The remark was a reference to a long-abandoned plan by the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek to “recover” the mainland after his Kuomintang (KMT) forces lost a civil war with the Communists and fled to the island in 1949 to set up an interim government. Before he died in 1975, Chiang had vowed to use Taiwan … Read more
While the talks scheduled for Wednesday on Quemoy were postponed because of Typhoon Gaemi, Taiwanese media reports and Beijing’s latest tone on the tragedy have signalled signs of progress. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office said that the family members of the deceased and the mainland delegation could not arrive as scheduled because all marine transport had … Read more
A new Taiwanese drama centred on the countdown to a fictional attack by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) against the self-ruled island has yet to be released, but it is already drawing emotional reaction. The trailer for the 10-episode series Zero Day – which features 10 fictional characters over the course of a week before … Read more
In the latest such face-off, a mainland Chinese research ship came within 20 nautical miles (37km) of Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan county on July 7 before being warned off by Taiwanese coastguard. The Tan Kah Kee, also known as the Jia Geng, is a 3,600-tonne seismic vessel equipped with acoustic sensors and weather radars, and is … Read more
It follows the interception of the Da Jin Man 88 fishing boat by two mainland coastguard vessels late on Tuesday. Mainland officers boarded the boat for inspection and instructed the Taiwanese captain and four crew members – one Taiwanese and three Indonesians – to head towards the mainland coastal city of Jinjiang in Fujian province. … Read more
Speaking to reporters in parliament earlier in the day, Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said it was unusual for Chinese officials to board and then detain a Taiwanese trawler, and noted China’s explanation that it was illegally fishing. But China may also have done this to demonstrate its jurisdiction over the strait and … Read more
Taiwan will commission two Tuo Jiang-class stealth missile corvettes this week to enhance its asymmetric warfare capabilities in response to growing threats from Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army. Dubbed “carrier killers,” the An Jiang and Wan Jiang corvettes are part of the initial batch of six relatively small yet fast and agile ships in the island’s … Read more
These airports are used for both civil aviation and regular air force training, and will be available for military use during wartime, the ministry said. Also, many of them are located near coastal and border areas “holding prominent strategic positions and significant military value”, it noted. The ministry said the warning was issued in reference … Read more
Taiwanese military experts suspected the submarine was a Type 094, based on photos taken by the fishing crews. They said the submarine could have surfaced for routine maintenance, a technical malfunction, changes in underwater topography, or a deliberate show of force. “Nuclear submarines like the Type 094 have specialised missions and typically avoid surfacing due … Read more
The report said private contractors will provide second-generation short-range uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as miniature, target acquisition, surveillance, ship-based and land-based drones for military use. The acquisition of these seven drone types “has already factored in existing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies”, the report said. Capabilities will include one-button take-off, … Read more
