Former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit Canada on Wednesday in yet another overseas trip expected to provoke a strong reaction from Beijing. “[Tsai] will highlight the unwavering commitment of the Taiwanese people to safeguarding democracy and freedom and reaffirm Taiwan’s determination to collaborate with the international community in contributing to global stability … Read more
“I am confident that the long-standing Taiwan-US partnership, based on shared values and interests, will continue to serve as a cornerstone of regional stability and lead to greater prosperity for us all,” Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday in a congratulatory message to Donald Trump on his re-election as the US president. Lai … Read more
A ruling by Taiwan’s grand justices against opposition-led reforms to increase legislative oversight is expected to deepen political divides and make life more complicated for William Lai Ching-te’s administration. Opposition leaders described the ruling – that almost all of the proposed reforms were unconstitutional – as a “disgrace” and the “death of judicial integrity”. The … Read more
Kuma Academy, which encourages the Taiwanese public to prepare for war with the mainland and stand up for the island, was sanctioned on October 14 for “propagating secessionist ideas” and serving as a base for “independence separatist activities”. Also sanctioned were two prominent academy figures – Puma Shen, one of its founders, and business tycoon … Read more
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a coastal island just across the Taiwan Strait a day after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) wrapped up massive military drills around Taiwan. Xi inspected Dongshan county in the southeastern province of Fujian on Tuesday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The Taiwan-facing island county has served as a regular base … Read more
Taiwan has signed contracts to purchase nearly 1,000 killer drones from the United States, bolstering its asymmetric warfare capabilities amid rising cross-strait tensions. According to a government procurement website, the Taiwanese army signed two contracts with the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de facto embassy in Taipei, on Tuesday. The contracts, valued at a total … Read more
Taiwan’s leader William Lai Ching-te said in a speech on Double Tenth Day that mainland China has no authority to represent the island as the two sides are not subordinate to each other – remarks that are likely to provoke Beijing. In marking the 113th anniversary of its founding Lai said, “The Republic of China … Read more
Beijing has accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of escalating hostility after his recent comments that the People’s Republic of China could not be the island’s motherland. Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Lai had not only tried to deceive and intimidate the Taiwan people, harming their interests, but was … Read more
Taiwan is making a further push towards war readiness with renewed focus on its civil defence capacities, a move analysts fear may further provoke the mainland. The island has set clear goals to strengthen its civil defence capabilities as part of the mandate of a special committee created in June by Taiwan’s leader, William Lai … Read more
His promotion of the “mutual non-subordination” theory to define Taiwan’s relationship with Beijing has raised concerns among observers, who fear it could further strain cross-strait ties and potentially lead to conflict. In his three major speeches on cross-strait relations since taking office, Lai has consistently stressed his view that the two sides of the Taiwan … Read more
