Page 2 - Taiwan

China's foreign minister warns of conflict unless US changes course

China's foreign minister has warned Washington of conflict and confrontation if it fails to change course in relations with Beijing, striking a combative tone amid conflicts over Taiwan, COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Qin Gang's language appeared to defy hopes China's might abandon confrontational wolf warrior rhetoric. It followed an accusation by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Western governments led by the United States were trying to encircle and suppress China. Washington's China policy has entirely deviated from the rational and sound track, Qin said at a news conference Tuesday during annual meeting of China's ceremonial legislature. China's relations with Washington and Japan, India and other Asian neighbours have soured as Xi's government has pursued assertive policies abroad. If the United States does not hit the brake, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there surely will be conflict and confrontation,

President Xi Jinping doubts Chinese military's ability to invade Taiwan

In a startling revelation of intelligence input, the US CIA Director William Burns claimed that Beijing is still determining whether its potential invasion of Taiwan would be successful

China defence budget raised by 7.2%, 3 times India's, one-third of America

Actual defence spending during the year will rise to $225 billion, a single-digit budget increase for the eighth consecutive year

US approves F-16 fighters' munitions sale to Taiwan worth $619 million

The U.S. has approved more arms sales to Taiwan, including $619 million worth of munitions for F-16 fighter jets, in a decision likely to be yet another point of friction between the U.S. and China, which claims the island as its own territory. The State Department said in a statement Wednesday night it had approved sales of missiles to be used with the F-16s as well as equipment to support the missiles. That includes AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles and launchers. Taiwan is unofficially supported by the U.S. and has a fleet of F-16s bought from the U.S. Tensions between China and the U.S. are at their highest level in years over American support for the self-governed island, including visits by high-ranking politicians, and a host of other issues, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the U.S. before being shot down last month. China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has .

Inside Taiwanese chip giant, US expansion stokes tension: Report

Internal doubts are mounting at the Taiwanese chip maker over its US factory, according to interviews with 11 TSMC employees

Chinese representative met with protests on official visit to Taiwan

A visit by a Chinese official at the invitation of the Taiwanese capital's newly elected China-friendly mayor has drawn protests on the self-ruled island. The head of Shanghai city's Taiwan Affairs Office, Li Xiaodong, arrived Saturday morning for a three-day visit that marks a rare point of contact between the sides. China deems Taiwan a part of its territory to be conquered by force if necessary and has been courting pro-Chinese media and politicians on the island to further its unification agenda. The vast majority of Taiwanese back the status quo of de-facto independence while still maintaining close economic and social ties with the mainland. Taiwan's democratic system allows broad leeway for local governments to act without central authority. Taipei recently elected Chiang Wan-an from the opposition Nationalist Party as mayor. Dozens of protesters gathered at Sunshan Airport in downtown Taipei, while representatives of pro-China minority parties shouted welcomes. Neither L

Taiwan reports Chinese weather balloon found in northern city of Taiyuan

Taiwan's Defence Ministry says a Chinese weather balloon landed on one of its outlying islands, amid U.S. accusations that such craft have been dispatched worldwide to spy on Washington and its allies. The ministry's statement on Thursday said the balloon carried equipment registered to a state-owned electronics company in the northern city of Taiyuan. The islet where it was found, Tungyin, is part of the Matsu island ground lying just off the coast of China's Fujian province. Taiwan maintained control of the islands after the sides split in 1949 amid civil war and they are considered a first line of defense should China make good on its threats to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary. Calls and messages sent to the company identified in the report, Taiyuan Wireless (Radio) First Factory Ltd., went unanswered. Information on the equipment was written in the simplified Chinese characters used on the mainland rather than the traditional on Taiwan, the ministry ...

China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies for Taiwan sales

Washington contended that the balloon was spying and shot it down, while China claims it was a civilian airship collecting weather data that went off course

China plans to triple nuclear warheads to 900 by 2035 amid tensions with US

China is mulling tripling its stockpile of nuclear warheads to 900 by 2035, as tensions with the United States are expected to increase further over Taiwan, Kyodo News reported

China no longer comfortable with status quo on Taiwan: Antony Blinken

Blinken called what Hong Kong went through in recent years and the reversal of development towards democracy one of the most sobering realities for people around the world

US Secy Blinken cautions China against changing status quo in Taiwan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has cautioned China against changing the status quo on Taiwan which is vital to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Over the last few years, China has been trying to build military and economic pressure on Taiwan, Blinken said during a conversation with University of Chicago's Institute of Politics Founding Director David Axelrod on Friday. "On Taiwan, what we have seen over the last few years is, I think, China made a decision that it was no longer comfortable with the status quo, a status quo that had prevailed for decades, that had actually been successful in terms of the relationship between our countries and managing what is a difficult situation," the secretary of state said. "We have seen them, over the last few years... ratchet up the pressure on Taiwan, military pressure, economic pressure, trying to cut off its ties to countries around the world, to international organisations," he said. From America's perspective, that stat

Gogoro, Belrise Industries to set up battery swapping infra in Maharashtra

Taiwanese electric mobility solutions provider Gogoro Inc on Tuesday said it along with Belrise Industries has inked a pact with the Maharashtra government to set up battery-swapping infrastructure

Foxconn replaces chief of iPhone assembly business after tumultuous year

Michael Chiang was first identified in his new role at Taiwan-based Foxconn's annual year-end party on Sunday, succeeding longtime leader Wang Charng-yang

Energy war, chip-battle, Taiwan in focus at WEF in a turbulent world order

For the titans of commerce gathering in Davos this week, all of this marks a shift away from the era of ever-closer global ties, when big business thought it had succeeded in making the world flat

China renews threats to attack Taiwan, warns foreign politicians

China renewed its threats Wednesday to attack Taiwan and warned that foreign politicians who interact with the self-governing island are playing with fire. A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the country was recommitted in the new year to safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity and smashing plots for Taiwan independence on the self-governing democracy that separated from mainland China in 1949. The malicious support for Taiwan independence among anti-China elements in a few foreign countries are a deliberate provocation, Ma Xiaoguang said at a biweekly news conference. China views Taiwan as a Chinese territory that must be brought under Beijing's control, by force if necessary. A string of visits in recent months by foreign politicians to Taiwan, including by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and numerous politicians from the European Union, spurred displays of military might from both sides. This week, Taiwan's military is staging drills intended to

Taiwan passes 'Chips Act', offers tax credits to local chipmakers

Governments from US to Seoul have been offering incentives for domestic chip production, in hopes of reducing a reliance on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors and avoiding future supply disruptions

Chinese military holds large-scale joint strike drills aimed at Taiwan

The Chinese military held large-scale joint combat strike drills starting Sunday, sending war planes and navy vessels toward Taiwan, both the Chinese and Taiwanese defence ministries said. The exercises coincided with the visit of a group of German lawmakers who landed in Taiwan on Monday morning. Leading the delegation is the Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who leads the German Parliament's Defence Committee. The exercises have continued into Monday, Taiwan's defence ministry said, monitoring Chinese warplanes and navy vessels on its missile systems. China's actions have severely disrupted the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and surrounding waters," the ministry said. The German lawmakers will meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as Taiwan's National Security Council head and the Mainland Affairs Council, which handles issues related to China. China has stepped up its pressure on Taiwan's military in recent years by sending warplanes or navy vessels on an ..

Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp gives mega bonuses worth 50 months' salary

The Taipei-based shipping company is handing out year-end bonuses equal to 50 months' salary, or more than four years' pay, on average to celebrate a standout year

After Samsung, TSMC starts mass production of 3nm semiconductor chips

The chip-maker is also building a 3nm capacity at its site in state of Arizona in the US, in addition to expanding the 3nm capacity in Taiwan

US to sell Taiwan anti-tank system amid rising China military threat

The US State Department has approved the sale of an anti-tank mine-laying system to Taiwan amid the rising military threat from China. The department on Wednesday said the Volcano system and all related equipment would cost an estimated USD 180 million. It's capable of scattering anti-tank and anti-personnel mines from either a ground vehicle or helicopter, the type of weapon some experts believe Taiwan needs more of to dissuade or repel a potential Chinese invasion. To advertise that threat, China's military sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the self-ruled island it claims is its own territory, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Monday. China's military harassment of Taiwan has intensified in recent years, along with rhetoric from top leaders that the island has no choice but to accept eventual Chinese rule. That has seen the ruling Communist Party's increasingly powerful military wing, the People's Liberation Army, send planes