86 m. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on...

Politics

40 h. ago TSMC buys up land in Arizona as Taiwan pledges US$500 billion US tech investment

Taiwan has committed to driving hundreds of billions of dollars of extra investment into America’s chip industry as part of a US trade deal announced on Thursday, with the island’s biggest semiconductor producer already moving to buy more land in the US state of Arizona. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) – the world’s largest contract chipmaker – confirmed on Thursday that it had bought a second tract of land in Arizona. The 365-hectare (901-acre) plot nearly doubles the...

Economics

5 d. ago PLA Justice Mission 2025: China’s Military Drills Around Taiwan

PLA Justice Mission 2025: China’s Military Drills Around Taiwan  orfonline.org

Events

9 d. ago Trump’s comment that Taiwan issue is ‘up to Xi’ stirs defence concern in Taipei

US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the Taiwan issue is “up to” Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stirred fresh concerns about the United States’ defence commitment among some on the island. Responding to Trump’s remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China’s territory and that the Taiwan question was purely China’s internal affair. Mao said that resolving the Taiwan issue was a matter for the Chinese people alone and...

Politics

9 d. ago PLA drills target swarms of suicide drones – Taiwan’s front line of defence

The People’s Liberation Army has released footage of exercises countering swarms of suicide drones, a key element of Taiwan’s asymmetric defence strategy. Mainland state broadcaster CCTV showed a video on Sunday of a naval unit conducting anti-drone and uncrewed target drills as the PLA launched its 2026 training cycle. During the drills, the “blue force”, acting as the adversary, deployed multiple suicide drones to simulate ultra-low-altitude penetration strikes against maritime targets. In...

Events

1 week ago As China targets Japan over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, what levers does Tokyo have?

China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s...

Events

1 week ago As Beijing targets Tokyo over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, what levers does Japan have?

China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s...

Events

1 week ago Bid to change Taiwan law that prompted Beijing to warn of war risk falls at first hurdle

A controversial plan to change Taiwan’s law governing relations with mainland China, which critics said could edge the island towards “de jure independence”, appears to have collapsed within days. The failure of the draft legislation to even reach the legislature’s agenda committee underscored the sensitivity of the issue amid mounting pressure from Beijing, which warned on Sunday that a declaration of independence would mean war. The initiative to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the...

Events

1 week ago US ‘decapitation’ strike on Venezuela sparks PLA copycat fears in Taiwan

The US “decapitation-style” operation against Venezuela’s leadership has heightened concerns in Taiwan that Beijing could one day attempt a similar strike against the island, even though Taipei has played down such a possibility. The anxiety has been amplified by the People’s Liberation Army’s two-day drills around Taiwan last week, parts of which simulated joint operations aimed at paralysing political and military command structures – a scenario analysts say echoes elements of leadership...

Events

1 week ago Beijing warns of war over Taiwan ruling party’s move to rebrand cross

Beijing has warned that a proposal by Taiwanese lawmakers to amend legislation is a move aimed at “de jure independence” for the island, heightening the risk of war. “This proposal disregards the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan publicly challenges the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China, and blatantly promotes ‘de jure Taiwan independence’,” Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said on Sunday. “Taiwan independence means war. We have full confidence and sufficient...

Events

1 week ago Will Beijing look to US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro for lessons on Taiwan?

The US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro will be closely studied by Beijing, which has signalled its ability to target Taiwan’s leadership in the latest PLA exercises near the island, according to analysts. The operation – carried out on Saturday by the US Army’s elite Delta Force, the military’s top special missions unit – was described by Chinese analysts as a “textbook” strike with high precision and minimal casualties. “The planning and execution were highly refined,” said Fu...

Politics

1 week ago New KMT chair hopes to take peace message to Beijing while on Taiwan political tightrope

A plan by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party to visit Beijing – where she hopes to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping – early this year carries hopes of improving communication amid high tension between the two sides of the strait. While supporters portray Cheng Li-wun’s trip as a potential opening to ease cross-strait tensions, critics warn it risks signalling political alignment with Beijing at a time of rising military pressure. Cheng, who was elected chairwoman of the Kuomintang...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump to meet US’ China envoy after call with Japan PM Takaichi as Taiwan drills conclude

US President Donald Trump is meeting US Ambassador to China David Perdue at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday, rounding off a day of diplomacy that began with a call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The engagements come at a delicate moment for the administration as it seeks to align its “America first” regional approach amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan, and following Washington’s recent approval of its largest-ever arms sale to the...

Politics

2 w. ago Did a PLA stealth fighter approach a key Taiwan airbase? New video sparks debate

A video released by the People’s Liberation Army during a military drill this week has sparked debate about whether Taiwan failed to detect a J-20 stealth fighter and how close the aircraft might have come to a key military airport on the island. The video was released by the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command on Tuesday – the second day of the “Justice Mission 2025” joint military exercises around Taiwan. The footage shows a PLA J-20 flying near an unidentified landscape that some observers say...

Events

2 w. ago Beijing pledges with ‘utmost sincerity’ to continue push to reunite peacefully with Taiwan

Beijing will continue to push for peaceful reunification with Taiwan with the “utmost sincerity”, according to a new year’s message from a senior official delivered days after the People’s Liberation Army concluded large-scale drills around the island. Mainland China had strengthened its capacity to safeguard peace and security over the past year and would take more forceful action to oppose separatism and external interference this year, Song Tao, the head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office,...

Politics

2 w. ago China military drills' disruption of air travel had a purpose: Expert

China military drills' disruption of air travel had a purpose: Expert  Focus Taiwan

Events

2 w. ago China Military Drills Near Taiwan Unnecessarily Raise Tensions: US

China Military Drills Near Taiwan Unnecessarily Raise Tensions: US  Deccan Chronicle

Events

2 w. ago U.S. calls for restraint as China conducts military drills near Taiwan

U.S. calls for restraint as China conducts military drills near Taiwan  AnewZ

Events

2 w. ago US urges Beijing to end military pressure against Taiwan, ‘engage in meaningful dialogue’

The US State Department on Thursday urged Beijing to end intimidating military moves in the area around Taiwan that it said creates needless anxiety and stress. Washington’s New Year’s Day message followed a two-day live-fire exercise that Beijing wrapped up on Tuesday, dubbed Justice Mission 2025, that played out on a more extensive scale than its predecessors. “China’s military activities and rhetoric towards Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,” said Tommy Pigott,...

Events

2 w. ago US urges China to exercise restraint after military drills near Taiwan

US urges China to exercise restraint after military drills near Taiwan  Anadolu Ajansı

Events