TIG Post

Tag: Taiwan

  • Taiwan invites Chinese veterinarians to treat the beloved panda

    Taiwan has asked Chinese veterinary experts to assist in the treatment of a critically ill male panda.

    Tuan Tuan, a giant panda, was given to Taiwan by Beijing in 2008, along with his breeding partner, Yuan Yuan.

    However, the 18-year-old bear has become increasingly ill, and Taiwanese zookeepers believe he has a brain tumour.

    Taiwan has called on vets from mainland China to help assess Tuan Tuan as he moves into end-of-life care.

    The two pandas were donated during a period of warmer relations between the neighbours, although their names combined mean “reunion” or “unity” – probably a reference to Beijing’s desire to reabsorb Taiwan one day.

    Relations have since soured between China and Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province.

    It is not clear when the vets will arrive, but Taiwan officials said they were processing their visa applications.

    Since their arrival, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan have become huge attractions in Taiwan.

    “He was small and so cute when he first got here,” Heng Ling-lin, who brought her children to Taipei Zoo to sign get-well notes, told the AFP news agency.

    “He was like everybody’s baby,” she added. “It breaks my heart now to see him like this.”

     

  • Xi Jinping: From Communist Party princeling to President of China

    At the 20th Communist Party Congress later this month, Xi Jinping will begin a historic third term.

    Given that China’s leaders opted in 2018 to remove the two-term limit in place since the 1990s, Mr. Xi will basically be able to stay in power indefinitely.

    Under Mr Xi’s rule since 2012, China has become more authoritarian at home, cracking down on dissent, critics, and even influential billionaires and businesses. Some have described him as “the most authoritarian leader since Chairman Mao”.

    Under his rule, China has established “re-education” camps in Xinjiang that have been accused of human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority ethnic groups. It has tightened its grip on Hong Kong and vowed to “reunite” with Taiwan, by force if necessary.

    In a clear sign of his influence, the Communist Party voted in 2017 to write his philosophy – called “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era” – into its constitution. Only party founders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the leader who introduced economic reforms in the 1980s, have made it into the all-important fundamental law of the land.

    Princeling, peasant, president

    Born in Beijing in 1953, Xi Jinping is the son of revolutionary veteran Xi Zhongxun, one of the Communist Party’s founding fathers and a former vice-premier.

    Because of his illustrious roots, Mr Xi is considered a “princeling” – a child of elite senior officials who have risen up the ranks.

    But his family’s fortunes took a dramatic turn when his father was imprisoned in 1962. A deeply suspicious Mao, fearing a rebellion in party ranks, ordered a purge of potential rivals. Then in 1966 came the so-called Cultural Revolution when millions were branded as enemies of Chinese culture, sparking violent attacks across the country.

    Mr Xi’s family suffered too. His half-sister – his father’s first daughter through an earlier marriage – was persecuted to death, according to official accounts, though a historian familiar with the party elite said she had probably taken her own life under duress, according to a New York Times report.

    A young Xi was pulled out of a school attended by children of the political elite. Eventually, at 15, he left Beijing and was sent to the countryside for “re-education” and hard labour in the remote and poor north-eastern village of Liangjiahe for seven years.

    But far from turning against the Communist Party, Mr Xi embraced it. He tried to join several times but was rebuffed because of his father’s standing.

    He was finally accepted in 1974, starting out in Hebei province, then occupying ever more senior roles as he slowly made his way to the top.

    In 1989, at the age of 35, he was party chief in the city of Ningde in southern Fujian province when protests demanding greater political freedom began in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

    The province was far from the capital but Mr Xi, along with other party officials, reportedly scrambled to contain local offshoots of the massive demonstrations underway in Beijing.

    The protests – an echo of a rift within Communist Party ranks – and the bloody crackdown that ended them have effectively now been scrubbed from the country’s history books and public record. China even lost the bid to host the 2000 Olympics because of the abuses in Tiananmen Square. Estimates of the number killed range from hundreds to many thousands.

    Almost two decades later, however, Mr Xi was put in charge of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. China was keen to show it had moved on and was a worthy host – and it appeared to be working, with the Games symbolising China’s rise as a growing power.

    As for Mr Xi, his increasing profile in the party propelled him to its top decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, and in 2012 he was picked as China’s president.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan attend the welcoming banquet for the BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China 4 September 2017.
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Mr Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan (right), is a famous folk singer in China

    Mr Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, a famous singer, have been heavily featured in state media as China’s First Couple.

    This is a contrast from previous presidential couples, where the first lady has traditionally kept a lower profile.

    The couple has a daughter, Xi Mingze, but not much is known about her apart from the fact that she studied at Harvard University.

    Other family members and their overseas business dealings have been the subject of scrutiny in the international press.

    China Dream

    Mr Xi has vigorously pursued what he has called a “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” with his China Dream vision.

    Under him, the world’s second-largest economy has enacted reform to combat slowing growth, such as cutting down bloated state-owned industries and reducing pollution, as well as the multi-billion dollar One Belt One Road infrastructure project aimed at expanding China’s global trade links.

    The country has become more assertive on the global stage, from its growing forcefulness in the South China Sea to its exercise of soft power by pumping billions of dollars into Asian and African investments.

    Some of this economic growth, however, which in past decades has increased meteorically – has now slowed substantially, worsened by the Chinese leader’s uncompromising “zero-Covid” strategy that has locked out the rest of the world since the pandemic.

    The country’s once-booming property market is in a deep slump and the outlook for the global economy has weakened sharply in recent months.

    A bitter and damaging trade war with the US shows no sign of ending.

    ‘Most authoritarian leader since Mao’

    Since reaching top office, Mr Xi has overseen a wide-reaching corruption crackdown extending to the highest echelons of the party. Critics have portrayed it as a political purge.

    Under his rule, China has also seen increasing clampdowns on freedoms.

    In Xinjiang province, human rights groups believe the government has detained more than a million Muslim Uyghurs over the past few years in what the state defines as “re-education” camps. China denies accusations from the US and others that it is committing genocide there.

    Beijing’s grip over Hong Kong, too, has grown under Mr Xi.

    Protesters in Causeway Bay in 2019
    IMAGE SOURCE, EPA Image caption, Thousands turned out in Hong Kong to take part in protests against a planned extradition law

    Mr Xi put an end to pro-democracy protests in 2020 by signing the National Security Law, a sweeping edict that gives Beijing powers to reshape life in the former British colony, criminalizing what it calls secession, subversion, and collusion with foreign forces, with the maximum sentence of life in prison.

    The law has led to mass arrests of prominent pro-democracy activists and politicians, as well as the closure of prominent news outlets including Apple Daily and Stand News.

    Under Mr Xi’s leadership, China has also intensified its focus on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, vowing “reunification” and threatening to use military force to prevent any move towards formal independence there.

    Given China’s power and influence, the world will be watching Mr Xi as he embarks on his third term as president. With no heir apparent, the 69-year-old is arguably the most powerful leader China has had since the death of Mao Zedong in the 1970s.

     

     

  • Taiwan charges 10 over Uganda students abuse – Report

    Authorities in Taiwan have charged a university administrator and nine others over a scholarship scam that saw Ugandan students forced to work in a factory instead of studying, the AFP news agency reports.

    It follows local reports in January of student complaints of being ordered to “intern” at factories, AFP adds.

    Chung Chou University of Science and Technology has since been banned from recruiting foreign students.

    Prosecutors on Friday charged the school’s dean of student affairs, the deputy chief of the county government’s youth development department and eight others with human trafficking, fraud and corruption among other charges.

    The dean and two others allegedly “tricked” the Ugandans with “fake promises of hefty scholarships and high-tech industry internships”, district prosecutors are quoted by AFP as saying.

    The students are reported to have been informed that they owed the school travel and other expenses, and had to do work at labour-intensive local factories.

    The university is quoted as having told a local news agency in January that “there was a major difference in understanding between foreign students and school administration”.

  • Taiwan charges 10 over Uganda students abuse – Report

    Authorities in Taiwan have charged a university administrator and nine others over a scholarship scam that saw Ugandan students forced to work in a factory instead of studying, the AFP news agency reports.

    It follows local reports in January of student complaints of being ordered to “intern” at factories, AFP adds.

    Chung Chou University of Science and Technology has since been banned from recruiting foreign students.

    Prosecutors on Friday charged the school’s dean of student affairs, the deputy chief of the county government’s youth development department and eight others with human trafficking, fraud and corruption among other charges.

    The dean and two others allegedly “tricked” the Ugandans with “fake promises of hefty scholarships and high-tech industry internships”, district prosecutors are quoted by AFP as saying.

    The students are reported to have been informed that they owed the school travel and other expenses, and had to do work at labour-intensive local factories.

    The university is quoted as having told a local news agency in January that “there was a major difference in understanding between foreign students and school administration”.

    Source: BBC

  • Taiwan: In the line of fire

    The invasion of Ukraine has been an aggressive play by an expansionist neighbour and led to global condemnation of the Russians. But it has also got some asking – could Taiwan be next?

    Could we see another victim of an ambitious power trying to increase its global clout?

    The self-governing island, formed by nationalists who managed to escape the grip of Communist China, has long been the target of Beijing. The Chinese government has always viewed it as a breakaway province it must ultimately re-unify.

    Until now, the manpower, money, and influence that it would require has kept China at bay. But some fear President Xi, eyeing an unprecedented third term, now has the ability and the ambition to do something drastic in a bid to carve out his legacy.

    After speaking to a wide cast of characters in Taiwan, that still seems an unlikely scenario in the immediate future – even amongst the most anxious and invested parties we heard from.

    It would be hugely risky – an enormous logistical undertaking that could easily destabilise China’s relationship with others in the region.

    And if China was watching as closely as some suspect, surely Ukraine is a deeply cautionary tale. Nevertheless, Russia’s exploits have highlighted how fragile peace is when you’re dealing with an unpredictable power.

    America has also played a big part in the escalating tension. Nancy Pelosi’s visit in August was diplomatically explosive.

    China was so infuriated by the US House Speaker touching down in what it views as Chinese territory, that Beijing embarked on its biggest-ever military drills around Taiwan.

    Many on the island now claim that almost daily incursions into its skies and waters are the new normal.

    In Central Taiwan, we witnessed a military drill – up to 400 soldiers working in searing heat, firing Howitzers. Taiwan insists these exercises are not a reaction to any recent moves by China, but it is also a little more real.

    President Tsai, who we followed on the campaign trail, certainly isn’t capitulating – far from it.

    At rehearsals for National Day, where Taiwan flexed its military muscle, the theme was a strong nod to national security. “Protect soil, guard country,” the banners read.

    We met civilians preparing for the worst, building survival kits at home. There’s been a huge spike in people attending self-defence and first aid courses recently. We heard from others trying to improve shelters.

    Then there are the cyber warriors taking on fake news. Drones are the latest threat. Taiwan thinks they represent psychological warfare, a “grey zone” tactic it must confront.

    But unpicking propaganda, verifying footage and working out where drones came from, who’s flying them and where they’re landing, is very difficult.

    And it’s easy to misread the dynamics.

    Kinmen Island, where China is easily visible, has been described as akin to Korea’s DMZ. But it doesn’t feel like a place with a bunker mentality. In fact we also met lots of people who really enjoy living so close to the mainland. Until the pandemic, they’d love to take a 30-minute ferry over to shop there.

    Chinese tourists in turn would come to Kinmen to watch historic re-enactments of darker days, when Kinmen was under bombardment by the Chinese.

    Now, it’s more a conflict curiosity shop than an anxious outpost. Many share a language and cultural affinity with mainlanders.

    On a cliff edge on one of Kinmen’s islands sits a 3 storey high wall of speakers. It looks out over a narrow strip of water to China, just two kilometres away at its narrowest point.

    Housed in concrete, the tower used to blast songs and propaganda messages across the sea. Today, it still plays a song by Tawainese pop idol, Teresa Teng, but the volume is much lower these days.

    It’s become a tourist attraction on the island, a place for snapping selfies and remembering a darker time when the island was under attack from China.

    Kinmen is Taiwan’s literal frontline.

    Roy Chen has come with his wife, Vicky, and a group of friends to celebrate his 40th birthday. He was in the army for 18 months and is prepared to fight again for his country, if China invaded Taiwan.

    “We don’t really care about the history between China and Taiwan. It happened a very long time ago”, he says. “Taiwan is Taiwan, China is China. It’s different countries.” 

    “If China really wants to get Taiwan, it’s easy. But he cannot get our people, our hearts, our spirit”.

    Roy’s friend, Nina Wu, agrees. “We fight for our freedom and we love our people and the country.” she says. “We don’t want to become a part of China.”

    In a humid warehouse south of Taipei, four men in military fatigues and body armour are poised to attack.

    Peering through the sights of their airsoft rifles, they exchange hand signals and quick glances before kicking a door open and firing.

    These men aren’t soldiers. They’re just practising military skills with replica guns. Skills that Ping-yu Lin, 38, hopes he will never need.

    He thinks everybody needs to be prepared for an attack from China “in their own way”, and that an attack could happen in “three to five years”.

    “After the Ukraine war, we start to think it’s rising, the threat is rising. And some of us are starting to prepare ourselves. Compared with China we are small. And we need more friends, more allies.”

    Ping-yu is a father of three and worries about Taiwan’s future. He believes there’s a lot at stake if China were to invade.

    “Taiwan will lose everything in our democracy and our society, our property, our lives… in the current climate we can’t take peace for granted.”

    In the glaring heat of an autumn day, it’s a welcome relief to step inside the gloom of the Zhaishan tunnels.

    We walk along the edge of the subterranean channels, looking down into the clear green waters.

    The cold war era caves were built by hand to shelter ships from Chinese view.

    For 56-year-old Hsi-Tein Lee, they were home for more than a year.

    He joined Taiwan’s army when he was 18, in the 1980’s.

    “The tension between Taiwan and China was at a high level.” he tells us. “As a kid under 20, I was very nervous and scared. I was worried that the war would break out at any time, and I had to sacrifice my life to the country. I was terrified.”

    Hsi-Tein doesn’t miss those days, and has no desire to return to them.

    “Everybody thinks that Taiwan and China should keep the peace” he says. “It’s good that people enjoy freedom. It’s not wise to promote Taiwanese independence or to provoke China’s armed forces.”

    The start of the war in Ukraine had a massive impact on many Taiwanese. The reality of a neighbour invading has prompted many to consider a future conflict on their shores.

    Enoch Wu wants to prepare civilians for any disaster, whether that’s an earthquake – or war.  Frontline Alliance runs emergency response training and since the start of the war in Ukraine, their classes are packed.

    “One of the biggest lessons from Ukraine is that our world can be turned upside down just like that” he tells us.

    “You know, people don’t appreciate how incredibly fragile peace is, and especially when you live next to a volatile ruler, a dictatorship who can act on a whim to attack and invade another country, an autocratic government that is not accountable to its people or to the international community.”

    The 41-year-old believes that Taiwan has been living under an “existential threat” from China for decades. He says his parents fought for democracy in Taiwan, and now their children have to protect it.

    “We are unfortunately facing our biggest generational challenge of national survival”, he says. “It’s up to us now to maintain and protect this way of life.”

    Enoch Wu is concerned about the Chinese military build up and is calling for a NATO-style collective security agreement.

    “China took over the South China Sea, rock by rock, and now it’s militarised.. They’ve never hid their intentions. And I think we need to not be naive.”

    In Taipei, you get the sense it is now forged its own identity and the horse feels like it’s well and truly bolted. In the past, some saw the economic appeal of China.

    Now you get a sense of a gaping gulf between the two societies. Gay marriage is legal in Taiwan and many young people we spoke to, including those about to embark on military service, believe there’s no going back. They’re proud of Taiwan – they see it as a progressive nation with an increasingly distinct character.

    They weren’t preoccupied with worries about war. But it’s everything in between that concerns others – the multitude of ways China could and likely will try to exert its influence.

    And there is plenty it could do to derail the path Taiwan has set for itself – without a full-scale invasion.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: SkyNews, Cordelia Lynch and Rachel Thompson 

     

  • China, Taiwan tensions: Elon Musk calls for agreement between two countries

    After Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that Taiwan should become a special administrative region of China, Beijing and Taipei expressed their disagreement.

    The richest man in the world stated in an interview with the Financial Times that he thought the two countries could come to a “fairly agreeable” agreement.

    Musk received praise from China’s ambassador to the US, while his Taiwanese colleague declared that freedom is “not for sale.”

    Taiwan rules itself but Beijing claims it as part of its territory.

    Last week, Mr Musk also drew criticism for posting a Twitter poll with his suggestions for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Kyiv giving up territory to Moscow.

    Mr Musk’s comments come as the electric car maker hit a monthly record for sales in China.

    He weighed in on heightened China-Taiwan tensions in a wide-ranging interview with the UK business newspaper the Financial Times, which was published on Friday.

    “My recommendation… would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won’t make everyone happy,” he said.

    “And it’s possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that’s more lenient than Hong Kong.”

    On Saturday, China’s ambassador to the US Qin Gang welcomed Mr Musk’s suggestion to establish Taiwan as a special administrative zone.

    He said on Twitter that “peaceful reunification” and the “one country two systems” model used in governing Hong Kong were China’s “basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question”.

    “Provided that China’s sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development,” he added.

    In response, Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington said on Twitter: “Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale.”

    “Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan,” Ms Hsiao added.

    Shihoko Goto, director for geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific enterprise at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, told the BBC that Mr Musk’s suggestions could hurt his business interests.

    “Let’s bear in mind that Elon Musk is supposedly on the brink of purchasing Twitter. Of course, Twitter is banned in China because free speech is not allowed in China,” Ms Goto said.

    “So if he is investing in Twitter, his company will probably not be able to operate in Taiwan which is going to be under pressure or under the thumb of China. That would be a suicidal act on the part of Elon Musk,” she added.

    China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control.

    Meanwhile, Tesla delivered 83,135 China-made electric vehicles in September, according to a report released on Sunday by the China Passenger Car Association.

    That broke the previous record set by the company in June and marked a milestone for Tesla’s factory in Shanghai which has been trying to boost production.

     

  • German legislators travel to Taiwan amid regional unrest

    A delegation from the German parliament traveled to Taiwan to underline friendly ties between Berlin and Taipeh.

    The visit occurs as China escalates its threats against the democracy on the island.

    The German delegation wants to strengthen its cordial relations with Taiwan.

    A group of six German parliamentarians arrived in Taiwan on Sunday at the start of a five-day visit that will include meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President Lai Ching-te, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and the country’s parliamentary speaker, You Si-Kun, German media, and news agencies have reported.

    The cross-party delegation, led by Klaus-Peter Willsch of the opposition Christian Democrats, said the trip aims to assess Taiwan’s security situation on the ground and gain an overview of the country’s economic and political development.

    The delegation was to examine “issues regarding the political, economic and social situation, bilateral relationships and the development of relations on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” the Federal Press Office said on Friday.

    “The tense security situation caused by the tensions with the People’s Republic of China is to play a particular role,” the office said.

    The visit comes just two months after a Taiwan trip by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, brought a vehement reaction from Beijing, which considers the island as part of China and has frequently threatened to bring it under Chinese control.

    A delegation of French lawmakers also visited Taiwan in early September.

    Why are the German delegates visiting?

    Germany has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has maintained friendly relations, including close economic, cultural and academic cooperation.

    Till Steffen, a delegation member from the co-ruling Green Party, told DW ahead of the visit that the trip aimed “to show our friendship to Taiwan.”

    “Taiwan is a democracy and it’s important for us to be in contact, to have cooperation with other democracies,” he said, adding that it would be a “negative signal” to Taiwan not to conduct such a visit at a time when China is increasing its threats of taking the island.

    He said that the visit respected Germany’s acceptance of the “One China” policy and China’s sensitivities in that it involved members of parliament but none from the government itself.

    “I think China should not interfere in this cooperation because we strengthen democracies in Germany and Taiwan with it,” he said.

    Criticism of the visit was, however, forthcoming from the Chinese side, with a government spokesman calling, in comments to the dpa news agency, for the German delegation to adhere to the “One China principle” and “immediately cease” any interactions with pro-independence elements in Taiwan.

  • US forces ‘would defend Taiwan’ in face of Chinese invasion – Joe Biden

    The United States has traditionally adhered to a strategy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not been explicit about how it would react to an attack in terms of military force.

    In his clearest remarks to date on the subject, US President Joe Biden stated US military would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion.

    Asked in a TV interview whether America would defend the self-ruled island, claimed by China, he replied bluntly: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”

    militarily, to an attack.

    Asked to clarify if he meant that, unlike in Ukraine, US forces would defend Taiwan from Chinese invasion, Mr Biden again replied: “Yes.”

    The CBS 60 Minutes interview showed a president appearing to go beyond long-standing US policy on Taiwan, which states a commitment to a One-China policy, in which Washington officially recognises Beijing and not Taipei.

    Biden’s remarks are sure to anger Beijing, which was enraged by a visit to Taiwan by US House speaker Nancy
    Pelosi     back in August.

    That visit prompted China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring democratically-governed Taiwan under Beijing’s control and has
    not ruled out the use of force.

    Asked last October if the United States would come to the defence of Taiwan, the president said: “Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” but a White House spokesperson said he was not, in fact, announcing any change in US policy – and some experts denounced the comment as a “gaffe”.

  • Biden vows to defend Taiwan should China attack

    United States President, Joe Biden, has reaffirmed his pledge to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.

    When asked whether US troops would defend the island during an CBS interview, Mr Biden said: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”

    His remarks, however, prompted the White House to clarify that the official US policy – which doesn’t commit to military action on Taiwan – had not changed.

    Mr Biden’s comments, his clearest yet in pledging US military intervention, seemingly run counter to Washington’s stance of “strategic ambiguity” – it does not commit to defending Taiwan, but also does not rule out the option.

    In Sunday’s interview Mr Biden also reiterated that the US was not encouraging Taiwan independence.

    “There’s a One China policy and Taiwan makes their own judgements on their independence. We are not moving, not encouraging their being independent – that’s their decision,” he said.

    Taiwan responded to Mr Biden’s remarks on Monday by welcoming the “US government’s rock-solid security commitment to Taiwan”. Taipei said it would continue to deepen its “close security partnership” with Washington.

    However, Beijing said it “deplores and firmly opposes” Mr Biden’s pledge of action.

    The foreign ministry said it had lodged “stern representations” with Washington over the remarks, broadcast in a CBS 60 Minutes interview on Sunday.

    Taiwan is a self-ruled island off the coast of eastern China that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

    Washington has always walked a diplomatic tightrope over the issue.

    On the one hand it adheres to the One China policy, a cornerstone of its relationship with Beijing. Under this policy, the US acknowledges that there is only one Chinese government, and has formal ties with Beijing rather than Taiwan.

    But it also maintains close relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US must provide the island with the means to defend itself.

    Only earlier this month, the US agreed to sell $1.1bn (£955m) in weaponry and missile defence to Taiwan, provoking anger from China.

    This is the third time since October last year that President Biden has gone further than the official stance.

    In May, speaking in Japan on his first tour of Asia as president, he said “Yes” when asked if the US would defend Taiwan.

    The White House had quickly issued a follow up saying there was no departure from long-standing US policy.

    This time too the White House issued a statement, downplaying the president’s comments: “The President has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true.”

    Beijing has previously condemned such comments from Mr Biden promising US military action.

    “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory… The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that brooks no foreign interference,” a foreign ministry spokesman had said in May in response to Mr Biden’s remarks in Japan.

    Tensions between US and China – especially over Taiwan – have ramped up after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to the island in August – a trip Mr Biden had said was “not a good idea”.

    Beijing responded with a five-day military blockade around Taiwan. The US claims China shot missiles over the island, but Beijing did not confirm this. Taiwan said the missiles China fired flew high into the atmosphere and posed no threat.

    Elsewhere in the pre-recorded interview, Mr Biden also warned Russia not to use chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

  • China issues a threat of “countermeasures” after the US accepts a $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan

    Following the Biden administration‘s approval of more than $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, China has warned the United States that it will take “countermeasures.”

    China is “firmly opposed” to the sales, which “seriously imperil China-US ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” according to Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy, who also urged Washington to “immediately rescind” them.

    Liu’s comments on Twitter came after the Biden administration on Friday formally notified Congress of the proposed sales, which include up to 60 anti-ship missiles and up to 100 air-to-air missiles.
    The State Department said the sales are in line with a longstanding US policy of providing defensive weapons to the island and described the “swift provision” of such arms as being “essential for Taiwan’s security.”
    China, however, has accused the US of interfering in what it sees as its internal affairs.
    China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as part of its territory — despite never having governed it — and has long vowed to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland, by force if necessary.
    “The US interferes in China’s internal affairs and undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests by selling arms to Taiwan,” Liu tweeted.
    “It sends the wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Liu said.
    He called on the US to “honor its commitments to the one-China principle” and ended his series of tweets by saying Taiwan is “an inalienable part of the Chinese territory” and warned China will “resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures.”
    US-China tensions have spiked since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last month.
    China had warned Pelosi against making the trip, and responded by ordering days’ worth of military drills around the island after she had left.
    Taiwan said Saturday it “highly welcomes” the latest arms sales and thanked the US government for “continuing to implement its security commitments to Taiwan.”
    “In response to China’s recent continuous military provocations and unilateral changes in the status quo and creating crises, Taiwan’s determination to defend itself is extremely firm,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday.
    “This batch of arms sales includes a large number of various types of missiles that are needed to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense, which fully demonstrates that the great importance the US government attaches to Taiwan’s defense needs, assisting our country to obtain the equipment needed for defense in a timely manner and to enhance our national defense capabilities.”
    In an incident that underscored the heightened tensions, Taiwan’s military shot down a drone hovering over one of its island outposts just off the Chinese coast on Thursday.
    A day earlier, Taiwan said it had warned off drones hovering over three of the islands it occupies off the coast of the Chinese port city of Xiamen.

  • US permits $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, upsetting China

    China is upset that the US has agreed to sell Taiwan $1.1 billion (£955 million) worth of weapons.

    The planned agreement comprises an anti-ship and anti-air missile tracking radar system.

    It follows the speaker of the US House of Representatives,  Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taipei last month as the highest-ranking US official to do so in the previous 25 years.

    The Chinese embassy in Washington called on the US to revoke the deal or face “counter-measures”.

    Spokesman Liu Pengyu said the deal “severely jeopardises” relations between Washington and Beijing.

    “China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures in light of the development of the situation,” he added.

    Beijing sees the self-ruled island as a part of its territory and insists it should be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

    It launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan last month, following the American delegation’s visit.

    The US arms sale agreed on Friday still needs to be voted on by the strongly pro-Taiwan US Congress.

    The package includes a $655m radar warning system and $355m for 60 Harpoon missiles, which are capable of sinking ships.

    It includes $85.6m for Sidewinder surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

    A spokesperson for the Department of State said the deal was “essential for Taiwan’s security”, and called on Beijing “to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue”.

    “These proposed sales are routine cases to support Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the spokesperson said.

    The Pentagon last month created a task force to help streamline the sale of American weaponry to foreign allies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

    US lawmakers say that orders placed by Taiwan years ago have gone unfulfilled. Among the backlog are Harpoon and Stinger missiles, which have been sent to Ukraine instead, according to Defense News.

    In another move likely to irk Beijing, the Biden administration said it would keep in place, for now, billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese imports that were enacted during the Trump administration.

    The US Trade Representative’s office said it had received requests to maintain the 2018-19 duties from businesses and other interested parties.

    US officials had been considering revoking the tariffs, citing the need to ease inflation.

    On Friday, meanwhile, President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve $13.7bn in emergency funding for Ukraine, amid the ongoing war with Russia.

    The Pentagon said last week that total US military aid to Ukraine had already topped $13bn.

  • Unidentified drone over island near China shoot down by Taiwan

    Over one of its islands, which is only a few kilometers from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan claims to have shot down an unidentifiable civilian drone.

    A little after noon on Thursday, a drone was seen flying over the waters near Lion Islet, a small island in the Kinmen County grouping that is governed by Taiwan and is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the coast of Xiamen, China.
    The Kinmen Defense Command, a branch of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, said the drone was shot down after warning flares failed to drive it away.
    This is the latest in a string of similar incidents to have taken place near the offshore group of islands.
    Unidentified drones have been reported in the Kinmen area for four days in a row but this is the first time one has been shot down by Taiwan.
    On Tuesday, Taiwanese soldiers fired flares at three unidentified drones that flew near Kinmen and warning shots at one that re-entered the area.
    It is not clear who is flying the drones, though China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday it was “not aware of the situation” and that it was “pointless for (Taiwan) to exaggerate the tension.”
    After Tuesday’s incident, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said she had ordered the Defense Ministry to take “forceful countermeasures” against what she said were Chinese grey zone warfare tactics.
    On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reinforced that message at an international press conference called in response to Chinese military exercises in August, saying it will “act in accordance with operational orders to exercise our rights of self-defense.”
    Tensions between Taiwan and mainland China have been raised since a visit by US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in August. China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as part of its territory despite never having governed it and has long vowed to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland, by force if necessary.
    China responded to Pelosi’s trip by ordering days worth of military drills around Taiwan.
    On Monday, asked about reports of private drones flying in the Kinmen area, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded: “Chinese drones flying over China’s territory — what’s there to be surprised at?”

  • Governor of US state of Indiana visits Taiwan

    The Republican governor of the US state of Indiana began a visit to Taiwan Monday. The trip comes on the heels of a high-profile visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    Holcomb’s visit comes at a tense moment for Taiwan, China and the US

    Eric Holcomb, the Republican governor of the US state of Indiana, began a four-day visit to Taiwan Monday.

    Holcomb met with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen who told him the US and Taiwan are key security and economic allies.

    “Taiwan has been confronted by military threats from China, in and around the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai told Holcomb during the meeting at her office in Taipei.

    “At this moment, democratic allies must stand together and boost cooperation across all areas,” Tsai added.

    The focus of Holcomb’s visit is on economic exchange, particularly in the critical area of semiconductors.

    His is the third high-profile visit from US politicians in recent weeks, and like the others, it will likely draw rebukes and condemnation from Beijing.

    What is the backdrop to Holcomb’s visit?

    Holcomb’s visit comes at a tense moment for Taiwan, China and the US after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month.

    Pelosi was the highest-level member of the US government to visit Taiwan, which Beijing views as part of its territory, in 25 years.

    Taiwan rejects Beijing’s territorial claims and remains democratic and self-governing.

    China’s People’s Liberation Army  held several days of snap exercises following Pelosi’s visit, forcing Taipei to reroute and cancel flights. Chinese warplanes were also sent to probe across the Strait of Taiwan.

    China also reacted with visa bans and sanctions on Taiwanese figures, though the effects are unclear.

    Beijing accuses the US of encouraging the island’s independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between US politicians and the island’s government.

    Holcomb is scheduled to visit South Korea next.

    Source: DW

  • U.S. Air Force secretary: China’s actions around Taiwan increase risk

    U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on Friday that China‘s actions around Taiwan increase the level of risk and he hoped that China’s behavior returns to the norms that were established before.

    China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has been staging military exercises this month to show its anger about a visit to Taipei of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, blaming Washington for the tension.

    Kendall, speaking to reporters on a teleconference from the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam as part of a trip to the region that will also take in Australia and Japan, said: “We are living in a dangerous time”.

    Referring to China’s drills around Taiwan, which included firing missiles over the island and repeatedly crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, normally an unofficial barrier, he said Beijing was being very provocative.

    “The military activities that China engaged in during the time of the speaker’s visit increased the level of risk and they violated a number of norms, crossing the line was one, firing into the exclusive economic zone of Japan was another, and firing over Taiwan itself was another,” Kendall said.

    Japan said five of the missiles China fired landed in its economic zone.

    “These are not actions that are designed to promote peace and stability in the region, they are very provocative and they increase the level of risk,” he said.

    While Kendall declined to comment directly on the details of China’s crossing of the median line, he said China had overreacted to Pelosi’s trip.

    “I would hope that their behavior returns to the norms that were established before,” he said.

    China says Taiwan is the most sensitive and important issue in its ties with the United States, and that it has a right to ensure its security and defend its territorial integrity.

    Taiwan’s government says that as the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan is has no right to claim it or decide its future, which can only be set by the island’s 23 million people.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has been overseeing an impressive military modernization programme, including developing stealth fighters and aircraft carriers, alarming many of its neighbors and the United States.

    “I am concerned, I think it’s clear to say the United States is concerned, about China’s modernization programmes, and we’re also concerned about its behavior in the region,” Kendall said.

    Source: Reuters

  • We must contest Chinese missiles over Taiwan- US commander

    A senior US military officer has stated that China’s decision to launch missiles over Taiwan must be disputed.

    Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the Seventh Fleet, described China’s actions as “a gorilla in the room” if they weren’t stopped.

    This month, Beijing conducted military exercises around the autonomous island, though it did not confirm whether any missiles actually flew over it.

    After US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, tensions skyrocketed.

    Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over the island, was incensed by her high-profile visit.

    Tuesday’s comments by Vice Admiral Thomas are significant, Based in Yokosuka, Japan, the Seventh Fleet is the largest forward-­deployed fleet in the US Navy, with some 50 to 70 vessels and submarines – and is a key part of its military presence in the region.

    “It’s very important that we contest this type of thing. I know that the gorilla in the room is launching missiles over Taiwan,” Vice Admiral Thomas told reporters in Singapore. “It’s irresponsible to launch missiles over Taiwan into international waters.

    “If you don’t challenge it… all of a sudden it can become just like the islands in the South China Sea [that] have now become military outposts. They now are full functioning military outposts that have missiles on them, large runways, hangers, radars, listening posts.”

    China’s decision to conduct nearly a week of military drills in the waters around Taiwan disrupted major shipping and aerial routes – a move the island said effectively amounted to a blockade. It also accused Beijing of using the drills as practice for an invasion.

    Taiwan said the missiles China fired flew high into the atmosphere and posed no threat. Its defense ministry did not disclose the trajectory of the missiles, citing intelligence concerns.

    The Japanese embassy in Washington said it believed four missiles fired by China had passed over Taiwan’s capital Taipei.

    The US and other allies have stepped up naval crossings in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, another area of strategic importance to Beijing, to emphasize that these are international waters.
    While the US has official diplomatic relations with China and not Taiwan, it maintains a special relationship with the island, which includes selling weapons for defense – an arrangement that has long troubled China.

    In recent years it has also become yet another flashpoint between Washington and Beijing as tensions between the two soured.

  • China-Taiwan: What we learned from Beijing’s drills around the island

    US politician Nancy Pelosi’s visit has set off fresh tensions between self-ruled Taiwan and China, which claims the island as part of its territory. BBC correspondents weigh in on the significance of China’s main response – its live-fire military drills around the island – and how the two sides see them

    The hardliners at the top of the Chinese Communist Party would likely be pleased with the results of Nancy Pelosi’s visit. They took advantage of the window Ms. Pelosi provided.

    Now, a number of harsher military actions in the vicinity of Taiwan are considered “acceptable”.

    These actions, like shooting missiles over the island, have come to be regarded as “legitimate” by the international community not because they were sanctioned but rather because Beijing got away with them.

    Each time the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flies fighter jets closer – or in greater numbers – across the Taiwan Strait, this becomes the new standard.

    What’s more, the very idea that mainland China might one day attack Taiwan to seize the territory by force is now being considered a likely possibility by many more Chinese people.

    Again, this is seen as a win for those who want it to happen.

    Other, more peaceful strategies for achieving what China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi described as Taiwan’s “return to the motherland” are not being discussed currently – or certainly not in any detail.

    A side benefit of this grand, live-fire show by the PLA has also been to accelerate the belief globally that China’s military rise is unstoppable – this may possibly intimidate South East Asian neighbors which have rival claims to the South China Sea.

    These vast military exercises would have taken some planning. It is hard to imagine that the generals conceived of them, all of a sudden when it was leaked that Ms. Pelosi was planning to visit.

    What seems more likely is that they had the plans ready and pulled them out of the drawer because the opportunity presented itself.

    As one laughing nationalist in Beijing put it when he was interviewed in the street last week, “Thanks comrade Pelosi”!

    U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wenREUTERS

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit

    It would be dangerous though if the Chinese government became too caught up in its own belligerent rhetoric and started convincing itself that seizing and holding Taiwan could be relatively easy – rather than a tough, bloody, catastrophic event.

    Some analysts even think that these war games have assisted the Taiwanese and US military in preparing defense strategies to ward off any attack from the mainland.

    But the exercises were not enough for President Xi Jinping’s government. On Friday night the foreign ministry announced that China was suspending cooperation with the US on cross-border crime, including narcotics, and maritime safety; and that all high-level US-China military dialogue were to be paused.

    American media has also reported that calls from the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, and General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, have gone unanswered from the Chinese side.

    Crucially, Beijing has suspended climate change cooperation with Washington. The world’s largest carbon emitters are not talking.

    Tensions have certainly increased following Ms. Pelosi’s visit, but Mr. Xi’s government seems to like it that way – at least for now.

    A war of words

    Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Taiwan

    For the last few days, much of the attention has been on the military fireworks going on around Taiwan. But equally important are the words from Beijing that have accompanied the drills.

    China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has pointed to a small group of Taiwanese politicians whom he has labeled the “Taiwan separatist forces”.

    At the top of this list is Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. She has been singled out for special opprobrium. Minister Wang called her an “unworthy descendant of the Chinese nation” – in other words, a traitor.

    The aim is to try and separate the mass of Taiwanese people, who Beijing says are not the enemy, from the small “clique” it claims is trying to tear Taiwan away from the motherland.

    The problem for Beijing is this version of Taiwan is completely at odds with reality. Recent polls show an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese oppose any sort of unification with China, and a large and growing majority consider themselves “Taiwanese” and not “Chinese”.

    According to Wang Yi – this is because Tsai Ing-wen’s government has been going “all out to promote de-Sinicisation” and trying to create “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.

    People cross a busy street in Keelung city, Taiwan, 05 August 2022.EPA

    A majority of Taiwanese oppose unification with China, according to recent polls

    That is why we’ve heard the Chinese ambassador to France saying that after Taiwan is “reunified” with China, Taiwanese people “will need re-education”. According to him, they have been “brainwashed” into believing they are not Chinese.

    Again, this is completely at odds with reality. Taiwan is an open society where people are free to read what they want, think what they want, and vote for who they like.

    The question now is: what impact will all of this have?

    Beijing’s objective is to frighten the Taiwanese into voting against President Tsai’s party in the next election in 2024. They would like to see the more-China-friendly KMT (Kuomintang) back in power.

    China is also making direct threats to Taiwanese business leaders, many of whom have large investments in the Chinese mainland. They’re being told they need to “choose the right side”.

    Beijing has tried these sorts of tactics before, and they have not been very successful. A lot of Taiwanese businesses will be hurt by Beijing’s sanctions, particularly its fruit farmers. The tourist industry is already being hurt by China’s embargo on mainland tourists coming to Taiwan.

    But if the evidence of the last few days is anything to go by, Taiwanese attitudes towards Beijing look set to harden further.

    Source: BBC news

  • China-Taiwan- New military drill launched near Taiwan

     China’s military has stated that it will continue extensive military exercises around Taiwan after its previously planned live-fire operations were completed on Sunday.

    The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army said that it would practice sea raids and anti-submarine strikes.

    Beijing’s four days of training were in response to Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House, visiting the island.

    Taiwan has accused China of using these drills as practice for an invasion of the island.

    However, the US, along with Australia and Japan, have condemned the drills. They believe their objective is to change the current state in the Taiwan Strait thus  – the body of water between the mainland and the island.

    Washington has also condemned Beijing for breaking off cooperation with the US in a number of areas including climate change in retaliation for Ms. Pelosi’s visit.

    Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that it can claim by force, if necessary.

    But Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from China.

    Any hint of recognition of this by world leaders, however, enrages China.

    The renewed activity around Taiwan comes after Chinese maritime authorities announced that drills would also take place in other locations.

    In the Yellow Sea – located between China and the Korean peninsula – new daily military drills were due to start from Saturday until the middle of August, and include live-fire exercises.

    In addition, a month-long military operation in one area of the Bohai sea – north of the Yellow Sea – started on Saturday.

  • Taiwan: US hits out at ‘irresponsible’ China amid attack rehearsal claims

    Beijing is expected to continue military drills in the air and seas around Taiwan until Sunday
    The United States has accused Beijing of “provocative” and “irresponsible” actions after Taiwan said China rehearsed an attack on the island.

    Taiwan said it responded to the Chinese drills, now in their fourth day, by deploying aircraft and ships on Sunday.

     

    The heightened tensions follow a trip to Taiwan by a US delegation led by senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

    China views the visit as a challenge to its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, which sees itself as distinct.

    Source: BBC

  • Taiwan braces as China drills follow Pelosi visit

    China is kicking off its biggest-ever military exercises in the seas around Taiwan following US politician Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

    The live fire drills began at 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and in several areas were due to take place within 12 miles of the island.

    Taiwan said China was trying to change the status quo in the region.

    Ms. Pelosi made a brief but controversial visit to Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province.

    The drills are Beijing’s main response, although it has also blocked some trade with the island.

    The exercises are due to take place in busy waterways and will include long-range live ammunition shooting, Beijing says.

    Taiwan says it amounts to a sea and air blockade while the US said the drills were irresponsible and could spiral out of control.

    Analyst Bonnie Lin told the BBC that the Taiwanese military would react cautiously but there was still a risk of confrontation.

    “For example, if China decides to fly planes over Taiwan’s airspace, there is a chance that Taiwan might try to intercept them. And we could see a mid-air collision, we could see a lot of different scenarios playing out,” she said.

    Taiwan said it scrambled jets to warn off Chinese warplanes on Wednesday and its military fired flares to drive away unidentified aircraft over the Kinmen islands, located close to the mainland.

    Several ministries have suffered cyber-attacks in recent days, the Taiwanese government said.

    Taiwan has also asked ships to take different routes and is negotiating with Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes.

    A map showing where the drills will take place

    Japan has also expressed concern to China over the areas covered by the military drills, which it says overlaps with its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

    In response, Chinese government spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing did not accept the “so-called” Japan EEZ.

    On Wednesday, China detained a suspected Taiwanese separatist in the coastal Zhejiang province on suspicion of endangering national security, according to local media reports.

    Meanwhile, China’s Ambassador to France Lu Shaye told French TV that after “reunification” with Taiwan, Beijing would focus on “re-education”.

    China has previously used the term “re-education” to refer to its detention of mostly-Muslim minorities in its north-western Xinjiang region, where human rights groups say more than a million people have been incarcerated.

     

    These drills are unprecedented

    In the Taiwanese capital, the situation remains calm but Taiwan is being forced to reroute a huge amount of air and sea traffic around the exclusion zones declared by Beijing.

    Meanwhile a US aircraft that can track ballistic missiles in flight has taken off from Japan and is heading towards Taiwan.

    Analysts say one scenario is that China is preparing to fire ballistic missiles – to splash down in the exclusion zones, very close to Taiwan’s coast. That is what China did back in 1996, the last time tensions between Beijing and Taipei got this bad. But this time the exclusion zones are much closer to Taiwan.

    There is also concern that one of the exclusion zones is to the east of Taiwan in the Pacific ocean. Analysts say it is possible China is preparing to fly a missile over the top of Taiwan – to splash down in that zone. That would be considered a major violation of Taiwan’s airspace.

    Mrs Pelosi, the most senior US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, made the trip as part of a wider Asian tour.

    China had warned her not to travel to the island.

    Accusing the US of “violating China’s sovereignty under the guise of so-called democracy”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: “Those who play with fire will not come to a good end and those who offend China will be punished.”

    In a statement after the visit, Ms. Pelosi said China cannot “prevent world leaders or anyone from traveling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration”.

    After leaving Taiwan, Ms. Pelosi traveled to South Korea, where she met her counterpart Kim Jin-pyo. She is due to visit the Joint Security Area near the border between the two Koreas, patrolled by the US-led UN command and North Korea.

    The US walks a diplomatic tightrope with its Taiwan policy. On the one hand, it abides by the “One China” policy, which recognizes only one Chinese government, giving it formal ties with Beijing and not Taiwan.

    On the other, it maintains a “robust unofficial” relationship with the island, which includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.

    Source: bbc.com

  • China fires missiles near Taiwan after Pelosi visit

    China has fired missiles near Taiwan as part of huge military drills following a visit by senior US politician Nancy Pelosi to the island.

    Taiwan said China launched 11 ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan’s north-east and south-west coasts.

    Japan said five Chinese missiles landed in its waters as well, calling for an “immediate stop” to the exercises.

    China saw the visit, by the US house speaker Mrs Pelosi, as a challenge to its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.

    It sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under its control – by force if necessary.

    The US, for its part, does not officially recognise Taiwan, which has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950. However, Washington maintains a strong relationship with the island – which includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.

    “The exercises focus on key training sessions including joint blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, airspace control operation,” the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.

    Ms Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan on Wednesday fuelled tensions, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi describing it as “manic, irresponsible and irrational”. She is the most senior US politician to visit the island in 25 years.

    China responded by conducting an unprecedented launch of ballistic missiles and the military drills just off the Taiwanese coast.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had activated its defence systems and was monitoring the situation.

    Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs accused China of “following the example of North Korea in wilfully test-firing missiles into waters near other countries”.

    North Korea – a strong ally of China’s – has been accused of igniting tensions in the region by repeatedly launching missile tests in recent months.

    On Thursday, Japan voiced its strong protest over the Chinese missile launches.

    “We strongly condemn the act as it is a serious issue concerning Japan’s security and the safety of Japanese people,” Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said.

    China’s missile launches are causing disruption to shipping lanes and flights to and from Taiwan.

    Ships have been forced to re-route, with days-long disruptions expected to have an impact on supply chains with delays to global shipping.

    More than 50 international flights from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport have been cancelled.

    Source: BBC

  • Why Nancy Pelosi’s pink suit in Taiwan was about more than power-dressing

    Although Nancy Pelosi’s plane arrived in Taiwan at night, everything about her entrance was orchestrated  to draw attention.
    Descending onto the asphalt at Taipei Songshan Airport on Tuesday evening, the US House speaker shone out from the darkness in a pink pantsuit.
    Amid a sea of black and gray (fellow Democrat Mark Takano’s powder blue number notwithstanding), her outfit recognized that this was no time to be understated.
    Nancy Pelosi meeting with Malaysia's Parliament Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun during her recent visit to Malaysia, dressed in a pink suit.

    Nancy Pelosi meeting with Malaysia’s Parliament Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun during her recent visit to Malaysia, dressed in a pink suit. Credit: Famer Rohen/Malaysian Department of Information/Reuters
    It was not simply a case of sticking out for the cameras, however.
    Pelosi’s controversial trip to the self-governing island is, in itself, symbolic. And if her goal is to signal America’s commitment to a democracy that she described — somewhat like her suit — as “vibrant,” then wearing pink was also a form of political communication.
    There had been no mid-flight costume change. Earlier that day, she had worn the same suit with heels and string of pearls (the glamorous but unshowy accessory du jour for US politicians) to visit Malaysia’s parliament.
    This makes her decision to arrive in Taiwan wearing it no less deliberate, though. Confident, powerful but unthreatening, pink appeared to frame her presence as an act of friendship towards Taiwan, not belligerence toward China, which has accused her of “knowingly and maliciously” creating a crisis.
    What has commentators really guessing is whether Pelosi intentionally nodded to another of America’s great pantsuit aficionados: Hillary Clinton.
    In 1995, the then-first lady wore a remarkably similar outfit to the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she famously declared:
    “Women’s rights are human rights.” Like Pelosi’s trip, Clinton’s speech was somewhat controversial. During her address, she detailed threats facing women globally — including in China — and made thinly veiled swipes at her host’s intolerance of dissent.
    Hillary Clinton, dressed in a pink power suit, speaks in Beijing in 1995 at the UN Fourth World Conference.

    Hillary Clinton, dressed in a pink power suit, speaks in Beijing in 1995 at the UN Fourth World Conference. Credit: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
    The moment was, unsurprisingly but ironically, censored by Beijing.
    And if Pelosi were aiming to evoke a historical memory, then that of Clinton openly criticizing the China on mainland soil would certainly be a subtly provocative one.
    Why so many women wore white to the State of the Union address
    We will likely never know. As with many female leaders, Pelosi rarely entertains questions about her style choices.
    But there is little doubt that the House speaker appreciates — and regularly harnesses — the power of clothing, from coordinated facemasks and “power scarves” to the suffragette-white she and others wore to protest then-President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020.
    Along with numerous Democrat congresswomen, Pelosi also wore white to Trump’s joint address to Congress in 2017, while her red Max Mara “Fire Coat” spoke volumes ahead of her infamous showdown with the former president a year later.
    There was the hot pink suit she wore on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the one she sported (with pink pumps) for the House committee chairs’ latest official photo and the fuchsia dress she chose for the 116th Congress’ swearing-in, which featured a record-breaking 127 women. She can even be seen wearing a pink blazer in her official Twitter profile picture.
    Hillary Clinton wearing a rose-hued outfit in 1995, during an exhibition opening at the White House.

    Hillary Clinton wearing a rose-hued outfit in 1995, during an exhibition opening at the White House. Credit: Joyce Naltchayan/AFP/Getty Images
    In each case, the shade exuded feminine power.
    Just as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez applied red lipstick like “war paint” and Kamala Harris wore all-white for her acceptance speech as America’s first female vice president, Pelosi treats her choice of outfit as another string to her political bow.
    Why Kamala Harris’ white suit speaks volumes
    One can read too much into politicians’ wardrobes. Indeed, it may have been no more than a coincidence that Tsai Chi-chang, deputy speaker of Taiwan’s legislature, appeared to respond to Pelosi’s suit by wearing a pink tie to meet her on Wednesday morning.
    But clothes carry symbolism — and if the roars of approval on social media are anything to go by, the message behind Pelosi’s pink suit was heard in Taipei, Beijing and beyond.

  • Nobody would be prevented by China from coming to Taiwan -Nancy Pelosi

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday, August 2 2022 said China will not “stand in the way” of people visiting Taiwan. She  was speaking at a joint conference in Taipei with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen

    “I just hope that it’s really clear that while China has stood in the way of Taiwan participating and going to certain meetings, that they understand that they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan,”.

    Pelosi said the US congressional delegation’s visit to the self-ruled democratic island was a “show of friendship and support,” but also a source of learning and collaboration, after referencing previous trips made by US legislators.

    Pelosi reiterated the US’ support for Taiwan, again saying they had come to send an “unequivocal message—America stands with Taiwan.”

    “We have to show the world, and that is one of the purposes of our trip, the success of the people of Taiwan,” Pelosi said, pointing to the courage of the Taiwanese people to uphold democracy.

    “We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security, and we’re not backing away from that,” Pelosi said.

     

  • Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan: military drills invades Taiwan’s territory

    Beijing’s actions are perceived as a direct retaliation to the US House speaker’s visit to Taiwan when he complimented the self-governing island for having “one of the freest societies in the world.”

    According to the defense ministry, Chinese military drills staged close to Taiwan constitute a blockade of the island’s air and seaspace and have invaded its territory.

    The exercises by the Chinese navy and air force are seen as a direct response to the visit to Taiwan of top US politician Nancy Pelosi, the most senior American politician to visit in 25 years.

    The Taiwan Defense Ministry said China had broken UN rules and it would counter any incursions into its territory.

    It said the live-fire exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan were “endangering international shipping lanes, challenging the international order, undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and endangering the area”.

    And it accused Beijing of using psychological warfare, urging people to report “fake news” to the authorities.

    Ms. Pelosi had earlier praised Taiwan for being “one of the freest societies in the world” as she addressed the self-ruled island’s parliament during the visit that infuriated Beijing.

    Ms. Pelosi also met with Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, in the capital of Taipei on Wednesday.

    Ms. Tsai thanked Ms. Pelosi for her concrete actions to support Taiwan and said the island will not back down in the face of heightened military threats.

    The Taiwanese leader also told Ms. Pelosi she is one of the island’s most devoted friends and thanked her for her unwavering support on the international stage.

    Ms. Tsai added that Taiwan is a reliable partner of the United States and will continue to work with them to strengthen collaboration in security, economic development, and supply chains.

    The US House speaker’s unannounced visit to Taiwan has attracted fierce criticism from China and prompted Beijing to summon the US ambassador.

    Ms. Pelosi arrived in Taipei late on Tuesday on an unannounced but closely watched trip, saying that it shows unwavering US commitment to the island that Beijing says is part of China.

    “We commend Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world,” Ms. Pelosi told Taiwan’s parliament.

    She also said new US legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry to compete with China “offers greater opportunity for US-Taiwan economic cooperation”.

    A long-time China critic, especially on human rights, Ms. Pelosi is reportedly set to meet with a former Tiananmen Square activist, a Hong Kong bookseller who had been detained by China, and a Taiwanese activist recently released by China.

    While Ms. Pelosi is not the first house speaker to go to Taiwan – Newt Gingrich visited in 1997 – her visit comes as relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated sharply and with China a much more powerful economic, military, and geopolitical force than it was a quarter of a century ago.

    China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.

    The United States has warned China against using Ms. Pelosi’s visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

    Early on Wednesday, China’s customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white-striped hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan.

    On Tuesday, Beijing’s ambassador to London, one of his country’s most senior diplomats, warned the United States it is performing a “highly dangerous trick” over Taiwan and “those playing with fire will get burned”.

    Zheng Zeguang made the comments in a news conference, hastily convened, to respond to the arrival of Ms. Pelosi in Taiwan in defiance of Chinese demands to stay away.

    He said the visit “seriously violated” a long-standing “one China” principle that means democratically-governed Taiwan must not be treated by the United States as an independent authority.

    Mr. Zheng also had a warning for the UK not to “dance to the tune” of the United States.

    Source: skynews.com

  • US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan amid threats of Chinese retaliation

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, marking a significant show of support for Taiwan despite China’s threats of retaliation over the visit.

    Pelosi’s stop in Taipei is the first time that a US House speaker has visited Taiwan in 25 years. Her trip comes at a low point in US-China relations and despite warnings from the Biden administration against a stop in Taiwan. A Taiwanese official told CNN that Pelosi is expected to stay in Taipei overnight.

    Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit “honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”

    “Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the House speaker’s statement said. “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”

    The House speaker wrote an op-ed that was published in The Washington Post after she landed Tuesday, arguing that her trip demonstrated the US commitment to Taiwan under threat from China. “In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom,” Pelosi wrote.

    Pelosi is traveling with House Foreign Affairs Chairman Gregory Meeks of New York, Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano of California, and Reps. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, and Andy Kim of New Jersey.

    Pelosi’s stop in Taiwan was not listed on the itinerary of her congressional visit to Asia, but the stop had been discussed for weeks in the lead-up to her trip. The potential stop prompted warnings from China as well as the Biden administration, which briefed the speaker about the risks of visiting the democratic, self-governing island, which China claims as part of its territory.

    On Monday, China warned against the “egregious political impact” of Pelosi’s visit, saying that the Chinese military “won’t sit by idly” if Beijing believes its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” is being threatened.

    China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement after Pelosi landed, charging that her visit “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

    “It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence,’” the foreign ministry said. “China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States.”

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the decision to visit Taiwan was the speaker’s, noting there was a past precedent of members of Congress — including previous House speakers — visiting. “Congress is an independent, coequal branch of government,” Blinken said in remarks at the United Nations. “The decision is entirely the speaker’s.”

    White House officials also warned Beijing on Monday not to take any escalating actions in response to Pelosi’s trip.

    “There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit, consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” National Security Council Strategic Coordinator for Communications John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

    US President Joe Biden has said publicly that the US military did not believe it was a good time for Pelosi to visit Taiwan, but he stopped short of telling her directly not to go, two sources previously told CNN.

    The issue of Taiwan remains among the most contentious in US-China relations. Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, discussed it at length during a phone call last week that lasted more than two hours.

    Administration officials are concerned that Pelosi’s trip comes at a particularly tense moment, as Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress. Chinese party officials are expected to begin laying the groundwork for that conference in the coming weeks, putting pressure on the leadership in Beijing to show strength.

    While Biden has not endorsed Pelosi’s visit, US officials believe Chinese leadership may be conflating the House speaker’s trip with an official administration visit, and they’re concerned that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden, much, if at all, since both are Democrats.

    Pelosi has long been a China hawk in Congress. She’s previously met with pro-democracy dissidents and the Dalai Lama — the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who remains a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. She also helped display a black-and-white banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square two years after the 1989 massacre, and in recent years she’s voiced support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

    This story is breaking and will be updated.

    Source : bbc.com

  • Young people in Taiwan are learning to fight, see why

    Friends who know I am in Taiwan have been sending me increasingly alarming messages – “I hope you have your flak jacket with you!” “Does your hotel have a bomb shelter?”

    They’ve seen the fire-breathing rhetoric coming from Chinese state media, most notably the Global Times, and have concluded that Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan could end very badly.

    Indeed some very eminent US-based China scholars have said the same, calling the visit “reckless” and warning against “pushing Beijing into a corner”.

    That’s not how it’s viewed here.

    Freddy Lim is a one-time heavy metal singer, and now a ruling party MP. These days Freddy sports a short haircut and a smart shirt, but tattoos still peek out from beneath his neatly pressed cuffs.

    “There is a basic principle that we welcome high-level politicians like Nancy Pelosi coming to Taiwan. It’s very important. It is not a provocation against China. It is welcoming a friend in a normal way, just like any other country,” he told the BBC.

    This is something all the main political parties in Taiwan agree on.

    Charles Chen is an MP for the opposition KMT (Kuomintang) party and a former presidential spokesman.

    “I think this time if Speaker Pelosi can come to Taiwan, it will be a crucial time for the United States to show support to Taiwan, to Taiwan’s democracy,” he said.

    From Taiwan’s point of view, the arrival here of the third most powerful politician in the US carries huge symbolic significance. It also serves to normalize such high-level visits, which Taiwan would like to see a lot more of (the last one was 25 years ago).

    Taiwan military drillHANDOUT

    Taiwan showed off its firepower last week – but it has fallen behind China

    But by itself, Nancy Pelosi’s visit does not change the fundamental calculus – that Taiwan’s status as a free and democratic society is in jeopardy.

    There is a growing realization that China’s threats to “reunifying the island, by force if necessary” are real, and that China now vastly outmatches Taiwan in military capability.

    Last week Taiwan showed off its military power in a five-day extravaganza of live fire drills and air and naval maneuvers called Han Kuang 38.

    To the casual observer, it was an impressive show of modern military might. To specialists, it showed just how far Taiwan has fallen behind China.

    Its tanks, artillery, and fighter jets are old, its navy ships lack the most modern radar and missile systems and it has no modern submarines.

    There’s little doubt that in a head-to-head fight, China would win. But what would trigger a Chinese attack? For Beijing, the red line has traditionally been a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan.

    Mr. Chen says the current government of President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been getting dangerously close to that.

    “The condition for Beijing to attack Taiwan may be that it believes Taiwan is going independent and there’s no way to draw back,” he says.

    “So, if in the next presidential election the DPP candidate wins again, then maybe Beijing will make a decision to make an early attack on Taiwan to prevent it from going independent.”

    That is a rather self-serving argument from a party that is desperate to get back into power. But it does illustrate the deep dividing line in Taiwan politics.

    On one side is the KMT, which wants to assure Beijing that Taiwan will not change the status quo. On the other are those like Freddy Lim, who believe placating China has failed and that the only answer is for Taiwan to have a stronger defense.

    “We have tried to appease China for decades. And it just proves we cannot appease them,” he says.

    taiwan air defence drillEPA

    Taiwanese run for bomb shelters in an air defense drill earlier this month

    “After the Ukraine war, the polls clearly show that Taiwanese people support having a stronger defense… Especially the younger generation shows a strong will to defend our own country.”

    Mr. Lim is right that the Ukraine war has had a big impact here.

    Last weekend at a disused factory building half an hour outside Taipei, I watched around 30 young men and women learning basic gun skills. The weapons are powered by compressed air, but otherwise are identical to the real thing. The training company is run by Max Chiang.

    “Since February the numbers joining has jumped by 50% and the number of women joining is now 40-50% of some classes,” he tells me.

    “People have begun to realize the reality that a stronger country could invade a smaller neighboring country. They’ve seen what happened in Ukraine and it shows what could happen here.”

    Max Chiang

    Defense trainer Max Chiang says sign-ups to his class have jumped by 50%

    In a building next door, a more advanced group is going through street fighting scenarios. This group is in full camouflage, with body armor, helmets, and radio communications gear.

    At a table loading her gun is Lisa Hsueh.

    “If our tensions with China lead to war, I’ll stand up to protect myself and my family. That is the reason that I learned to use a gun,” she says.

    “Women like me don’t go fight at the front line. But if a war breaks out, we will be able to protect ourselves in our homes.”

    I ask her why she believes it was important to be ready to fight for Taiwan.

    “I cherish our freedom. We live in a democratic country. So, these are our basic rights. And we must uphold these values,” she answers.

    “China is a country without democratic rights. So I feel blessed to have grown up in Taiwan.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nancy Pelosi: Amid escalating tensions , US House Speaker set to arrive in Taiwan

    Ms. Pelosi’s flight to Malaysia on a US air force plane has left Kuala Lumpur. The US Navy has simultaneously deployed four warships east of Taiwan, albeit it is unknown if Ms. Pelosi is on that aircraft.

    Even though there has been no official announcement, local media in Taiwan has reported that Ms. Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Tuesday.

    The US airforce jet that Ms. Pelosi flew on to Malaysia has taken off from Kuala Lumpur – it is unclear if Ms. Pelosi is on the plane, but the US Navy has simultaneously deployed four warships east of Taiwan.

    A US official called these “routine deployments”.

    Prior to her arrival, China‘s foreign ministry confirmed there had been communication with the US, adding it wanted to be “clear about the gravity and sensitivity of this matter”.

    Ms. Pelosi began a tour of four Asian countries on Monday, starting in Singapore. She arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday for the second leg, where she met lower house Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun in parliament and then Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

    Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be annexed by force if necessary, has warned of repercussions, saying its military will “never sit idly by” if Ms. Pelosi pushes ahead with the visit.

    The country views Taiwan as a part of its own territory and interprets diplomatic exchanges with the US as a call to formalize its long-standing de facto independence.

    The visit would make her the highest-ranking elected US official to visit in more than 25 years.

    On Monday, the White House hit back at Beijing’s rhetoric, and said the US has no interest in deepening tensions with China and “will not take the bait or engage in saber-rattling”.

  • Nancy Pelosi begins Asia tour, with no mention of Taiwan

    The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is beginning a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her office says – with no mention of a possible visit to Taiwan.

    There has been intense speculation that she may visit the self-ruled island.

    Taiwan is claimed by China – which has warned of “serious consequences” if she goes there.

    No high-ranking US elected official has visited Taiwan in 25 years.

    Ms Pelosi, a California Democrat, tweeted that the six-person Congressional delegation tour would seek to “reaffirm America’s unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region”.

    Her office said the tour was to the “Indo-Pacific region” – “including” visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

    China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this in the future.

    Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. There was a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.

    The US has formal diplomatic ties with China, and not Taiwan.

    Ms Pelosi has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

    Her original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but she postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19.

    Earlier this month she said it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.

    President Joe Biden has said the US military believes a Pelosi visit to Taiwan is “not a good idea right now”.

    The statement from her office on Sunday said the tour would “focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region”.

    Their talks will also cover trade, the climate crisis and human rights.

    The delegates accompanying Ms Pelosi are leading members of the House of Representatives: Gregory Meeks, Mark Takano, Suzan DelBene, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Andy Kim.

    The last House Speaker to visit Taiwan was Republican Newt Gingrich, in 1997.

     

    Source: BBC

  • Biden speaks with China’s Xi as tension grows over Taiwan

    President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a lengthy and candid discussion about Taiwan on Thursday as tensions mount between Washington and Beijing, despite Biden’s one-time hope of stabilizing the world’s most important country-to-country relationship.

    The two leaders did agree to begin arrangements for a face-to-face summit, their first as Xi resists travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic. And certain areas of cooperation, including climate change, were hashed out.
    But the Taiwan issue proved among the most contentious. The issue has emerged as a serious point of conflict, as US officials fear a more imminent Chinese move on the self-governing island and as a potential visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prompts warnings from Beijing and a concerted effort by the Biden administration to prevent tensions from spiraling out of control.
    The matter was discussed at length in the two-hour-and-17-minute phone call Thursday. Xi offered an ominous warning to Biden, according to China’s version of events.
    “Public opinion shall not be violated, and if you play with fire you get burned. I hope the US side can see this clearly,” he told Biden, according to China’s state news agency.
    The White House’s account of the call was less specific.
    “On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” a US readout read.
    A senior US administration official called the Taiwan discussion “direct and honest” but downplayed Xi’s warning, suggesting it was standard for the Chinese leader to warn about the risks of “playing with fire.”
    The phone call was Biden and Xi’s fifth conversation since February 2021. Ahead of time, US officials said a range of topics — from the tensions surrounding Taiwan to economic competition to the war in Ukraine — were likely to arise.
    But hopes for substantially improving ties with Beijing were low. Instead, Biden’s aides hope maintaining a personal connection with Xi can, at most, avoid a miscalculation that might lead to confrontation.
    “This is the kind of relationship-tending that President Biden believes strongly in doing, even with nations with which you might have significant differences,” communications coordinator for the National Security Council John Kirby said this week.
    As Thursday’s call was concluding, the two leaders made note of how much work they had created for their teams, including arranging the possible in-person meeting. They have yet to meet face-to-face as presidential counterparts.
    An opportunity for a summit could arise in November, when a series of summits will occur in Asia — including the Group of 20 in Bali, Indonesia, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Bangkok, Thailand. People familiar with the matter said US officials are looking to arrange such a meeting on the margins of one of the summits.
    Planning for Biden’s phone call with Xi predated the furor over Pelosi’s proposed visit to Taipei. Neither side revealed whether Pelosi’s plans were discussed specifically.
    Biden is also currently weighing whether to lift some Trump-era tariffs on China in a bid to ease inflation, though White House officials said he hadn’t yet made up his mind and suggested ahead of time the topic wouldn’t factor heavily into his conversation with Xi.
    Instead, it is China’s escalating aggression in the region — including over Taiwan and the South China Sea — at the center of the current tensions. US officials fear without open lines of communication, misunderstandings could spiral into unintended conflict.
    That includes how Beijing responds to Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan.
    US and China are on a knife’s edge over Taiwan ahead of the Xi-Biden phone call.
    Administration officials have been working quietly over the past week to convince the House speaker of the risks inherent in visiting the self-governing island.
    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday he’d spoken to Pelosi to provide his “assessment of the security situation.”
    Pelosi has not made any announcements about her plans for a trip, which haven’t been finalized.
    “I never talk about my travel. It’s a danger to me,” she said Wednesday.
    Yet even unofficial word that the third-in-line to the US presidency was considering a visit to Taiwan prompted an outsized response from Beijing, which considers visits by top-ranking American officials a sign of diplomatic relations with the island.
    “If the US insists on taking its own course, the Chinese military will never sit idly by, and it will definitely take strong actions to thwart any external force’s interference and separatist’s schemes for ‘Taiwan independence,’ and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ministry of Defense Spokesperson Tan Kefei said Tuesday in response to questions over Pelosi’s reported trip to Taipei.
    The White House called those comments “unnecessary” and “unhelpful,” saying the rhetoric only served to escalate tensions “in a completely unnecessary manner.”
    They also revealed what US officials have said is a misunderstanding by Chinese officials over the significance of Pelosi’s potential visit. The officials said China may be confusing Pelosi’s visit with an official administration visit since both she and Biden are Democrats. Administration officials are concerned that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden much, if at all.
    That adds pressure to Biden’s call with Xi. Officials were circumspect about whether Pelosi’s visit would arise, or how much it would factor into the conversation.
    But China’s apparent confusion over the differences between the White House and Congress could inject a level of personal animus into the talks.
    Administration officials’ concerns over Pelosi’s trip are rooted partly in its timing. It would come at a particularly tense moment, with the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress during which Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term putting pressure on the leadership in Beijing to show strength.
    Chinese party officials are expected to begin laying the groundwork for that conference in the coming weeks.
    With China recently reporting its worst economic performance in two years, Xi finds himself in a politically sensitive situation ahead of the important meeting.
    Biden and Xi spent many hours in each other’s company when each was his country’s vice president, traveling across China and the United States to form a bond.
    Biden last spoke to Xi in March, when he worked to convince the Chinese leader not to support Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. Officials have been watching closely how Beijing responds to the invasion, hoping the mostly united western response — including a withering set of economic sanctions and billions of dollars in arms shipments — proves to illuminate as China considers its actions toward Taiwan.
    US officials believe there’s a small risk China would miscalculate in responding to a potential Pelosi visit.
    Biden administration officials are concerned that China could seek to declare a no-fly zone over Taiwan ahead of a possible visit as an effort to upend the trip, potentially raising tensions even further in the region, a US official told CNN.
    That remains a remote possibility, officials said. More likely, they say, is the possibility China steps up flights further into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense zone, which could trigger renewed discussions about possible responses from Taiwan and the US, the US official added. They did not detail what those possible responses would entail.
    Source: cnn.com

  • Pelosi Taiwan visit: Beijing vows consequences if US politician travels to island

    US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rumored plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this?

    China has warned of “serious consequences” if Mrs. Pelosi were to proceed with her visit.

    Second, in line for the presidency, Mrs. Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US politician to travel to the island since 1997.

    This rankles China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.

    Even the Biden administration has reportedly tried to dissuade the California Democrat from going.

    Last week, President Joe Biden told reporters “the military thinks it’s not a good idea”, but his White House has called Chinese rhetoric against any such trip “clearly unhelpful and not necessary”.

    The state department says Mrs. Pelosi has not announced any travel and the US approach to Taiwan remains unchanged.

    While the US maintains what it calls a “robust, unofficial relationship” with Taiwan, it has formal diplomatic ties with China and not Taiwan.

    Ms. Pelosi’s trip, if it were to happen, also comes amid increased tensions between Washington and Beijing – and ahead of a much-anticipated phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    Why would Pelosi want to visit Taiwan?

    There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress.

    And over a congressional career spanning 35 years, Speaker Pelosi has been a vocal critic of China.

    • Are the US and China heading to war over Taiwan?
    • The US watching China very closely on Taiwan – General

    She has denounced its human rights record, met with pro-democracy dissidents, and also visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

    Mrs. Pelosi’s original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but it was postponed after she tested positive for Covid-19.

    She has declined to discuss details of the trip, but said last week that it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.

    Why does China oppose the visit?

    Beijing views Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly raised the specter of annexing it by force if necessary.

    • What’s behind the China-Taiwan divide?
    • China and Taiwan: A really simple guide

    Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. This includes a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.

    On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned his country would take “firm and resolute measures” if Mrs. Pelosi went ahead with her visit.

    “And the US will be responsible for all of the serious consequences,” he said.

    A spokesman of the Chinese ministry of defense seemed to suggest there could even be a military response.

    “If the US side insists on going ahead, the Chinese military will never sit idle and will take strong measures to thwart any external interference and separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan’s independence,” Colonel Tan Kefei told China Daily.

     

    Source: bbconline.com

  • China warns France against selling weapons to Taiwan

    China warned France on Wednesday not to “harm Sino-French relations” by selling arms to neighbouring Taiwan, which is planning to buy weapons as part of an upgrade to a French-made warship fleet bought 30 years ago.

    China says that Taiwan is part of “one China” and that this principle must be accepted by any country with which it has diplomatic relations. Arms sales to Taiwan are always highly sensitive and regularly prompt a strong reaction from Beijing.

    Taiwan is mostly equipped with US-made weapons, but in 1991 France sold Taiwan six Lafayette frigates, to China’s anger. France also sold Taiwan 60 Mirage fighter jets in 1992.

    Since then, China has vastly expanded its economic and military capabilities, and has grown more assertive in its efforts to thwart such sales.

    Taiwan last month said it was seeking to buy equipment from France to upgrade the ships’ missile interference system.

    Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China resolutely opposed any arms sales to Taiwan.

    “We have already expressed our serious concern to France,” he told a daily news briefing.

    “We again urge the French side to abide by the one China principle and withdraw the arms sale plan to Taiwan to avoid harming Sino-French relations,” the spokesman added.

    Focus on Covid-19, says France

    France has rejected Chinese criticism of the planned weapons deal with Taiwan, saying everyone’s focus at this time should be on fighting the coronavirus epidemic.

    “France strictly respects the contractual agreements that it formed with Taiwan and nothing has changed in its position since 1994,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to a 1994 agreement re-establishing ties with Beijing.

    “Faced with the Covid-19 crisis, all our attention and all our efforts should be focused on the fight against the pandemic,” the ministry added.

    Taiwan says it needs to upgrade its armed forces to deal with the growing threat from China, which has in recent months stepped up its military drills near the democratic, self-governing island.

    China describes Taiwan as its most sensitive and important territorial issue, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan has shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China.

    Source: france24.com

  • Social distancing takes a hit as Taiwan baseball teams brawl

    Playing to empty stadiums, Taiwan has managed to keep its baseball league running during the coronavirus pandemic — but social distancing went out of the window on Sunday when a game descended into an on-field brawl.

    The island has been held up as a model for how to battle the virus outbreak.

    Despite its close proximity and economic links with China, it has just 422 confirmed cases and six deaths.

    As a measure of its success, Taiwan has one of the few professional sports leagues in the world still operating, and a new international audience starved of games back home.

    But on Sunday night, fans following on TV watched as the Rakuten Monkeys against Fubon Guardians erupted in a bench-clearing brawl.

    The melee broke out after Fubon pitcher Henry Sosa hit in-fielder Kuo Yen-wen in the hip with an inside ball, the fourth inside pitch at Kuo.

    “There are some tempers exploding out there right now,” an English-speaking commentator said on Eleven Sports Taiwan, which has started broadcasting Rakuten Monkeys home games in English worldwide.

    “For our international viewers, you need to understand that this never really happens in the CPBL,” he added, referring to the league’s formal name.

    “It’s usually a very conservative league. They don’t even argue balls or strikes or outs very often.”

    Taiwan’s new baseball season opened last weekend — although fans are not allowed into the stands in a bid to keep infections down.

    Rakuten made headlines after they unveiled a troupe of robots to bang drums and mannequins to stand it for real fans.

    Eleven Sports Taiwan said it had close to a million views during two games live-streamed with English commentary last week.

    Many other sports leagues have tough decisions to make on whether and when to let new seasons begin during the ongoing pandemic.

    Pro baseball leagues in South Korea and Japan are targeting starts in May and June respectively after delays.

    But the US Major League Baseball (MLB) may cancel the 2020 season altogether as America’s coronavirus deaths soar past 40,000.

    Source: France24

  • Coronavirus: WHO chief and Taiwan in row over ‘racist’ comments

    A row has erupted after the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) accused Taiwan’s leaders of spearheading personal attacks on him.

    WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had been subjected to racist comments and death threats for months.

    But President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan opposed any form of discrimination and invited Dr Tedros to visit the island.

    Taiwan said it had been denied access to vital information as the coronavirus spread. The WHO rejects this.

    Taiwan is excluded from the WHO, the United Nations health agency, because of China’s objections to its membership.

    The Chinese Communist Party regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and claims the right to take it by force if necessary.

    The WHO has also been criticised by US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to withdraw US funding to the agency.

    What is being said? Dr Tedros said he had been at the receiving end of racist comments for the past two to three months.

    “Giving me names, black or negro,” he said. “I’m proud of being black, or proud of being negro.”

    He then said he had received death threats, adding: “I don’t give a damn.”

    The WHO chief said the abuse had originated from Taiwan, “and the foreign ministry didn’t disassociate” itself from it.

    But Ms Tsai said Taiwan was opposed to discrimination.

    “For years, we have been excluded from international organisations, and we know better than anyone else what it feels like to be discriminated against and isolated,” Reuters news agency quoted her as saying.

    “If Director-General Tedros could withstand pressure from China and come to Taiwan to see Taiwan’s efforts to fight Covid-19 for himself, he would be able to see that the Taiwanese people are the true victims of unfair treatment.”

    Taiwan foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said the comments were “irresponsible” and the accusations “imaginary”. The ministry said it was seeking an apology for “slander”, AFP news agency reported.

    Correspondents say Taiwan has been proud of its measures to contain the virus, with just 380 cases and five deaths so far.

    Last month, the WHO said it was monitoring the progress of the virus in Taiwan and learning lessons from its efforts.

    What about the row with the US?

    The UN agency has come under continued fire from Mr Trump, who accuses the WHO of being “very China-centric” and has threatened to end funding.

    Speaking on Wednesday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the WHO’s work and called for an end to the politicization of Covid-19.

    The disease first emerged last December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has just ended an 11-week lockdown. An advisor to the WHO chief earlier said their close work with China had been “absolutely essential” in understanding the disease in its early stages.

    Mr Trump’s attacks on the WHO come in the context of criticism of his own administration’s handling of the pandemic, especially early problems with US testing.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Taiwan demands apology from WHO chief over coronavirus ‘slander’

    Taiwan demanded an apology from the World Health Organization chief on Thursday after he accused the island’s government of leading personal attacks against him and his agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity to fight the disease on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump criticised the global health body and threatened to cut its funding.

    During the press conference he spoke of the abuse — including racial slurs — he had been subjected to since the public health crisis began.

    Tedros largely avoided mentioning Trump by name but he did single out the government in Taipei, which has been frozen out of the WHO after political pressure from Beijing.

    “Three months ago, this attack came from Taiwan,” he told reporters in Geneva.

    “They didn’t disassociate themselves. They even started criticising me in the middle of all that insult and slur, but I didn’t care,” Tedros said.

    The comments sparked anger in Taiwan, which described Tedros’ comments as “baseless”.

    “Our country has never encouraged the public to launch personal attacks against him or made any racially discriminatory comments,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters on Thursday.

    “Our government demands an immediate clarification and an apology from director-general Tedros over such extremely irresponsible act of slander,” she added.

    – Worsening relations –

    Relations between the WHO and Taiwan have worsened considerably since the pandemic began, even as health experts have lauded Taiwan for its response to the virus.

    It has just 379 confirmed COVID-19 patients and five deaths despite its close proximity and trade links with China, where the pandemic began.

    Taiwan used to be able to obtain observer status at the WHO’s annual assembly.

    But diplomatic pressure from Beijing in recent years has pushed Taiwan out of major international bodies including the WHO and ICAO — the UN’s aviation agency.

    China’s Communist Party regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to one day seize the island — by force if necessary.

    Beijing’s efforts to isolate the island have ramped up since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 because does not view the island as part of a “one China”.

    Critics of Tedros have accused the WHO under his leadership of being too close to Beijing and complimentary of China’s response to the coronavirus.

    In a tweet threatening to cut funding, Trump called the organisation “very China centric”.

    Tedros has denied being partisan or holding any geopolitical bias.

    “Please quarantine COVID politics. That’s what we want. We don’t care about personal attacks,” he said.

    Source:France24

  • Taiwan demands apology from WHO chief over virus ‘slander’

    Taiwan demanded an apology from the World Health Organization chief on Thursday after he accused the island’s government of leading personal attacks against him and his agency’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

    WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity to fight the disease on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump criticised the global health body and threatened to cut its funding.

    During the press conference he spoke of the abuse — including racial slurs — he had been subjected to since the public health crisis began.

    Tedros largely avoided mentioning Trump by name but he did single out the government in Taipei, which has been frozen out of the WHO after political pressure from Beijing.

    “Three months ago, this attack came from Taiwan,” he told reporters in Geneva.

    “They didn’t disassociate themselves. They even started criticising me in the middle of all that insult and slur, but I didn’t care,” Tedros said.

    The comments sparked anger in Taiwan, which described Tedros’ comments as “baseless”.

    “Our country has never encouraged the public to launch personal attacks against him or made any racially discriminatory comments,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters on Thursday.

    “Our government demands an immediate clarification and an apology from director-general Tedros over such extremely irresponsible act of slander,” she added.

    – Worsening relations –

    Relations between the WHO and Taiwan have worsened considerably since the pandemic began, even as health experts have lauded Taiwan for its response to the virus.

    It has just 379 confirmed COVID-19 patients and five deaths despite its close proximity and trade links with China, where the pandemic began.

    Taiwan used to be able to obtain observer status at the WHO’s annual assembly.

    But diplomatic pressure from Beijing in recent years has pushed Taiwan out of major international bodies including the WHO and ICAO — the UN’s aviation agency.

    China’s Communist Party regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to one day seize the island — by force if necessary.

    Beijing’s efforts to isolate the island have ramped up since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 because does not view the island as part of a “one China”.

    Critics of Tedros have accused the WHO under his leadership of being too close to Beijing and complimentary of China’s response to the coronavirus.

    In a tweet threatening to cut funding, Trump called the organisation “very China centric”.

    Tedros has denied being partisan or holding any geopolitical bias.

    “Please quarantine COVID politics. That’s what we want. We don’t care about personal attacks,” he said.

    Source: AFP

  • Taiwan students fight virus with Lego disinfectant dispenser

    Students at an elementary school in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung have found their own unique way to fight the coronavirus and stay ahead of the curve in epidemic prevention – an automated disinfectant dispenser built from Lego.

    Children ranging from six to 12 years old use every school break and any chance they can get to line up to use their self-built alcohol disinfectant robot that some of their peers have assembled under the guidance of their robotics coach.

    “Washing hands is super,” shouts a recorded voice after the dispenser senses a pair of hands in front of its ultrasonic sensor and dispenses alcohol disinfectant from a spray bottle by pulling back its handle with a motor and gearwheel mechanism.

    Next to the robot, there are scenes crafted by the younger students showing various situations that require the washing of hands: an operating table in a hospital, a toilet and a flower garden.

    One year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, teachers at the Linyuan Elementary School decided the students should learn about the basic principals of robotics.

    The school is situated in an industrial area, dominated by the petrochemical sector.

    Teachers wanted to teach the children to be able to solve problems in their hometown in the future – such as fire, air pollution and gas explosions.

    Since then, the school has represented Taiwan in many international competitions abroad and won several prizes with its robotics club.

    While Taiwan has only recorded 45 cases of the coronavirus, compared with more than 80,000 on the other side of the Taiwan Strait in China, the island is on high alert to prevent further infections.

    Source: reuters.com