Richard Sanders, Taipei US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requiring the State Department to review and update guidelines for official US-Taiwan interactions at least once every five years. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcomed the move, calling it “a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations.” The Presidential Office said…
Richard Sanders, Taipei China’s ambitious initiative to enhance its high-tech military capabilities faces significant challenges due to a growing corruption crisis, which raises concerns about the nation’s true military strength. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently reported that major state-owned defense companies in China experienced the steepest decline among the world’s top arms…
Richard Sanders, Taipei In a significant move to safeguard Taiwan’s democracy, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Ting-yu and Wang Yi-chuan have put forth amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act aimed at preventing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwanese society through “united front” propaganda masquerading as free speech. The proposed changes to Article 5 of…
Francis Tuschek, Okinawa China’s humanoid robotics industry risks facing a bubble as a result of the current investment frenzy, the country’s economic planning commission has warned. This is something Taiwan will need to look closely at moving forward, especially with regards to military robots. Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Thursday, a spokesperson for the…
Richard Sanders In a significant move to bolster national security, President William Lai (賴清德) announced yesterday a special defense budget of NT$1.25 trillion (approximately US$39.9 billion), which aims to enhance Taiwan’s military capabilities, including a state-of-the-art “Taiwan dome” air defense system. This funding, set to span eight years from next year through 2033, was detailed…
Francis Tuschek, Tokyo China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, expressed deep concern over comments made by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan, deeming them “shocking” in a statement released on Sunday. This incident marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions that have persisted for more than two weeks. Wang, the highest-ranking Chinese official to address…
Martin Haffner, Associate Editor The US and Chinese armed forces conducted “frank and constructive” discussions on maritime security this week, as announced by the Chinese navy on Thursday. This engagement marks a significant step in restoring military communications between the two countries after months of heightened trade tensions. The discussions, held from Tuesday to Thursday…
Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh As tensions between Taiwan and China escalate, the island nation can glean critical insights from Ukraine’s war with Russia, particularly in the arenas of defense strategies, information warfare, and civil preparedness. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that arise when confronting an aggressive neighbor,…
Jake Saunders The Dutch government has handed back control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia after “constructive meetings” with Beijing authorities, Economy Minister Vincent Karremans has announced. The Netherlands invoked a Cold War-era emergency law to seize the Dutch-based firm last month, citing “serious governance shortcomings” and fears that key chip-making capabilities could be shifted out of…
Richards Sanders Nearly half of Japan’s population would support military intervention to support Taiwan should the island’s relations with Beijing descend into conflcit, a Kyodo News poll suggests. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Friday that any attempt by Beijing to use force to fully reunify with the self-governing island could constitute a…