Page 44 - Taiwan

Taiwan loses ally of eight decades after Honduras recognises China

The move comes before Tsai starts a visit this week to allies such as Guatemala and Belize, and stops in the US

Honduras cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan, paves way for ties with Beijing

Honduras has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Chinese state media reported Sunday, paving the way for the Latin American country to establish a formal relationship with Beijing. The announcement by Honduras's foreign ministry on Saturday, which was reported by China's CCTV, comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and the United States, including over China's increasing assertiveness toward self-ruled Taiwan. The move leaves Taiwan recognized by only 13 sovereign states. Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally that Taipei has lost to Beijing since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen first took office in May 2016. China and Taiwan have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition since the sides split amid civil war in 1949, with Beijing spending billions to win recognition for its One China policy. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and refuses most contacts with countries that maintain formal ties with the

Taiwan's chip exports sputter on US-China tensions, falling demand

The total amount of semiconductors Taiwan shipped worldwide declined 17.3% last month from a year ago

Chip globalisation is over, and sanctions work: TSMC founder Morris Chang

In the chips sector, globalization is dead. Free trade is dead, Chang said at an event in Taipei Thursday

Xi urges lawmakers to focus on China's stability at start of third term

He vowed to oppose foreign interference on Taiwan, a veiled reference to increasing American support for the democratically elected government in Taipei

Beijing to increase unification pressure on Taiwan, says US spy agencies

As Chinese President Xi Jinping begins his third term, Beijing will continue to press Taiwan on unification and try to undercut US influence in the region, according to an annual report

China's foreign minister warns of conflict unless US changes course

China's foreign minister has warned Washington of conflict and confrontation if it fails to change course in relations with Beijing, striking a combative tone amid conflicts over Taiwan, COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Qin Gang's language appeared to defy hopes China's might abandon confrontational wolf warrior rhetoric. It followed an accusation by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Western governments led by the United States were trying to encircle and suppress China. Washington's China policy has entirely deviated from the rational and sound track, Qin said at a news conference Tuesday during annual meeting of China's ceremonial legislature. China's relations with Washington and Japan, India and other Asian neighbours have soured as Xi's government has pursued assertive policies abroad. If the United States does not hit the brake, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there surely will be conflict and confrontation,

President Xi Jinping doubts Chinese military's ability to invade Taiwan

In a startling revelation of intelligence input, the US CIA Director William Burns claimed that Beijing is still determining whether its potential invasion of Taiwan would be successful

China defence budget raised by 7.2%, 3 times India's, one-third of America

Actual defence spending during the year will rise to $225 billion, a single-digit budget increase for the eighth consecutive year

US approves F-16 fighters' munitions sale to Taiwan worth $619 million

The U.S. has approved more arms sales to Taiwan, including $619 million worth of munitions for F-16 fighter jets, in a decision likely to be yet another point of friction between the U.S. and China, which claims the island as its own territory. The State Department said in a statement Wednesday night it had approved sales of missiles to be used with the F-16s as well as equipment to support the missiles. That includes AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles and launchers. Taiwan is unofficially supported by the U.S. and has a fleet of F-16s bought from the U.S. Tensions between China and the U.S. are at their highest level in years over American support for the self-governed island, including visits by high-ranking politicians, and a host of other issues, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the U.S. before being shot down last month. China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has .

Inside Taiwanese chip giant, US expansion stokes tension: Report

Internal doubts are mounting at the Taiwanese chip maker over its US factory, according to interviews with 11 TSMC employees

Chinese representative met with protests on official visit to Taiwan

A visit by a Chinese official at the invitation of the Taiwanese capital's newly elected China-friendly mayor has drawn protests on the self-ruled island. The head of Shanghai city's Taiwan Affairs Office, Li Xiaodong, arrived Saturday morning for a three-day visit that marks a rare point of contact between the sides. China deems Taiwan a part of its territory to be conquered by force if necessary and has been courting pro-Chinese media and politicians on the island to further its unification agenda. The vast majority of Taiwanese back the status quo of de-facto independence while still maintaining close economic and social ties with the mainland. Taiwan's democratic system allows broad leeway for local governments to act without central authority. Taipei recently elected Chiang Wan-an from the opposition Nationalist Party as mayor. Dozens of protesters gathered at Sunshan Airport in downtown Taipei, while representatives of pro-China minority parties shouted welcomes. Neither L

Taiwan reports Chinese weather balloon found in northern city of Taiyuan

Taiwan's Defence Ministry says a Chinese weather balloon landed on one of its outlying islands, amid U.S. accusations that such craft have been dispatched worldwide to spy on Washington and its allies. The ministry's statement on Thursday said the balloon carried equipment registered to a state-owned electronics company in the northern city of Taiyuan. The islet where it was found, Tungyin, is part of the Matsu island ground lying just off the coast of China's Fujian province. Taiwan maintained control of the islands after the sides split in 1949 amid civil war and they are considered a first line of defense should China make good on its threats to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary. Calls and messages sent to the company identified in the report, Taiyuan Wireless (Radio) First Factory Ltd., went unanswered. Information on the equipment was written in the simplified Chinese characters used on the mainland rather than the traditional on Taiwan, the ministry ...

China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies for Taiwan sales

Washington contended that the balloon was spying and shot it down, while China claims it was a civilian airship collecting weather data that went off course

China plans to triple nuclear warheads to 900 by 2035 amid tensions with US

China is mulling tripling its stockpile of nuclear warheads to 900 by 2035, as tensions with the United States are expected to increase further over Taiwan, Kyodo News reported

China no longer comfortable with status quo on Taiwan: Antony Blinken

Blinken called what Hong Kong went through in recent years and the reversal of development towards democracy one of the most sobering realities for people around the world

US Secy Blinken cautions China against changing status quo in Taiwan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has cautioned China against changing the status quo on Taiwan which is vital to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Over the last few years, China has been trying to build military and economic pressure on Taiwan, Blinken said during a conversation with University of Chicago's Institute of Politics Founding Director David Axelrod on Friday. "On Taiwan, what we have seen over the last few years is, I think, China made a decision that it was no longer comfortable with the status quo, a status quo that had prevailed for decades, that had actually been successful in terms of the relationship between our countries and managing what is a difficult situation," the secretary of state said. "We have seen them, over the last few years... ratchet up the pressure on Taiwan, military pressure, economic pressure, trying to cut off its ties to countries around the world, to international organisations," he said. From America's perspective, that stat

Gogoro, Belrise Industries to set up battery swapping infra in Maharashtra

Taiwanese electric mobility solutions provider Gogoro Inc on Tuesday said it along with Belrise Industries has inked a pact with the Maharashtra government to set up battery-swapping infrastructure

Foxconn replaces chief of iPhone assembly business after tumultuous year

Michael Chiang was first identified in his new role at Taiwan-based Foxconn's annual year-end party on Sunday, succeeding longtime leader Wang Charng-yang

Energy war, chip-battle, Taiwan in focus at WEF in a turbulent world order

For the titans of commerce gathering in Davos this week, all of this marks a shift away from the era of ever-closer global ties, when big business thought it had succeeded in making the world flat