Taiwan

May 14, 2024 4:07 PM

U.S. and Taiwan navies quietly held Pacific drills in April, sources say

The U.S. and Taiwan navies conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April that, officially, did not take place, four people briefed on the matter said, as the two militaries boost cooperation amid rising Chinese military threats. Washington and Taipei have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years amid almost daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone and drills by Chinese forces near the island. U.S.-Taiwan military engagement, including visits and ...

April 25, 2024 10:39 AM

China should have confidence to talk to us, Taiwan’s president-elect says

China should have the confidence to talk to Taiwan's legally elected government, President-elect Lai Ching-te said on Thursday as he appointed his new national security and diplomacy team amid what he called unprecedented challenges. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island's strong objections, has ramped up military and political pressure against Taipei during the past four years as it seeks to press sovereignty claims. Lai, who won election in J...

April 24, 2024 12:59 PM

Taiwan happy with US aid package, China objects to arms sales

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday she was happy the U.S. Congress had passed a sweeping foreign aid package which includes arms support for the island, as China urged Washington to stop selling weapons to Taipei. The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly demanded arms sales stop. The Senate approved by 79 to 18 four bills passed b...

April 24, 2024 10:35 AM

U.S. Senate passes $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

A sweeping foreign aid package easily passed the U.S. Congress late on Tuesday (April 23) after months of delay, clearing the way for billions of dollars in fresh Ukraine funding amid advances from Russia's invasion force and Kyiv's shortages of military supplies. The Senate approved by 79 to 18 four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine,...

April 23, 2024 10:38 AM

Taiwan rattled by dozens of quakes, but no major damage

Taiwan's quake-hit eastern county of Hualien was rattled by dozens of aftershocks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw no impact on operations. Largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 17 people, and there have been more than 1,000 aftershocks since. Buildings across large parts of northern, eastern and western Taiwan, including in ...

April 21, 2024 12:24 PM

U.S. House passes Taiwan aid bill in bipartisan vote

A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill providing funds to the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, on Saturday (April 20). The Indo-Pacific Supplemental Appropriations Act will send $8.1 billion to Taiwan and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The act is part of a package of bills worth $95 billion in total that will send aid to key allies around the world, including Ukraine and Israel. The four-bill package also includes a measure that imposes new lim...

April 3, 2024 3:27 PM

Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years kills nine; 50 missing

Taiwan's biggest earthquake in at least 25 years killed nine people on Wednesday, injuring more than 800, while 50 went missing en route to a national park, authorities said, as rescuers used ladders to bring others to safety. Television broadcast images of buildings tilted at precarious angles in the mountainous, sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien, near the epicentre of the 7.2 magnitude quake, which struck just offshore at about 8 a. m. (0000GMT). "It was very strong. It felt as if...

April 3, 2024 8:27 AM

7.4 magnitude earthquake off Taiwan’s east coast triggers tsunami warnings in Japan

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale rocked Taiwan's eastern shores on Wednesday, as confirmed by the US Geological Survey (USGS). "Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.5 - 11 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan," said the USGS in a post on X. The tremor triggered tsunami alerts in southern Japan. The epicentre of the temblor was located in the Pacific Ocean, 25.0 kilometres south-southeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 15.5 km, according to the administration's Seismology...

April 2, 2024 10:50 AM

Taiwan reports presence of seven Chinese naval vessels and six military aircraft

Taiwan, on Tuesday, detected seven Chinese naval vessels and six military aircraft around its territory, reported Taiwan News. In an official post on 'X,' Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said, "6 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 am (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond." While two People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft bre...