The semi-official Taiwanese body responsible for liaising with mainland China has suggested sending a couple of deer across the Taiwan Strait as a peace offering. Luo Wen-jia, secretary general of the Straits Exchange Foundation, said the body was considering offering a mainland zoo a pair of Sika deer named he he and ping ping – … 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
Beijing has sanctioned Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao Hsing-cheng and Taiwanese lawmaker Puma Shen for supporting what it says are “violent” pro-Taiwan independence sentiment and activities. Under the sanctions, Shen and Tsao, as well as their families, are barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. All businesses associated with them are also prohibited from … Read more
Former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen will leave on a trip to the Czech Republic and two other European countries this week as part of an eight-day visit to reinforce the island’s ties with Europe, despite likely objections from Beijing. Tsai will depart on Saturday for her first overseas trip since leaving office. The visit was … Read more
The logo for the island’s official events and publicity materials is in red, white and blue, the colours of its flag, and features a red plum blossom, the symbol of the Republic of China (ROC), the island’s official title. Double Tenth Day, celebrated on October 10, commemorates the start of the 1911 revolution that led … Read more
Taiwan will receive the first batch of its long-awaited M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks from the United States by the end of this year, according to the island’s defence ministry. The initial batch of 108 battle tanks was approved for sale in 2019, as Taiwan sought to boost its ability to fend off a landing … Read more
Taiwan’s air force is investigating the cause of a Mirage 2000 fighter jet crash off the island’s northwest coast during a nighttime training mission. The single-seat, French-built warplane from the air force’s second tactical fighter wing took off at 8.05pm on Tuesday from Hsinchu Air Base in northwest Taiwan for routine training manoeuvres. However, it … Read more
A Taiwanese political activist has been sentenced to nine years in prison in mainland China on charges of “separatism”, a cross-strait first prompting an official travel warning from Taipei. Yang Chih-yuan, 34, was formally arrested in April last year, eight months after being detained in the eastern mainland city of Wenzhou. According to the Taiwan … 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
Cabinet spokesman Chen Shih-kai said the submarines would be built between 2025 and 2038 as part of the Indigenous Defence Submarine Programme. “The government is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, continually enhancing national defence capabilities, and implementing policies such as indigenous vessel and aircraft production to build a resilient Taiwan … Read more
