https://www.scmp.com/rss/322047/feed Tsai Ing-wen is a former Taiwanese leader. She took office on May 20, 2016, after her Democratic Progressive Party won a landslide victory over the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang in the presidential election in January of the same year. She was the first woman elected leader of the self-ruled island. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Amber Wang Amber Wang The Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) appear to be in the final stages of talks to revive an inter-party forum suspended nine years ago. The three-day forum, designed to facilitate party-to-party communication and promote cross-strait exchanges, was scheduled to start in Beijing on January 27, Taiwan’s China Times newspaper reported on Friday. If it takes place, it will be the first time the event has been held since 2016, when it was suspended because of tensions between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339374/are-communist-party-and-kmt-reviving-cross-strait-political-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339374/are-communist-party-and-kmt-reviving-cross-strait-political-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:01:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma George Yeo is a visiting scholar at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He started his career in the military before entering politics in 1988. During his 23 years with the Singaporean government, Yeo held ministerial portfolios ranging from arts to health, trade and – for seven years – foreign affairs. After he left politics, Yeo was vice-chairman of Kerry Group in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2021 and chairman and executive director of its logistics arm from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337074/george-yeo-superpower-headaches-and-why-us-dollar-could-crack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337074/george-yeo-superpower-headaches-and-why-us-dollar-could-crack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:00:17 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma George Yeo was Singapore’s foreign minister for seven years, ending in 2011, after earlier holding ministerial portfolios related to technology, health and trade. Before entering politics, he served in the city state’s military. He is now a visiting scholar at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He was also vice-chairman of Kerry Group in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2021 and chairman and executive director of its logistics arm from 2012 to 2019. SCMP Plus... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336863/yeo-how-trump-wants-avoid-taiwan-upending-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336863/yeo-how-trump-wants-avoid-taiwan-upending-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:28:08 +0000 Victor Sanjinez,Jeffie Lam Victor Sanjinez,Jeffie Lam Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been found guilty on all three charges after a landmark national security trial, nearly five years after he was first denied bail following his arrest. The 78-year-old businessman turned opposition activist, who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid, was convicted on Monday of two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. The high-profile trial... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336543/jimmy-lai-trial-post-sketches-offer-public-glimpse-courtroom-moments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336543/jimmy-lai-trial-post-sketches-offer-public-glimpse-courtroom-moments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:48:31 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A landmark ruling of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s marathon trial has revealed how the former media boss used his personal ties with foreign political figures to solicit intervention before and after the national security law took effect five years ago. In an 855-page judgment handed down on Monday, three High Court judges ruled that Lai intended to tap his vast political network to trigger sanctions against Beijing and the Hong Kong government, knowing that his requests would be heeded. The 78-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336521/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-personal-ties-seek-foreign-sanctions-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336521/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-personal-ties-seek-foreign-sanctions-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:10:30 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung As rescuers raced to find people still missing after catastrophic floods in eastern Taiwan, attention shifted to responsibility and recrimination, turning the disaster zone into a partisan battleground. At least 14 people have been confirmed dead after a landslide dam on the Mataian River burst during Super Typhoon Ragasa, submerging much of Guangfu township in Hualien county and destroying homes and farms. While emergency workers waded through knee-high mud in search of the 22 people still... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326879/taiwan-political-firestorm-erupts-amid-race-find-ragasa-survivors-utterly-vile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326879/taiwan-political-firestorm-erupts-amid-race-find-ragasa-survivors-utterly-vile?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:38:44 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Beijing has criticised Japan for hosting former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, who visited Japan in a personal capacity and is not known to have met any officials. Tsai, the former Taiwanese leader from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), went on her first post-office visit to Japan from September 9 to 12. She had previously been invited to visit Japan several times but declined, according to the Sankei Shimbun, a daily newspaper. Tsai’s office said she was visiting as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326675/beijing-warns-japan-against-giving-platform-taiwan-independence-tsais-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326675/beijing-warns-japan-against-giving-platform-taiwan-independence-tsais-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:22:30 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned “smear campaigns” by foreign forces and anti-China media companies in relation to the national security law trial of former newspaper boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who is expected to return to court on Thursday. Prosecutors and defence lawyers will make their final oral arguments in his high-profile trial. The closing submissions procedure will be the Apple Daily founder’s last appearance at West Kowloon Court before the three presiding High Court... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321764/hong-kong-slams-smear-campaigns-jimmy-lai-returns-court-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321764/hong-kong-slams-smear-campaigns-jimmy-lai-returns-court-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:50:54 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang On Quemoy Island, off the coast of Fujian province, people passing the statue of Chiang Kai-shek in the main residential area of Jincheng can see an inscription in Chinese characters: “Saviour of the Nation.” In 2025, it is an oddity for Taiwanese and mainland Chinese alike. In Taiwan, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has moved to erase Chiang Kai-shek’s legacy, with some viewing Chiang as a symbol of dictatorship and authoritarian rule, while on the mainland the man once seen as an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3316253/how-taipei-controlled-island-close-mainlands-coast-shows-limits-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3316253/how-taipei-controlled-island-close-mainlands-coast-shows-limits-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 06:00:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou is set to lead a delegation to mainland China, despite repeated warnings from Taiwanese authorities. On Wednesday, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation announced that Ma, who is a former chairman of Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), would lead a student visit to mainland China from Saturday. He would conclude his trip on June 27 after attending the Straits Forum in Xiamen, a city that faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, and travelling to the northwestern... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3314044/former-taiwan-leader-ma-ying-jeou-return-mainland-china-despite-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3314044/former-taiwan-leader-ma-ying-jeou-return-mainland-china-despite-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:08:27 +0000 Amber Wang,Hayley Wong Amber Wang,Hayley Wong The risks of a cross-strait military accident are on the rise as Beijing steps up pressure on Taiwan, a former Taiwanese defence official has warned, citing the lack of direct communication channels between the two sides. Andrew Yang Nien-dzu, who served as Taiwan’s deputy defence minister for four years and briefly held the role of minister, spoke to the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security conference. Yang raised concerns over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312787/risk-military-mishap-rising-pla-steps-salami-slicing-former-taiwan-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312787/risk-military-mishap-rising-pla-steps-salami-slicing-former-taiwan-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 02:00:20 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The National Palace Museum in Taipei, home to crown jewels and royal antiques evacuated from mainland China following last century’s civil war, is the latest victim of souring ties between Taiwan and Beijing as it faces a significant drop in visitors. Museum director Hsiao Tsung-huang told media in December that for the museum’s centenary year in 2025 he had a goal of 3.5 million visitors for both the northern branch in Taipei and the southern branch in Chiayi county “whether or not cross-strait... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3308932/national-palace-museum-taiwan-struggles-tourist-numbers-amid-cross-strait-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3308932/national-palace-museum-taiwan-struggles-tourist-numbers-amid-cross-strait-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2025 06:00:29 +0000 Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has expelled a former aide to Joseph Wu – now the island’s security chief – for allegedly spying for Beijing, adding to a series of espionage cases implicating key figures within the DPP government. The decision came on Sunday after Ho Jen-chieh – a long-time DPP member and former assistant to Wu during his tenure as the island’s foreign minister from 2018 to 2024 – was detained and held incommunicado over the weekend. According to prosecutors,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3306484/former-aide-taiwans-security-chief-expelled-dpp-over-spying-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3306484/former-aide-taiwans-security-chief-expelled-dpp-over-spying-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:26:43 +0000 Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – third in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang examines the rise and fall of the Pingtan economic pilot zone that was once a major draw for Taiwanese businesses, workers and investment. In 2014, when President Xi Jinping visited a mainland Chinese plant operated by TPK Holding, a leading Taiwanese touch screen manufacturer, the company was held up as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3293369/beijings-pilot-zone-economic-integration-taiwan-running-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3293369/beijings-pilot-zone-economic-integration-taiwan-running-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 22:00:13 +0000 Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links. “In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture. But today, Chinese culture in Taiwan faces an unprecedented crisis,” Ma said at a seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3292186/former-taiwan-leader-emphasises-shared-historical-roots-island-and-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3292186/former-taiwan-leader-emphasises-shared-historical-roots-island-and-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2024 02:00:14 +0000 Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te arrived Saturday in Hawaii to begin a two-day transit in the US as part of a trip to the South Pacific, his first since assuming office. The stopover in Hawaii and one planned for the territory of Guam have drawn fierce criticism from Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China and objects to official exchanges between it and the US, the island’s biggest backer and military provider. Lai was greeted at a Honolulu hotel by supporters who cheered in Mandarin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3288841/taiwans-william-lai-arrives-hawaii-2-day-us-stop-way-south-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3288841/taiwans-william-lai-arrives-hawaii-2-day-us-stop-way-south-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Nov 2024 20:07:49 +0000 Former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit Canada on Wednesday in yet another overseas trip expected to provoke a strong reaction from Beijing. Tsai has been invited to deliver a keynote address at the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF), an annual gathering in Nova Scotia scheduled from Friday to Sunday. “[Tsai] will highlight the unwavering commitment of the Taiwanese people to safeguarding democracy and freedom and reaffirm Taiwan’s determination to collaborate with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3287267/former-taiwanese-leaders-trip-security-summit-canada-raises-ire-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3287267/former-taiwanese-leaders-trip-security-summit-canada-raises-ire-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:55:50 +0000 Beijing has urged Ottawa to abide by its “one China” commitment and safeguard bilateral relations, days ahead of an expected visit to Canada by former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen. “China strongly opposes any visits by Taiwan separatists to countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China under any title,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday. “We urge relevant countries to uphold the one-China principle and safeguard the political foundation of bilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286604/beijing-reminds-canada-one-china-commitment-ahead-visit-tsai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286604/beijing-reminds-canada-one-china-commitment-ahead-visit-tsai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:55:11 +0000 A former US envoy and Taiwanese lawmaker have warned that Beijing could delve into further detail regarding mainland China’s law enabling it to act towards “non-peaceful” reunification with Taiwan. Next year Beijing could use the 20th anniversary of its Anti-Secession Law to clarify how “non-peaceful means” may be taken against Taiwan, according to Taipei City councillor Vincent Chao. Chao delivered his cautionary remarks at the launch of a report assessing the legal implications of the law by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3282518/beijing-could-soon-elaborate-anti-secession-law-non-peaceful-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3282518/beijing-could-soon-elaborate-anti-secession-law-non-peaceful-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2024 23:16:59 +0000 An escalation of cross-strait tensions is best avoided ahead of an American election. But that does not reckon with the timing of a defiant speech that angered Beijing last week by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, followed by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drill that mounted a combat-ready sea-and-air blockade around the island. PLA readiness drills are not new. What set this exercise apart was first the sheer scale and reach of it. Second, the mainland side made it clear the main... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3282504/drills-blockaded-taiwan-reminder-beijings-red-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3282504/drills-blockaded-taiwan-reminder-beijings-red-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:14:19 +0000 Beijing hit out at Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te over a defiant speech on Thursday, saying it showcased his “stubborn Taiwan independence stance”. Lai used a speech on the annual Double Tenth Day to say the two sides “are not subordinate to each other” and Beijing had no authority to represent the island. “The Republic of China [the island’s official title] has already settled down in Taiwan, Quemoy, Matsu and Penghu, and it is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China,” Lai said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3281800/taiwan-leader-william-lai-says-beijing-has-no-authority-over-island-double-tenth-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3281800/taiwan-leader-william-lai-says-beijing-has-no-authority-over-island-double-tenth-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 04:15:16 +0000 Former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen will leave on a trip to the Czech Republic and two other European countries this week as part of an eight-day visit to reinforce the island’s ties with Europe, despite likely objections from Beijing. Tsai will depart on Saturday for her first overseas trip since leaving office. The visit was confirmed by her successor, William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing sees as an “stubborn separatist” raising the risk of conflict to the Taiwan Strait. Lai and Tsai met on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3281423/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-strengthen-europe-ties-first-overseas-trip-stepping-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3281423/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-strengthen-europe-ties-first-overseas-trip-stepping-down?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:00:07 +0000 Taiwan is making a further push towards war readiness with renewed focus on its civil defence capacities, a move analysts fear may further provoke the mainland. The island has set clear goals to strengthen its civil defence capabilities as part of the mandate of a special committee created in June by Taiwan’s leader, William Lai Ching-te, to prepare for a potential cross-strait conflict. Analysts, however, caution that while there is broad support for war preparedness, the need for cross-strait... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3280240/taiwan-sets-war-readiness-goals-first-meeting-defence-resilience-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3280240/taiwan-sets-war-readiness-goals-first-meeting-defence-resilience-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Taiwan’s leader has dispatched his top official – second only to himself within the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party – on a 13-day tour of the United States. The trip coincides with speculation about whether William Lai Ching-te, a self-described “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence”, has managed to earn Washington’s trust during his first 100 days in office. DPP secretary general Lin Yu-chang said he would meet senior US government officials and think-tank experts on behalf of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277092/no-2-taiwan-official-us-visit-2-weeks-seeks-better-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277092/no-2-taiwan-official-us-visit-2-weeks-seeks-better-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:30:28 +0000 Early into his tenure as Taiwan’s new leader, William Lai Ching-te has signalled he will push for the development of a Taiwan-centric identity to stand against Beijing, according to analysts, though they say he is unlikely to officially declare independence. During the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) congress on July 21, Lai, who took office in May, called for Taiwanese people to identify with the island and to do away with the belief that Taiwan could serve as a base to “reclaim” the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3272151/william-lai-pushes-taiwanese-identity-stand-beijing-how-far-will-he-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3272151/william-lai-pushes-taiwanese-identity-stand-beijing-how-far-will-he-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 22:00:18 +0000 Amid strained relations between mainland China and Taiwan, a forum in Xiamen, at the front line of cross-strait integration, reveals fewer Taiwanese people are travelling to mainland China, and they are proceeding with caution, concern and limited transport options. Getting to Taipei-controlled Quemoy Island from Fujian province in mainland China’s southeast is an 18km (9.7 nautical mile) trip taking less than half an hour from the Wutong ferry terminal in the port city of Xiamen. With the ferry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266949/taiwan-forum-reveals-state-cross-strait-travel-and-how-boost-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266949/taiwan-forum-reveals-state-cross-strait-travel-and-how-boost-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:39:19 +0000 The Czech Republic said on Monday it would open a new centre to boost cultural and diplomatic ties in the Taiwanese capital Taipei this week, a move likely to anger Beijing. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, and last month launched military drills around the self-ruled island. The Czech Republic, a European Union and Nato member, officially embraces the one-China policy, like the EU, but its officials foster close ties with Taiwan. “The Czech Centre in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266089/czechs-open-cultural-centre-taiwan-risking-chinas-ire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266089/czechs-open-cultural-centre-taiwan-risking-chinas-ire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:08:17 +0000 Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda won re-election by a landslide in a vote marked by defence concerns over neighbouring Russia, official results showed. The count published by the electoral commission on Sunday showed that Nauseda won 74.6 per cent of votes with 90 per cent of ballots counted after polls closed in the second-round vote. Voters “have handed me a great mandate of trust and I am well aware that I will have to cherish this,” Nauseda, 60, told journalists in Vilnius. “Now that I... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3264190/lithuanian-president-re-elected-vote-marked-russia-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3264190/lithuanian-president-re-elected-vote-marked-russia-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2024 21:02:43 +0000 Beijing’s most recent drill near Taiwan just days after Taipei’s inauguration ceremony suggests it has a blockade strategy against the self-ruled island, say analysts who contend it would be preferable to direct armed conflict. The People’s Liberation Army launched a two-day exercise – dubbed Joint Sword-2024A – around Taiwan on Thursday, three days after William Lai Ching-te’s inauguration as the new Taiwanese leader. The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command announced on Thursday it would conduct a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3263763/lower-risks-harder-respond-why-beijing-may-prefer-blockade-conflict-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3263763/lower-risks-harder-respond-why-beijing-may-prefer-blockade-conflict-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 07:22:46 +0000 Beijing has rejected the offer by William Lai Ching-te to resume tourism and student exchanges, saying the new Taiwanese leader lacked sincerity in his inauguration speech and that his stance had become “more radical”. The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) released another strongly worded statement on Tuesday evening, saying Lai’s attitude in his inauguration remarks was “extremely rampant” while “his advocacy is even more radical” than before. “The entire speech was filled with antagonism... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263602/mainland-china-rejects-taiwan-leaders-offer-tourism-and-student-exchanges-saying-lai-insincere-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263602/mainland-china-rejects-taiwan-leaders-offer-tourism-and-student-exchanges-saying-lai-insincere-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 06:16:39 +0000 Beijing slammed Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech on Monday as sending “dangerous signals”, saying it would “never tolerate any form of Taiwan independence separatist activities”. Lai, who was sworn in as the island’s new president alongside Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim, delivered a speech that was tougher than that of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, who is also from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party. Observers say Lai’s stance could lead to more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263410/taiwans-new-leader-william-lai-takes-helm-and-tougher-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263410/taiwans-new-leader-william-lai-takes-helm-and-tougher-line?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 14:01:19 +0000 Taiwan’s new president, William Lai Ching-te, made a major pivot from his predecessor in his inauguration speech on Monday by not referring to the 1992 consensus. When Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen first took office in 2016, she pledged “respect” to the “historical fact” of a tacit understanding made between her opposition party with the mainland, although she did not formally recognise it – and later rejected it. The consensus is a tacit agreement between the two sides that there is one China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263328/taiwan-inauguration-lai-makes-no-mention-1992-consensus-viewed-beijing-endorsing-one-china-principle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263328/taiwan-inauguration-lai-makes-no-mention-1992-consensus-viewed-beijing-endorsing-one-china-principle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 06:23:49 +0000 In the eyes of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the legacy of the island’s late leader Chiang Kai-shek represents everything at odds with its political doctrine: the island’s authoritarian past and its deep historical roots with the mainland. But just as Taiwan’s incoming administration under William Lai Ching-te plans to press ahead with Taipei’s project to remove all statues of Chiang on the island, it has received an outright resistance from the island’s military – the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263113/how-ghost-chiang-kai-shek-haunts-taiwans-next-president-william-lai-and-islands-armed-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263113/how-ghost-chiang-kai-shek-haunts-taiwans-next-president-william-lai-and-islands-armed-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 01:00:36 +0000 The increased presence of mainland Chinese coastguard ships patrolling the waters around Taiwan-controlled Quemoy has left Taipei with a dilemma regarding the most appropriate steps to assert its claim. Under Taiwan’s rules of engagement and “first strike” policy, relevant authorities are authorised to target and, in serious cases, open fire on vessels persistently violating warnings by remaining within the waters of Quemoy, a Taiwanese defence outpost also known as Kinmen. However, analysts... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3262227/taiwan-finds-concerns-grow-and-options-shrink-mainland-china-increases-patrols-around-taipei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3262227/taiwan-finds-concerns-grow-and-options-shrink-mainland-china-increases-patrols-around-taipei?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 May 2024 01:00:26 +0000 Taipei’s de facto diplomatic envoy to the US on Tuesday emphasised that the incoming leader of the self-governing island is open to engaging with Beijing on the basis of “equal footing” and “mutual respect,” reaffirming support for the status quo. Discussing president-elect William Lai Ching-te’s approach towards Beijing, Alexander Tah-ray Yui told the Post that Taiwan’s next leader had “already mentioned during the campaign and after winning the election” his openness to dialogue. Lai was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261805/incoming-taiwan-leader-open-beijing-dialogue-equal-footing-mutual-respect-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261805/incoming-taiwan-leader-open-beijing-dialogue-equal-footing-mutual-respect-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 21:40:47 +0000 As William Lai Ching-te prepares to take office as Taiwan’s next president, Beijing appears to be using a dual strategy of military plane fly-bys and relaxed travel and food import restrictions to ramp up pressure on the island’s next leader, according to observers. Last weekend, 12 People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, with an unspecified number flying as close as 37 nautical miles (68.5km) from the northern Taiwanese city of Keelung. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261385/beijing-ramps-pressure-taiwan-warplanes-trade-and-travel-policies-william-lais-inauguration-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261385/beijing-ramps-pressure-taiwan-warplanes-trade-and-travel-policies-william-lais-inauguration-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 01:00:26 +0000 As tensions in the Middle East escalated amid the Israel-Gaza war, an Israeli parliamentary delegation visited Taiwan last week in a show of warming ties with Taipei. The cross-party delegation, led by chairman of the Knesset’s Israel-Taiwan friendship association, Boaz Toporovsky, met government officials and legislators throughout the trip, including Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, vice-president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and Legislative Yuan speaker Han Kuo-yu. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259932/mideast-conflict-israeli-delegation-visits-taiwan-show-commitment-ties-war-continues-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259932/mideast-conflict-israeli-delegation-visits-taiwan-show-commitment-ties-war-continues-home?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:31:11 +0000 Taiwanese president-elect William Lai Ching-te is expected to appoint a cabinet that can tread carefully with Beijing as he seeks to maintain the cross-strait status quo, analysts said. The new cabinet – which will assume office after Lai is inaugurated next month – features old faces familiar with the policy of outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen in handling the complex relationships with Beijing and Washington, they said. Lai, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259678/fresh-faces-taiwans-next-cabinet-security-left-old-hands-who-know-beijings-bottom-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259678/fresh-faces-taiwans-next-cabinet-security-left-old-hands-who-know-beijings-bottom-line?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:00:15 +0000 Taiwan’s government under President Tsai Ing-wen has entered its final month before president-elect William Lai Ching-te takes over on May 20. It has already faced a series of controversies and crises this year, the most serious of which involved mainland Chinese coastguard ships surrounding Quemoy, after two Chinese fishermen died in a collision with a Taiwanese coastguard vessel. As a result, Lai could find his hands full as soon as he assumes office, especially if the situation around Quemoy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258656/taiwans-incoming-government-faces-tough-task-win-back-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258656/taiwans-incoming-government-faces-tough-task-win-back-public?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 01:15:17 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Taiwanese government has rebuffed an offer of help extended by Beijing as the island contends with the aftermath of a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people. At least 934 people are reported injured and 56 remain trapped in the quake that struck off the east coast at 7.58am and sparked tsunami... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3257638/73-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-taiwan-collapsing-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3257638/73-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-taiwan-collapsing-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2024 01:32:58 +0000 Taiwan’s military has suspended live-fire drills in waters near Quemoy in what is believed to be an attempt to avoid “provocation” after Beijing warned the island against holding the exercises. The island’s military was originally scheduled to start a series of live-fire drills in waters off Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, on Tuesday amid heightened cross-strait tensions. Last week, Beijing said it would closely monitor the drills off Quemoy – a Taiwan-controlled defence outpost just opposite the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3257570/taiwan-puts-quemoy-live-fire-drills-hold-after-beijing-warns-against-targeted-provocation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3257570/taiwan-puts-quemoy-live-fire-drills-hold-after-beijing-warns-against-targeted-provocation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:00:15 +0000 Taiwan has inaugurated a newly renovated pier on Taiping islet in the disputed South China Sea during a time of political sensitivity and escalating regional tensions. But its president, Tsai Ing-wen, was conspicuously absent from the official inauguration despite repeated calls by opposition lawmakers for her to attend in a symbolic reassertion of Taiwan’s claims over Taiping, also known as Itu Aba. The Taiwan-controlled islet is the largest natural feature of the Spratly Islands, a South China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3256787/president-did-not-dare-attend-taiwan-opposition-questions-tsai-ing-wens-absence-taiping-pier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3256787/president-did-not-dare-attend-taiwan-opposition-questions-tsai-ing-wens-absence-taiping-pier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:00:10 +0000 Beijing has reacted strongly to the Biden administration’s budget proposal seeking US$100 million to help Taiwan strengthen cross-strait deterrence – the first time the White House has made such a specific request. The stand-alone request for the 2025 budget was a “historic investment in Taiwan’s security … [to] strengthen deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, the US Department of State said. In a separate funding request, the Defence Department sought US$500... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3255137/beijing-hits-back-after-biden-white-house-seeks-us100-million-boost-taiwans-cross-strait-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3255137/beijing-hits-back-after-biden-white-house-seeks-us100-million-boost-taiwans-cross-strait-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:00:19 +0000 Taiwan’s newly expanded pier on a disputed South China Sea islet will allow it to berth vessels as large as 4,000-tonne military frigates. However, the NT$1.74 billion (US$55.7 million) project is posing a dilemma for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as tensions run high in the region. The Taiwan-controlled islet of Taiping is the largest natural feature of the Spratly Islands, a South China Sea archipelago wholly claimed also by Beijing, the Philippines and Vietnam. Tsai is now facing calls... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3250191/south-china-sea-why-taiwans-bigger-pier-disputed-taiping-islet-may-have-put-president-tsai-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3250191/south-china-sea-why-taiwans-bigger-pier-disputed-taiping-islet-may-have-put-president-tsai-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:00:36 +0000 Beijing hosted Nauru’s foreign minister on Wednesday as the two countries finalise official ties in another diplomatic upset for Taipei. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Lionel Aingimea, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Pacific island nation, held talks in Beijing and signed a joint communique saying the two countries had resumed diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, state news agency Xinhua reported. Nauru will sever diplomatic relations with Taipei and “no longer... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249630/china-nauru-foreign-ministers-meet-beijing-shore-shift-diplomatic-allegiance-away-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249630/china-nauru-foreign-ministers-meet-beijing-shore-shift-diplomatic-allegiance-away-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jan 2024 09:22:27 +0000 Leading China observers urged Beijing to reopen communication channels with Taipei to avoid miscalculation as cross-strait tensions are expected to rise following William Lai Ching-te’s victory in Taiwan’s presidential election on Saturday. During a digital seminar hosted by the think tank Centre for Globalisation Hong Kong on Friday, Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the Washington-based German Marshall Fund, called on Beijing to revive communications with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249095/china-experts-urge-beijing-revive-communication-taiwan-avoid-miscalculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249095/china-experts-urge-beijing-revive-communication-taiwan-avoid-miscalculation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2024 09:23:54 +0000 Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made history in 2016 when she was elected the first female leader of the island. But as she prepares to bow out after finishing her second four-year term in May, she will leave a difficult legacy for her successor, president-elect William Lai Ching-te, as Taiwan has been considered one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints for conflict during her presidency, observers said. The Economist called Taiwan “the most dangerous place on Earth” in its May 2021 cover... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248399/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-leaves-tough-legacy-president-elect-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248399/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-leaves-tough-legacy-president-elect-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2024 02:00:20 +0000 Taiwan’s president-elect will confront a new political era on day one in office, facing the prospect of a hostile legislature that could hobble any pro-independence agenda for the island. William Lai Ching-te, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, fended off his Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) rivals in the presidential race on Saturday by winning 5.59 million votes or just over 40 per cent of the total. But the DPP lost its majority in the 113-seat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248392/taiwan-elections-2024-president-elect-william-lai-faces-new-era-legislature-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248392/taiwan-elections-2024-president-elect-william-lai-faces-new-era-legislature-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jan 2024 13:01:14 +0000 All three presidential candidates in Saturday’s Taiwanese presidential race have cast their ballots, with a high voter turnout expected in an election that will decide the trajectory of the island and regional security. Voter turnout is expected to exceed the 74.9 per cent reported in the 2020 presidential poll, thanks to good weather and a fierce three-way race. All three presidential candidates called on voters to go to the polls, saying the island’s future was in their hands. “It is a sunny... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248229/taiwan-election-2024-more-play-party-policy-differences-more-stake-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3248229/taiwan-election-2024-more-play-party-policy-differences-more-stake-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:00:20 +0000 A leaked, unverified recording purportedly of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and a ruling party legislator discussing an apparent divide within the organisation has been dismissed by the lawmaker as interference by “foreign forces”. Taiwan-based Chung T’ien Television, which supports the opposition, quoted a commentator as saying the recording pointed to factional fighting within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The 41-minute recording first surfaced online on Sunday in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247846/taiwan-elections-dpp-lawmaker-says-audio-leak-amounts-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247846/taiwan-elections-dpp-lawmaker-says-audio-leak-amounts-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 02:00:13 +0000