https://www.scmp.com/rss/523141/feed The latest news and top stories on James Yifan Chen, an Assistant Professor at Tamkang University’s Department of Diplomacy and International Relations in Taiwan. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Fujian province, the closest mainland Chinese province to Taiwan, is an important site for Beijing’s messaging towards the island. In the first of a two-part series, Xinlu Liang examines how Beijing is framing the executions of Communist Party spies in Taiwan within a reunification narrative. A courtyard house in an old quarter of Fuzhou, capital of the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, has become the unlikeliest of national pilgrimage sites. For decades, the residence at No 1... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352156/why-beijing-now-wants-its-spies-executed-taiwan-come-decades-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352156/why-beijing-now-wants-its-spies-executed-taiwan-come-decades-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Lawrence Chung,Xinlu Liang Lawrence Chung,Xinlu Liang Beijing has praised the decision by three African countries to deny overflight clearance for Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, whose trip to eSwatini was cancelled a day before his scheduled departure. Lai had been due to leave on Wednesday for a five-day trip to eSwatini, the only African country that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati’s accession and his 58th birthday. But Lai’s office announced late on Tuesday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351028/does-william-lais-cancelled-eswatini-trip-show-beijings-reach-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351028/does-william-lais-cancelled-eswatini-trip-show-beijings-reach-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:01:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has pushed back against a growing number of foreign governments that label it part of China in their internal systems. But questions are mounting over whether Taipei’s retaliatory moves can deliver results. The dispute has widened in recent weeks after South Korea, Denmark and Cameroon were found to have changed how they designate the island in official systems, such as those that handle visa documents, residence permits and international conference credentials. Taipei has responded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Vanessa Cai Alyssa Chen,Vanessa Cai Beijing has confirmed it remains in communication with Washington about a landmark visit by US President Donald Trump, who has requested to delay the trip by a month due to the US-Israel war on Iran. Chinese analysts characterised the delay as a strategic opportunity to ensure more substantive results. They also suggested the shift in timing was unlikely to derail the momentum towards stabilising ties between the two global powers. The White House previously announced that the trip – the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346923/why-trumps-china-trip-delay-could-open-door-more-substantive-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346923/why-trumps-china-trip-delay-could-open-door-more-substantive-results?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:11 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai has come under fire over what he said was a private visit to Japan to support the island’s team at the World Baseball Classic last week – a trip that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing. Cho travelled to Tokyo on March 7, watching Taiwan defeat the Czech Republic 14-0 at the Tokyo Dome in the tournament’s Pool C round. He returned to Taipei the same day. It was the first visit to Japan by a sitting Taiwanese premier since Tokyo ended official ties with Taipei in 1972... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346546/swing-and-miss-taiwans-premier-under-fire-over-baseball-trip-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346546/swing-and-miss-taiwans-premier-under-fire-over-baseball-trip-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:00:15 +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 Lawrence Chung,Amber Wang Lawrence Chung,Amber Wang Beijing hit out at Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s Double Tenth speech on Friday, saying it exposed his stubborn nature as a troublemaker. “Lai’s speech distorted right and wrong, peddled the separatist fallacy of Taiwan independence, and distorted and challenged historical facts and international consensus, once again exposing his stubborn nature as a troublemaker ... and warmaker,” said Guo Jiakun, a mainland foreign ministry spokesman. The Lai administration’s attempt to pursue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328520/beijing-takes-aim-william-lais-t-dome-shield-and-defence-plans-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328520/beijing-takes-aim-william-lais-t-dome-shield-and-defence-plans-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:00:41 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s reliance on imported energy is seen as its most critical weakness if a conflict breaks out with Beijing, and experts warn a prolonged blockade could paralyse the island within days. Those concerns deepened after Taiwan shut down its last nuclear power plant in May, and an August referendum to restart it failed. As debate continues over renewables versus fossil fuels, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has little room to manoeuvre. At the heart of the problem is Taiwan’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325302/taiwan-faces-dangerous-possibility-it-relies-qatar-and-others-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325302/taiwan-faces-dangerous-possibility-it-relies-qatar-and-others-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Voters in Taiwan on Saturday resoundingly rejected a mass recall campaign targeting opposition lawmakers, dealing a major setback to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while handing the Kuomintang (KMT) a surprise reprieve. All 24 lawmakers from the Beijing-friendly KMT who faced recall votes survived, in what analysts described as a serious political miscalculation by the DPP and its affiliated civil society groups. The backfiring of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319709/failure-taiwans-william-lai-all-24-opposition-kmt-lawmakers-survive-mass-recall-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319709/failure-taiwans-william-lai-all-24-opposition-kmt-lawmakers-survive-mass-recall-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 14:01:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s approval rating has fallen below 45 per cent for the second time since he took office amid a backlash over his handling of Typhoon Danas and his support for a recall campaign targeting opposition lawmakers. A new survey released by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation on Tuesday found that only 42.9 per cent of respondents were satisfied with Lai’s performance – down 5.8 percentage points from June. The disapproval rating was 44.5 per cent. It marks the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318738/taiwanese-leader-william-lai-one-his-worst-moments-approval-rating-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318738/taiwanese-leader-william-lai-one-his-worst-moments-approval-rating-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:00:14 +0000