Taiwan

February 17, 2025 1:02 PM

US says website update routine, after removal of reference to Taiwan independence

The U.S. State Department said it has made a routine update to the Taiwan section of its website, after the removal of previous wording saying it did not support Taiwan's formal independence, among other changes that cheered the government in Taipei. The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own. But as well as dropping the phrase "we do not support T...

February 3, 2025 3:57 PM

Taiwan bans government departments from using DeepSeek AI

Taiwan on Monday banned government departments from using Chinese startup DeepSeek's artificial intelligence (AI) service as it was a security risk, toughening language from last week which said it should not be used. Democratically governed Taiwan has long been wary of Chinese technology given Beijing's sovereignty claims over the island and its military and political threats against the government in Taipei. During a cabinet meeting, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said DeepSeek was banned from ...

January 1, 2025 9:03 AM

No one can ever stop China’s reunification: President Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined that no one could prevent China's 'reunification' with Taiwan, and affirmed that China will continue its "united front" efforts. In his New Year's message on Tuesday, Xi also highlighted China's aim to strengthen international cooperation, promote mutual understanding, and build a community with a shared future for humanity. Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said in a post on X, "On New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered hi...

December 4, 2024 3:22 PM

“Be rational, have self-constraint”: Taiwan tells China to respect diplomatic norms

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly criticized China's interference in international diplomacy, calling Beijing's repeated objections to Taiwan's legitimate interactions with other democratic nations "regrettable" and provocative. The statement comes in the wake of Chinese disapproval of a recent phone call between Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and US Representative Nancy Pelosi, as well as a US decision to sell $387 million worth of arms to Taiwan. In a bold response, Taiwan ur...

October 29, 2024 11:11 AM

What is ‘Taiwan independence’ and is Taiwan already independent?

Chinese President Xi Jinping asked U.S. President Joe Biden last year to toughen the language the United States uses when discussing its position on Taiwanese independence, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the private conversation. Below are some questions and answers about what is meant by the term "Taiwan independence": WHAT IS TAIWAN'S HISTORY AND FORMAL NAME TODAY? Formerly known as Formosa, the island has been home to indigenous people for thousands of years, before the Dutc...

October 14, 2024 2:33 PM

China launches war games around Taiwan, drawing anger in Taipei, concern from Washington

China's military launched a new round of war games near Taiwan on Monday, saying it was a warning to the "separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces", drawing condemnation from the Taipei and U.S. governments. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, had been on alert for more war games since last week's national day speech by President Lai Ching-te. Lai's address was condemned by Beijing after he said China had no right to represent Taiwan even as he offered...

October 4, 2024 12:24 PM

Taiwan re-opens, mopping up after Typhoon Krathon

Southern Taiwan worked on Friday to clear up damage from flooding and high winds after Typhoon Krathon slammed into a major port city, while most of the rest of the island resumed work and financial markets re-opened. Krathon, now downgraded to a tropical depression, hit land in the southwestern city of Kaohsiung, inundating streets, blowing out the windows of some buildings and scattering debris amid record-breaking winds. While the rest of Taiwan resumed work, the governments in Kaohsiung an...

October 3, 2024 12:45 PM

Weakened but still strong Typhoon Krathon slams into Taiwan, two dead

A weakened Typhoon Krathon slammed into southwestern Taiwan on Thursday (October 3), hitting the island with a storm that has killed two people so far and forced it to shut down a second day with hundreds of flights grounded and financial markets closed. Krathon made landfall as a much weaker category 1 typhoon around midday at the major port city Kaohsiung. The government, though, still warned people to stay at home given torrential rain, strong winds and storm surges coinciding with...

September 23, 2024 7:25 PM

Taiwan’s allies urge UN to include Taiwan in global body

Permanent representatives from nine of Taiwan's diplomatic allies have written a joint letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, advocating for Taiwan's inclusion in the UN, according to the Central News Agency (CNA). The letter, signed by representatives from Belize, Eswatini, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and Tuvalu, calls on the UN to address what the allies describe as "malicious distort...

September 20, 2024 9:52 AM

Components for pagers used in Lebanon blasts are not from Taiwan, minister says

Components used in thousands of pagers that detonated on Tuesday in Lebanon were not made in Taiwan, Taiwan's economy minister said on Friday. Taiwan-based Gold Apollo said this week it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack, and that they were made by a Budapest-based company BAC which has a license to use its brand. "The components are low-end IC (integrated circuits) and batteries," Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters. When he was pressed on whether the parts in the pa...