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Taiwan

Taiwan
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Taiwan, covering politics, economy, society and the island's relationship with mainland China.
Hong Kong director Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai revealed last December that Deadline, starring Anthony Wong Chau-sang (centre), was banned in the city after waiting for more than four months for approval. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong travel agency backs out of Taiwan trip over controversial film screening

Jetport Travel also distances itself from promotion of tour organised by e-commerce platform As One, says wording ‘crossed the line’.

US-China relations

What about Taiwan? Why US foreign policy is now all about the western hemisphere

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US-China relations

US banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

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Japan

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

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People walk along Takeshita Street, Harajuku, Tokyo. The number of tourist arrivals in Japan rose by 15.8 per cent to a record 42.7 million last year. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong transport

Air travellers are being urged to ditch power banks. Here’s why

Hong Kong tour operator says it has asked its clients to bring charging cables instead.

Mainland China

What Beijing’s drone flight over Pratas Island means for its Taiwan strategy

Analysts say PLA’s first confirmed drone deployment in Taiwan-claimed airspace is the latest ‘salami-slicing’ tactic towards the island.

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South Korea

Dubai chewy cookie: K-pop post sparks viral South Korean snack frenzy

South Korea’s highly interconnected culture has fuelled a series of viral food crazes, the latest being a chocolate-loaded cookie known locally as ‘dujjonku’.

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“Dubai-style” chewy chocolate cookies have taken off in Seoul, South Korea, drawing long lines. Photo: AFP
Aviation accidents

Video | Helicopter crash site found in Japan; 3 still missing

The sightseeing helicopter crashed into a steep crater on Mount Aso, with volcanic gases hindering recovery operations.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants face dilemma as Nvidia’s H200 chips are held at the border

With firms waiting for import approval from Beijing, one reseller said finding H200 chips has gotten harder – even on the black market.

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Semiconductors

Memory chip crunch to persist even as Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron boost production

Major vendors are scrambling to expand production, but the scarcity of general-purpose memory chips is forecast to continue well into 2027.

The global shortage of commodity memory chips is not expected to be addressed any time soon. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Critics in Taiwan question true cost of US deal hailed for tariff cut

Debate centres on Taiwan’s financial commitment to the US – whether US$250 billion or US$500 billion – and if it will harm the economy.

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Taiwanese opposition parties have warned that what officials portray as a tariff win could carry heavy long-term costs for the island’s economy and industrial base. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

Japan’s last 2 giant pandas set for early trip home to China as tensions spiral

Return of twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei to mark first time Japan will be without any pandas since normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1972.

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Mainland China

Taiwanese military’s closed-door meeting draws ‘black box’ criticism

Taiwan’s defence minister delivers classified briefing on record US$39.5 billion budget in a bid to break opposition blockade.

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Diplomacy

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

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The BBNJ Agreement provides a framework for governing the ocean that lies beyond the jurisdiction of any individual country, covering around two-thirds of global waters. Photo: Shutterstock
Semiconductors

Explainer | Will Trump’s new industrial policy make the global memory chip shortage worse?

The US government warns major memory chipmakers to either pay 100 per cent duties or build their products in America.

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The current shortage and rising prices of regular dynamic random access memory chips have severely affected the consumer electronics market. Photo: Shutterstock
China's military weapons

Type 075, the PLA amphibious ‘light aircraft carrier’ key to Taiwan strategy

The Hainan and its three sister ships are expected to form the backbone of the PLA Navy’s large-scale landing capability.

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China's military weapons

What the Fujian’s design flaws mean for China’s next aircraft carrier

Military magazine pinpoints design flaws in the Fujian carrier that significantly reduce its launch efficiency.

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My Take

My Take | Taiwan has just sold out TSMC and half its chips industry to the US

The so-called silicon shield is bust as there will not be much left of the island to defend after the forced relocation of a significant chunk of industrial base under new tariff deal.

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People walk beside a logo outside the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Museum of Innovation at its headquarters in Hsinchu on November 21, 2024. Photo: AFP
South China Sea

PLA sends drone into airspace near Taiwan-held Pratas Island in South China Sea

Southern Theatre Command cites ‘completely legitimate’ routine flight training, while Taipei calls it ‘provocative and irresponsible’ act.

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United Nations

Will US exit from world bodies deal fresh blow to Taiwan’s global profile push?

Opposition lawmakers fear the island’s international space will shrink still further without Washington’s voice in dozens of global bodies.

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Japan

In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency

China has reportedly imposed curbs on rare earth shipments to Japan, and there are concerns that these could be extended to medical products.

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People wearing face masks walking on a street in Tokyo. Japan imports most of its antibiotics from China. Photo: AP
United States

Taipei hails US 15% tariffs ‘home run’ despite fears over US$500 billion cost

Deal risks gutting Taiwan’s semiconductor sector, opposition parties warn, as Beijing dubs it a plot to drain lifeblood of island’s industry.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai has said the agreement will strengthen Taiwan’s global competitiveness and deepen hi-tech cooperation with Washington. Photo: AFP
China society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Taiwan economy

TSMC buys up land in Arizona as Taiwan pledges US$500 billion US tech investment

Chip giant TSMC plans to build a ‘gigafab cluster’ in the US, with Taiwan committing to US$500 billion investment under a new trade deal.

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China-Canada relations

China-Canada accord, US-Taiwan chips deal, GDP slowdown

This week: China and Canada to cut tariffs, Taiwan agrees chips and tariff deal with US, China trade surplus hits record, and PBOC cuts relending rates. Next week, China economic growth may hit post-Covid low, Trump attends Davos, DeepSeek reaches first anniversary, and more.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

China’s US envoy says world faces ‘stark choice’ as 2026 opens with instability

Xie Feng barely mentions Donald Trump by name but draws contrast between Washington’s recent actions and Chinese-led stability.

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File picture of China’s ambassador to the US Xie Feng. Photo: X / @AmbXieFeng
Open Questions series

Open Questions | China wins if Venezuela ensnares Trump, Mearsheimer says

Maduro’s ‘kidnap’ and naked grab for Venezuela’s oil may leave US bogged down and less able to keep eye on China, political scientist John Mearsheimer says.

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Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks slip on profit-taking after TSMC’s upbeat AI outlook

Hang Seng Index retreats despite TSMC’s earnings outlook bolstering confidence in AI-related demand and lifting risk appetite globally.

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