies in the wake of the surveillance balloon saga and …
Read More »Taiwan issues China warning
Chinese military could this year carry out a “sudden entry” into areas close to the island, Taipei’s defense minister has said. Taiwan should be on the lookout for the Chinese military’s possible actions in areas adjacent to the self-governing island during 2023, its Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told lawmakers on …
Read More »China doubles down on Taiwan reunification
Beijing says it will take resolute steps to oppose the self-governed island’s push for independence. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China’s territory and will continue working towards reunification with the self-governed island through peaceful means, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said. “We should promote the peaceful development of …
Read More »US approves sale of F-16 missiles worth $619M to Taiwan
The United States is Taiwan’s main supplier of military equipment, and China has objected to past sales with sanctions and other actions. The United States has approved the sale to Taiwan of $619 million in munitions for F-16 fighter jets, in a move likely to anger Beijing. The package includes …
Read More »White House to hold ‘secret’ talks with Taiwan officials – FT
The Asian island’s foreign minister and national security adviser will reportedly visit Washington while a US delegation travels to Taipei. A Taiwanese delegation that is reportedly set to arrive in the US over the weekend will take part in “secret talks” with White House officials, the Financial Times has reported, …
Read More »China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon over Taiwan arms sales
China on Thursday put Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon Technologies on an “unreliable entities list” over arms sales to Taiwan, banning them from imports and exports related to China in its latest sanctions against the U.S. companies. The measures come amid heightened tensions after the U.S. military shot …
Read More »US lawmakers prepare plan to ‘infuriate’ China – Nikkei
Politicians are considering a new congressional visit to Taiwan, according to a report The US House of Representatives Select Committee on China is discussing whether it should send a congressional delegation to Taiwan despite realizing that such a move would likely rile up Beijing, Nikkei reported on Sunday, citing an …
Read More »Taiwan to extend compulsory military service as China shows power
“The current four-month military service is not enough to meet the fast and ever-changing situation,” says President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwan has announced an extension in mandatory military service from four months to one year, citing the threat from China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory. China’s “intimidation …
Read More »Taiwan president quits as party head after China threat bet fails to win votes
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday after her strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance of China’s rising bellicosity failed to pay off and win public support. The elections for mayors, county chiefs, and local councilors are ostensibly about …
Read More »Xi Jinping says China and US must ‘find ways to get along’
US President Joe Biden also told his security chiefs in Washington that the US is not seeking conflict with Beijing. President Xi Jinping says China and the United States must “find ways to get along” to safeguard world peace and development, state media reported. The Chinese leader’s conciliatory words follow …
Read More »China could invade Taiwan by end of the year – Report
Military officials have indicated heightened alarm over Beijing’s intentions toward the island America’s military must be ready to respond to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan that could come before the end of this year, the head of the US Navy has said. Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of US naval …
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