Francis Tuschek TikTok has announced a blackout of the service for some 170 million US users of the viral social media app, days after the Supreme Court issued a ruling that could pave the way for a national ban of the platform. On Friday, the federal judiciary ruled that TikTok needs to divest from its Chinese…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has made great strides in civil defense under President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), but more must be done to ensure national resilience as the threat of a Chinese attack grows. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of civilian support during a conflict. Civilians can…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor STRATEGIC SHIFT: While the US has a history of sending military instructors and special operations teams to Taiwan, it is the first time it has officially announced such a mission Taiwan and the US have signed a two-year specialized training program for the local navy, the Ministry of National Defense said…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor China warned on Thursday that the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party authorities’ attempt to seek “Taiwan independence” will lead nowhere, as the so-called Foreign Minister of Taiwan Lin Chia-lung attended the inauguration ceremony of the president of Palau as a “presidential envoy.” “Taiwan is a province of China, and there is…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Taiwan will dispatch its navy if needed to help the coast guard respond to any suspicious activity near undersea communication cables, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday, after a Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging one. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, said a ship owned by…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor In a significant escalation of military posturing, China has commenced extensive military exercises in the waters surrounding Taiwan. This development, occurring against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, has sparked fears of a potential invasion, raising alarms not only in Taipei but also among global powers observant of the Taiwan…
Preparations for talks between US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are underway, incoming US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz has said. Phone conversations between the two are expected to occur in the “coming days and weeks,” Waltz believes. Asked during an interview with ABC News how soon a Trump-Putin meeting could happen, Waltz did not provide…
President William Lai (賴清德) awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis yesterday, honoring his significant contributions to Taiwan-Lithuania relations and expressing gratitude for his support of Taiwan’s democratic values. Landsbergis remarked during their meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei that the camaraderie between Taiwan and…
Francis Tuschek European members of NATO need to drastically increase their military spending or start studying Russian, the US-led bloc’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, has said. Rutte’s remarks came during a question and answer period at the end of the joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor In a concerning development for Taiwan, the National Security Bureau (NSB) has reported a marked increase in cases of espionage linked to China. This uptick underscores growing geopolitical tensions in the Taiwan Strait and raises alarms about national security in the self-governing island, which China views as a breakaway province….