https://www.scmp.com/rss/517521/feed The latest news on William Lai (also known as Lai Ching-te), politician, former physician and currently the 8th president of Taiwan. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters The United States is concerned that several African countries revoked overflight clearances for Taiwan’s leader at mainland China’s behest, the US State Department said on Wednesday, calling the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system. Taiwan this week said the Seychelles, Mauritius ‌and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for leader William Lai Ching-te’s aircraft to cross airspace they manage on a planned trip to eSwatini, one of Taiwan’s allies. It is the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351056/us-slams-china-after-african-countries-block-taiwan-leaders-eswatini-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351056/us-slams-china-after-african-countries-block-taiwan-leaders-eswatini-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:40:29 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te was forced to postpone a visit to the island’s last African partner after three other nations abruptly refused to allow his aircraft to fly over their territory, in a move Taipei blamed on pressure from Beijing. This is the first time any Taiwanese leader has had to delay an overseas visit at the last minute, Lai’s office said. He had been due to depart on Wednesday for a five-day trip to eSwatini, the sole African country that maintains official diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350917/taiwanese-leader-lai-postpones-africa-trip-after-3-nations-revoke-overflight-permission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350917/taiwanese-leader-lai-postpones-africa-trip-after-3-nations-revoke-overflight-permission?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:25:54 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan must urgently overhaul its civil defence and rethink its energy strategy to withstand a potential blockade, experts warned at a tabletop exercise, describing existing preparedness as “too romantic” for a real-world crisis. The two-day 2026 Political, Economic, Military and Societal Tabletop Exercise, held at National Chengchi University in Taipei last week, simulated a 2030 scenario in which shifting global alliances and regional conflicts left Taiwan’s energy and social systems acutely... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350570/taiwan-warned-widening-resilience-gap-civil-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350570/taiwan-warned-widening-resilience-gap-civil-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Taiwan’s political pendulum is reversing. The government led by Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) William Lai Ching-te is increasingly discredited, not least for selling out the jewel of its semiconductor industry to the United States under pressure from President Donald Trump. The Legislative Yuan is controlled by the opposition led by the Kuomintang (KMT). Party politics is now institutionalised into a sustained confrontation between the island’s presidency and its legislature. Now, budgets... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349841/kmt-chief-shows-way-forward-avoid-blind-confrontation-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349841/kmt-chief-shows-way-forward-avoid-blind-confrontation-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese industry groups and businesses have broadly welcomed Beijing’s package of 10 measures to promote cross-strait exchanges across economic sectors. They said the proposals from the Communist Party’s Taiwan affairs authorities could help ease pressures weighing on local industries in recent years. Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, also appeared relieved that the measures focused largely on economic and livelihood issues rather than politically sensitive themes. The Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349938/taiwan-industries-cheer-beijings-10-point-plan-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349938/taiwan-industries-cheer-beijings-10-point-plan-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:52:47 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Iran’s ability to sustain missile and drone strikes despite heavy US-Israeli attacks has sharpened a debate in Taiwan: if the island’s air defences were degraded in the early stages of a conflict with mainland China, could it still keep fighting? The answer from officials, lawmakers and analysts was cautious but clear. They said the island could be resilient – but only if it shifted away from a missile-heavy defensive mindset towards a more integrated, cost-effective and survivable system. Even... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349752/does-irans-wartime-resilience-offer-any-lessons-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349752/does-irans-wartime-resilience-offer-any-lessons-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A high-stakes visit to mainland China by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), during which she is expected to meet Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and promote cross-strait peace, is under scrutiny in Taipei. Cheng Li-wun is set to depart for Shanghai on Tuesday for a six-day trip, with local media reporting a possible meeting with Xi in Beijing on Thursday – the first such encounter between the two parties’ leaders in a decade. However, Cheng’s coming visit has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349176/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-beijing-under-scrutiny-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349176/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-beijing-under-scrutiny-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:05:56 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The former chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has called for cross-strait dialogue to break the state of “cold peace”, rebuild trust and avoid conflict. “The key to cross-strait relations lies not in radical confrontation, but in profound mutual trust,” Hung Hsiu-chu wrote on a popular mainland online platform on Thursday. She also called for a return to the 1992 consensus, an unofficial agreement between Beijing and the then-ruling KMT in Taiwan. It states that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:09:15 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Four senior US senators are on a two-day visit to Taiwan to press for legislative approval of a NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget proposed by the island’s government but stalled by the opposition as military pressure from Beijing intensifies. The visit – seen as signalling growing frustration in Washington over the delays – comes as Taipei faces looming payment deadlines for several US-approved arms packages, with funding still unresolved due to the legislative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348433/us-senators-visit-taiwan-push-defence-spending-arms-deadlines-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348433/us-senators-visit-taiwan-push-defence-spending-arms-deadlines-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:39:24 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Beijing has imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya for allegedly “colluding with the Taiwan independence forces”. “Japanese House of Representatives member Keiji Furuya, despite strong opposition from China, has repeatedly made provocative visits to Taiwan and colluded with ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, seriously violating the one-China principle,” Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday. Furuya, 73, is a lawmaker with Japan’s ruling Liberal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348343/beijing-sanctions-japanese-lawmaker-colluding-taiwan-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348343/beijing-sanctions-japanese-lawmaker-colluding-taiwan-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:59:07 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taipei aims to leverage geopolitics by positioning itself as an Asia-Pacific drone hub built on a supply chain decoupled from mainland China, though challenges relating to scale, politics and timing threaten its ambitious industrial strategy. The push reflects a broader effort by the administration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te to position the island as a node in what officials have described as a “democratic supply chain” free of mainland Chinese components amid rising geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347745/can-taiwan-fulfil-its-asia-pacific-drone-hub-goal-non-red-supply-chain-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347745/can-taiwan-fulfil-its-asia-pacific-drone-hub-goal-non-red-supply-chain-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Taiwan’s two main opposition parties are set to join forces in local elections, a midterm contest this autumn that analysts say could lay the groundwork for potential cooperation in the 2028 leadership race to challenge the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The elections, scheduled for November and commonly known as the “nine-in-one” elections, will determine local officials and councillors across nine categories, ranging from mayors and county magistrates to village chiefs, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347357/taiwans-main-opposition-parties-join-forces-local-elections-foundation-2028-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347357/taiwans-main-opposition-parties-join-forces-local-elections-foundation-2028-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:14:46 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of “glorifying Japanese colonial rule” in a recent speech. The People’s Liberation Army also stepped up the number of sorties by aircraft around the island after Lai made the comments on Saturday at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct elections. Lai, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, told the event that the early days of Kuomintang (KMT) rule over Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347164/taiwan-leader-william-lai-glorifying-japanese-colonial-rule-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347164/taiwan-leader-william-lai-glorifying-japanese-colonial-rule-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:17:40 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The People’s Liberation Army ramped up aircraft sorties near Taiwan over the weekend, ending two weeks of relative calm just as a defiant speech by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te drew a strong rebuke from Beijing. From 6am on Saturday to 6am on Sunday, Taiwan detected 26 PLA aircraft sorties operating around the island. Sixteen of these entered the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to data released by Taiwan’s defence ministry on Sunday. The 26 sorties marked a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346774/pla-ramps-taiwan-patrols-after-lull-beijing-slams-lais-independence-confession?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346774/pla-ramps-taiwan-patrols-after-lull-beijing-slams-lais-independence-confession?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:19:06 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship. That was despite Washington’s strategic pullback, heightened sensitivities over the Taiwan Strait, and intensifying conflict in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait remain Beijing’s foremost external security concern for 2026, fuelled by uncertainties surrounding the US midterm elections and the growing involvement of Japan, according to a prominent Chinese think tank. In its latest annual forecast of China’s external security risks, the Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University framed this year as a pivotal moment in the profound reshaping of China’s outer defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:14:11 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang China has earmarked a 7 per cent increase in defence spending this year, keeping the growth rate largely stable even as the White House aims to ramp up expenditure for the military. In a budget released on Thursday at the start of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Beijing said it would allocate 1.91 trillion yuan (US$277 billion) for defence. The 7 per cent is a shade down from the 7.2 per cent rise last year but still above the 4.5 to 5 per cent GDP growth target set... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345588/china-keeps-defence-budget-growth-steady-modernisation-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345588/china-keeps-defence-budget-growth-steady-modernisation-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Over six consecutive days since Friday, for the first time in at least three years, Beijing dispatched no warplanes near Taiwan, a pause which analysts say reflects deliberate caution ahead of this month’s Xi–Trump summit. The absence of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft near the self-ruled island from Friday through to Wednesday is the longest such pause in the past three years, according to Taiwanese defence ministry data compiled by the South China Morning Post. The number of PLA naval... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345527/looming-xi-trump-summit-behind-plas-break-air-sorties-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345527/looming-xi-trump-summit-behind-plas-break-air-sorties-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:07:44 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo If Caligula were the president of the United States, Taiwan’s leader William Lai Ching-te might still kowtow to him. By now, it seems pretty clear that US President Donald Trump has no real policies to speak of, only caprice and vague ideological preferences. That was how bad emperors acted, and Trump obviously sees himself as some kind of king, unrestrained by anything other than his personal inclinations. It’s not surprising there have been “No Kings” protests across the US. From his lifelong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344682/taipei-must-break-free-its-abusive-relationship-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344682/taipei-must-break-free-its-abusive-relationship-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Amber Wang,Lawrence Chung Amber Wang,Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s rare reference to “mainland China” signals caution ahead of a highly anticipated Xi-Trump summit, according to analysts who say it is premature to declare a shift in his cross-strait policy. Addressing a group of Taiwanese businesspeople operating on the mainland on Tuesday, Lai used the term “mainland China” multiple times, contrasting with his frequent use of “China” in major speeches since his 2024 inauguration as the self-ruled island’s leader. During... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344765/what-does-taiwanese-leader-william-lais-rare-mainland-china-reference-mean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344765/what-does-taiwanese-leader-william-lais-rare-mainland-china-reference-mean?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:58:29 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has moved swiftly to seek clarification from Washington after the US Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s tariff authority. The ruling on Friday prompted the US president to invoke a separate statute – Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974 – to impose a 15 per cent global tariff, casting fresh uncertainty over Taiwan’s trade outlook. The legal reset has raised questions in Taipei about whether tariff exemptions negotiated under the existing Taiwan-US trade framework – including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344364/taiwan-seeks-clarity-after-us-supreme-court-upends-trumps-tariff-powers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344364/taiwan-seeks-clarity-after-us-supreme-court-upends-trumps-tariff-powers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:01:25 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang More Taiwanese are visiting mainland China but the numbers have yet to cross pre-Covid levels, data from the island’s tourism body shows. Taiwanese media attributed the slow recovery to continued cross-strait tensions and partial travel restrictions. According to Taiwan’s Tourism Administration, around 3.24 million Taiwanese visited the mainland last year, nearly 17 per cent more than in 2024. But this was still 20 per cent lower than the figure for 2019, the year before the coronavirus... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343588/taiwanese-visits-mainland-china-topped-3-million-2025-still-below-pre-covid-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343588/taiwanese-visits-mainland-china-topped-3-million-2025-still-below-pre-covid-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:34:01 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has appealed for public support amid a dispute about a special military budget, warning that the deadlock could delay key weapons deliveries and send the island down the US arms supply priority list. The NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special budget has been repeatedly blocked by opposition parties, even as Taipei has come under increasing US pressure to prove its commitment to its own defence. Analysts warn that continued delays could weaken perceptions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343466/taiwan-defence-budget-delays-may-push-island-down-us-priority-list-william-lai-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343466/taiwan-defence-budget-delays-may-push-island-down-us-priority-list-william-lai-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:00:18 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Talks between the US and Chinese presidents on Taiwan and arms sales have fanned fears on the island that it is slipping down the ladder of Washington’s strategic priorities in an era of great-power bargaining. The concern compounded unease raised by the release last month of the US’ National Defence Strategy, which made no mention of Taiwan. In a phone call on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his American counterpart Donald Trump that Taiwan was the “most important” question in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342534/xi-trump-and-why-their-talks-are-stoking-unease-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342534/xi-trump-and-why-their-talks-are-stoking-unease-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:15 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s absence from the United States’ newly released 2026 National Defence Strategy has fuelled fresh debate on the island over whether Washington is deliberately sidestepping Taiwan as it prioritises bigger interests with Beijing. The omission is in sharp contrast with earlier editions of the Pentagon’s quadrennial flagship strategy, which had explicitly referred to Beijing’s pressure on Taiwan and pledged support for the island’s asymmetric defence. The 2022 iteration mentioned the island... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341816/us-defence-strategy-omission-raises-alarm-taiwan-over-trumps-intentions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341816/us-defence-strategy-omission-raises-alarm-taiwan-over-trumps-intentions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The opposition’s push to impeach Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has entered a new phase after he refused last week to appear at related legislative hearings. The no-show has further deepened partisan strife and is likely to complicate governance ahead of year-end local government elections, observers warn, although most agree that the impeachment motion is unlikely to clear Taiwan’s high constitutional threshold. The impeachment motion – an unprecedented move against a sitting leader of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341116/what-next-taiwan-william-lai-refuses-attend-impeachment-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341116/what-next-taiwan-william-lai-refuses-attend-impeachment-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 02:00:36 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s military held a closed-door briefing on Monday to break an opposition blockade of a controversial NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.5 billion) special defence budget that has prompted accusations of “black box” decision-making from rival parties. Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung delivered a classified briefing to the legislature’s foreign affairs and defence committee, seeking to persuade lawmakers to allow the long-stalled bill to be referred for committee review. The package... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340451/taiwanese-militarys-closed-door-meeting-draws-black-box-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340451/taiwanese-militarys-closed-door-meeting-draws-black-box-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340149/taiwan-faces-possible-beijing-squeeze-after-us-quits-who-and-other-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340149/taiwan-faces-possible-beijing-squeeze-after-us-quits-who-and-other-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US spending bill approving US$300 million in cash assistance for Taiwan’s military has passed the House of Representatives and is expected to become law. On Wednesday, the House passed a two-bill government spending package that would fund the Departments of the Treasury and State through September, along with other federal agencies, bringing the total to eight of 12 annual spending bills needed by January 30, to avoid a government shutdown. The bills must now clear the Senate before they can... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3340074/us-bill-approving-us300-million-taiwans-military-passed-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3340074/us-bill-approving-us300-million-taiwans-military-passed-house?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:09:56 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Taiwan has appointed a senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politician and former liaison officer to Japan to head the semi-official group that manages cross-strait ties – a move Beijing has met with scepticism. Su Jia-chyuan, former head of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association under Taipei’s foreign ministry, will chair the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), according to Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for the office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, on Tuesday. The SEF is managed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339888/taiwan-names-senior-dpp-politician-new-cross-strait-chief-amid-beijings-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339888/taiwan-names-senior-dpp-politician-new-cross-strait-chief-amid-beijings-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:15:48 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Some people wonder whether China could carry out a sophisticated state-sponsored kidnapping like the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife. And it’s not just that; there is state terrorism like remote assassinations by drones, which also end up killing a lot of civilian bystanders, not to mention breaching the sovereignty of their countries. The United States can apparently do that anywhere around the world. Such Hollywood-style cowboy militarism no doubt makes its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339687/chinese-century-may-already-be-here?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339687/chinese-century-may-already-be-here?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has begun co-producing 155mm (6.1-inch) artillery shells with the US, as the island moves to strengthen wartime ammunition resilience amid Beijing’s escalating military pressure and concern over supply disruptions in a high-intensity conflict. Taiwan’s defence ministry on Monday said Taipei and Washington had launched early-stage joint production of a new type of 155mm howitzer ammunition. Lieutenant General Lin Wen-hsiang, head of Taiwan’s Armaments Bureau, testified during a legislative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339770/taiwan-and-us-launch-joint-production-155mm-artillery-shells-amid-blockade-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339770/taiwan-and-us-launch-joint-production-155mm-artillery-shells-amid-blockade-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Taiwan will double down on strengthening key facilities, including defences against drones, and ramp up ammunition production to withstand growing pressure from the mainland, according to senior officials on the island. Taiwanese Vice-Premier Cheng Li-chiun said on Thursday that the government would continue to reinforce critical infrastructure and defences against unmanned aerial vehicles. “Taiwan must be more fully prepared, especially in the face of the possibility of various new forms of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339441/taiwan-fortify-critical-facilities-and-ramp-ammunition-output-ward-pla-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339441/taiwan-fortify-critical-facilities-and-ramp-ammunition-output-ward-pla-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 11:00:10 +0000 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 Rob York Rob York The US decision to raid Venezuela, detain its President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the United States, ostensibly on drug trafficking charges, will have serious downstream effects, but of what variety? US President Donald Trump has already sent ominous warnings to other Latin American countries whose leaders oppose all or parts of his agenda – from Colombia to Cuba to Mexico – and threatened Maduro’s successor with similar, or worse, treatment if she does not cooperate. Does this suggest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338997/why-us-move-against-maduro-unlikely-drive-china-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338997/why-us-move-against-maduro-unlikely-drive-china-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The US “decapitation-style” operation against Venezuela’s leadership has heightened concerns in Taiwan that Beijing could one day attempt a similar strike against the island, even though Taipei has played down such a possibility. The anxiety has been amplified by the People’s Liberation Army’s two-day drills around Taiwan last week, parts of which simulated joint operations aimed at paralysing political and military command structures – a scenario analysts say echoes elements of leadership... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338812/us-decapitation-strike-venezuela-sparks-pla-copycat-fears-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338812/us-decapitation-strike-venezuela-sparks-pla-copycat-fears-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:03:24 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A plan by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party to visit Beijing this year, hoping to meet President Xi Jinping, has fuelled hopes of better dialogue amid soaring cross-strait tensions. But while supporters have hailed Cheng Li-wun’s planned trip as a chance to ease frictions across the Taiwan Strait, critics warn that it risks signalling alignment with Beijing as it increases military pressure on the island. Cheng, who was elected chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) in October, has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338624/new-kmt-chair-hopes-take-peace-message-beijing-while-taiwan-political-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338624/new-kmt-chair-hopes-take-peace-message-beijing-while-taiwan-political-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Peter T. C. Chang Peter T. C. Chang US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a grand deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping are being undercut by American allies’ self-interested amplification of the “China threat”. This year’s Nanking massacre memorial was particularly poignant in light of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks on Taiwan. Beijing warned that any attempt to challenge the post-war international order or undermine established historical truths would be “doomed to failure”. Meanwhile, Singaporean... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338033/if-trump-wants-deal-china-he-must-rein-us-allies-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338033/if-trump-wants-deal-china-he-must-rein-us-allies-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is seeking to fuse satellite, radar and drone data into a “connectivity” network as part of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s multibillion-dollar bid to build a layered defence shield to counter Beijing’s possible missile attacks. The plan, which Lai calls the “Taiwan shield” and officials and analysts often refer to as the backbone of a broader “T-Dome” concept, is intended to overhaul how Taiwan detects, tracks and intercepts incoming threats. In a televised interview on Sunday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338061/taiwans-leader-seeks-t-dome-connectivity-network-defend-against-beijing-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338061/taiwans-leader-seeks-t-dome-connectivity-network-defend-against-beijing-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 13:00:27 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s plan to push through a NT$1.2 trillion (US$37 billion) special military spending package has been thrown into limbo as political clashes escalate over fiscal reform and a controversial court ruling. Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature has blocked the cabinet-proposed “Special Act on Strengthening Defence Resilience and Asymmetric Warfare Capabilities” from committee review four times since Lai unveiled the plan in late November. The procedural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337851/what-next-taiwans-lai-us37-billion-defence-boost-frozen-kmt-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337851/what-next-taiwans-lai-us37-billion-defence-boost-frozen-kmt-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Taiwan’s legislature passed a motion on Friday to start impeachment proceedings against the island’s leader, William Lai Ching-te. The Legislative Yuan voted 60 to 51 in favour of the motion that argued that the leader undermined the self-ruled island’s constitutional order and democracy. Lawmakers are expected to vote on impeachment on May 19, according to the legislature’s procedures. The impeachment motion came after Lai’s administration failed to enact an amendment passed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:31:34 +0000 Amber Wang,Jun Mai Amber Wang,Jun Mai All eyes are on how Beijing’s “Chinese dream” of eventual Taiwan reunification will unfold at a time when the leader of the United States – Taipei’s top international backer – appears less likely to intervene in case of a cross-strait conflict. In the third of a three-part series, Amber Wang looks at how PLA activity may reflect the wider political picture. In the past five years, People’s Liberation Army activity near Taiwan has been seen by many observers as a key indicator of when and whether... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337616/why-has-beijing-turned-down-heat-taiwan-strait-second-half-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337616/why-has-beijing-turned-down-heat-taiwan-strait-second-half-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 22:00:11 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Beijing has lodged a protest with Tokyo over a series of visits to Taiwan by high-ranking officials from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) amid a sharp downturn in bilateral relations. Koichi Hagiuda, an LDP lawmaker and the party’s executive acting secretary general, is on a three-day trip to Taiwan that will end on Tuesday. Hagiuda on Monday held a meeting with William Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s leader. In total, about 30 Japanese lawmakers plan to visit the island between the end of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337376/beijing-firmly-opposes-japanese-lawmakers-trips-taiwan-amid-deteriorating-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337376/beijing-firmly-opposes-japanese-lawmakers-trips-taiwan-amid-deteriorating-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:15:50 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Taiwan’s proposed missile shield known as T-Dome has “critical vulnerabilities and flaws” and would be unreliable against an attack by the People’s Liberation Army, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine. The air defence system – inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome and America’s proposed Golden Dome – was unveiled in October. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said T-Dome would guard against “hostile threats” and aimed to intercept aircraft, drones and missiles before they could strike... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337059/taiwans-t-dome-missile-shield-plan-has-critical-flaws-mainland-chinese-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337059/taiwans-t-dome-missile-shield-plan-has-critical-flaws-mainland-chinese-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) announced on Friday they would try to impeach the island’s leader, William Lai Ching-te, according to reports from Taiwanese media. Fu Kun-chi, the convenor of the KMT caucus in Taiwan’s parliament, accused Lai of undermining constitutional norms and behaving in an authoritarian manner. “Lai must step down and Taiwan must not allow the emergence of figures like Yuan Shikai or Cao Kun,” Fu said, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337110/taiwans-opposition-lawmakers-vow-impeach-leader-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337110/taiwans-opposition-lawmakers-vow-impeach-leader-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:29:55 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The Taiwanese government has sparked fresh controversy by refusing to enforce amendments passed by the opposition-controlled legislature about local government funding. The move risks deepening a political stand-off and has drawn criticism that the island’s leader William Lai Ching-te was “bypassing the legislature when you can’t win”. The dispute centres on revisions to a law about how the central government distributes revenue to local authorities. Observers said the clash had escalated well... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336672/taiwan-government-accused-trying-bypass-legislature-amid-bitter-funding-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336672/taiwan-government-accused-trying-bypass-legislature-amid-bitter-funding-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:00:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s ban on mainland Chinese social media app RedNote has sparked fierce pushback on the island, making the platform a top download as users rush to access it through workarounds. The island’s interior ministry announced on Thursday it had ordered local telecoms and internet providers to block access to the app, also known as Xiaohongshu, for one year over “rising online fraud cases”. Authorities also cited a “lack of cooperation from its operator in Shanghai”. But the move has unleashed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Competing priorities and US economic interests are likely to challenge Washington in its goal of “deterring a conflict over Taiwan” through an overwhelming military advantage, according to experts. The strategic goal was laid out in the White House’s latest National Security Strategy report released on Friday. While the report said the western hemisphere and domestic security were Washington’s top concerns, it also noted that “Taiwan provides direct access to the second island chain and splits... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335465/what-could-challenge-washingtons-latest-strategic-goal-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335465/what-could-challenge-washingtons-latest-strategic-goal-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s updated crisis and war survival guide has ignited fierce political debate, hailed by officials as a lifeline amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure but blasted by critics as costly propaganda prompting fear rather than readiness. Mass distribution of In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide – quickly dubbed the “little orange book” – began late last month, targeting 9.83 million households. The 29-page, comic-style publication explains how to stockpile food and water,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335398/updated-taiwan-safety-guide-sparks-fierce-debate-amid-beijings-mounting-military-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335398/updated-taiwan-safety-guide-sparks-fierce-debate-amid-beijings-mounting-military-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen The People’s Liberation Army has carried out an urban warfare drill, according to state media, in what appears to be a response to Taipei’s bid to fund improved “asymmetric capabilities”. In a report on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of troops carrying out an operation to seize a built-up area in a war-torn city. The drill – involving reconnaissance, clearing and occupation – was part of a live-fire exercise conducted by a PLA Ground Force brigade that aimed to “test multiple... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335376/pla-holds-urban-warfare-drill-taipei-looks-boost-asymmetric-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335376/pla-holds-urban-warfare-drill-taipei-looks-boost-asymmetric-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000