https://www.scmp.com/rss/524427/feed The latest news and updates on Lin Chia-lung, a distinguished Taiwanese political scientist and politician, currently serving as Foreign Minister. He holds degrees from Yale and National Taiwan University, and was formerly a political science professor. His extensive career includes significant roles such as Secretary-General to the President, Minister of Transportation and Communications, and Mayor of Taichung. He has been instrumental in promoting Taiwan’s international engagement,... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese authorities praised the decision of Taiwanese actress and model Lin Chi-ling to quit her position as a new board member of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), after her appointment drew backlash. Chen Binhua, a spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference on Wednesday that the TAICCA had orchestrated and funded films and television productions in recent years that “distort history and hype the ‘mainland threat’”. “It serves as a political tool for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355143/china-praises-actress-lin-chi-ling-quitting-taiwan-culture-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355143/china-praises-actress-lin-chi-ling-quitting-taiwan-culture-board?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:32 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is watching the coming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping with unease, concerned that any discussions over arms sales could see the island used as leverage in a broader Sino-American deal. Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. According to the White House, the engagements will include a bilateral meeting with Xi and a state banquet on Thursday, as well as a working lunch before Trump departs on Friday. Speaking at the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353317/why-trumps-visit-beijing-has-taiwan-edge-about-us-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353317/why-trumps-visit-beijing-has-taiwan-edge-about-us-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 14:30:07 +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 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Beijing’s embassy in Israel has protested following media reports of a secret trip by Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister to the Middle Eastern country. According to a Reuters report on Thursday citing multiple anonymous sources, Francois Wu Chih-chung had travelled to Israel in recent weeks, though it was not disclosed who he met there. Taipei has not officially confirmed whether the visit took place. The Chinese embassy in Israel commented on the matter on Saturday, stating that Beijing firmly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336319/beijing-protests-following-reports-taiwanese-officials-secret-israel-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336319/beijing-protests-following-reports-taiwanese-officials-secret-israel-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 07:18:37 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The United States Senate has passed a bill seeking to review long-standing restrictions on official engagement with Taiwan, a move certain to anger Beijing. For over four decades, Washington’s own guidelines have limited how officials may interact with their Taiwanese counterparts. But the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act asks the State Department to “identify opportunities and plans to lift self-imposed restrictions on relations with Taiwan”. Passed without objection by senators from both... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333577/us-senate-approves-bill-could-clear-way-more-official-exchanges-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333577/us-senate-approves-bill-could-clear-way-more-official-exchanges-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:24:38 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A surprise appearance at the European Parliament by Taiwan’s No 2 leader Hsiao Bi-khim has stirred debate at home over whether the move signals a substantial breakthrough in ties with Europe – or if it was just a risky publicity stunt. Supporters hailed the event as a success for Taiwan’s outreach to Europe, while critics called it little more than a rented hall performance. In a late-night statement on Friday, the office of William Lai Ching-te said the Taiwanese leader had personally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332381/milestone-or-risky-stunt-taiwanese-debate-no-2-leaders-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332381/milestone-or-risky-stunt-taiwanese-debate-no-2-leaders-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:42:30 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung In a high-stakes bilateral exchange where Taiwan has historically been an enduring flashpoint, the unusual silence was deafening. Last week’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump produced a rare omission – no mention of Taiwan at all in official statements from both Washington and Beijing. The rare departure from diplomatic tradition has left the self-ruled island with an awkward sense of both relief and unease. While most Western media described the outcome... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3331997/taiwan-faces-new-unease-after-xi-trump-summit-leaves-island-sidelined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3331997/taiwan-faces-new-unease-after-xi-trump-summit-leaves-island-sidelined?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 06:00:18 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China has held off on congratulating Japan’s new prime minister nearly a week after her appointment, a break with precedent that sends alarm about the state of relations between the two countries. China hawk Sanae Takaichi, 64, took office on Tuesday, becoming the first woman prime minister in the country’s history and the fifth person to hold the office in five years. She took over from Shigeru Ishiba, who was congratulated by both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on the day he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330382/china-gives-japans-new-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-cold-shoulder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330382/china-gives-japans-new-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-cold-shoulder?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:55:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Sanae Takaichi, set to become Japan’s first female prime minister, may skip a visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine during the upcoming autumn festival, as she seeks to build a coalition government and damp down tensions with China. The conservative new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has heeded advice from aides that a visit would promote strong reactions from China and South Korea, Kyodo News reported, citing sources close to her. Takaichi, 64, has previously stepped... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3328235/japans-takaichi-faces-tensions-coalition-partner-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3328235/japans-takaichi-faces-tensions-coalition-partner-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:05:26 +0000 Dewey Sim,Yuanyue Dang Dewey Sim,Yuanyue Dang Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo may escalate further with Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s next leader, observers warn, citing her controversial positions on the Taiwan issue and Japanese wartime history. Takaichi, a former internal affairs minister known for her conservative views, was chosen to lead Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday in a run-off vote against more moderate candidate Shinjiro Koizumi. The victory sets her up to be Japan’s fifth prime minister in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327888/what-will-rise-sanae-takaichi-mean-chinas-ties-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327888/what-will-rise-sanae-takaichi-mean-chinas-ties-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 12:45:22 +0000 Lucio Blanco Pitlo III Lucio Blanco Pitlo III China’s plan to designate the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea as a national marine nature reserve has drawn strong objections from the Philippines. The timing of the move hints at Beijing’s growing discontent with its neighbour’s policies, notably Manila’s move to normalise the presence of foreign navies in the region and its warming ties with Taiwan. To many, China’s latest ploy is a fresh attempt to change the facts on the ground, using environmental rhetoric to consolidate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326166/will-chinas-marine-reserve-gambit-push-philippines-breaking-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326166/will-chinas-marine-reserve-gambit-push-philippines-breaking-point?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 06:00:22 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan plans to boost its spending in Latin America by more than NT$1 billion (US$32.8 million) next year, as it seeks to shore up ties with its few remaining allies in the region and push back against Beijing’s intensifying efforts to lure them away. According to a budget proposal submitted to Taiwan’s legislature last week, the island’s foreign ministry will allocate NT$5.37 billion to its Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs in the next financial year, up from NT$4.36 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324781/taiwan-boosts-spending-latin-america-beijing-works-poach-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324781/taiwan-boosts-spending-latin-america-beijing-works-poach-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:37:12 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Beijing condemned a visit by two US Republican senators to Taiwan on Friday, saying it sent a “seriously wrong signal” to “separatist forces”. The visit by Roger Wicker and Deb Fischer comes at a sensitive time, with the two countries locked in trade talks and discussions about a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. “China has always firmly opposed any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan,” Guo Jiakun, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323710/beijing-says-us-senators-visit-taiwan-will-embolden-separatist-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323710/beijing-says-us-senators-visit-taiwan-will-embolden-separatist-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:19:47 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen On the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Tokyo to face up to its history and “make the right choice” regarding Taiwan. “A series of international documents … clearly defined Japan’s war responsibilities and required Japan to return the territories it had stolen from China, including Taiwan,” Wang said on Friday on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Anning, in southwest China’s Yunnan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321991/beijing-says-tokyo-must-make-right-choice-taiwan-japan-remembers-cost-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321991/beijing-says-tokyo-must-make-right-choice-taiwan-japan-remembers-cost-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:08:01 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Shanghai took tentative steps towards creating a yuan stablecoin, and the world’s first yuan-denominated tokenised fund entered the market as technology developments support China’s push for wider international use of its currency. City leaders in Shanghai have ordered a study into the feasibility of introducing stablecoins, the Post reported this week, citing two local officials familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. China Asset Management’s Hong Kong arm, ChinaAMC, introduced... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3318725/yuan-stablecoin-china-eu-summit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3318725/yuan-stablecoin-china-eu-summit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguayan president Santiago Peña said Monday that his country would “stand firmly by Taiwan”, describing the 68-year diplomatic relationship as a strategic and values-based alliance that the country is prepared to defend “with all its strength and with a loud voice”. Speaking at a Taiwan–Paraguay business forum in Asunción, Peña said his country’s partnership with the self-ruled island reflects Paraguay’s sovereign foreign policy and its commitment to democratic principles, not just economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318209/paraguay-president-vows-defend-taiwan-ties-all-its-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318209/paraguay-president-vows-defend-taiwan-ties-all-its-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 23:31:58 +0000