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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.
Opposition parties accuse Taiwanese leader William Lai of showing contempt for parliament and evading democratic scrutiny. Photo: EPA
William Lai

What next for Taiwan as William Lai refuses to attend impeachment hearings?

Lawmakers from ruling DPP have dismissed process as political theatre designed to generate publicity ahead of election season.

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China-Asean relations

Why China was so keen to get to alleged cybercrime boss Chen Zhi first

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Hong Kong society

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

US-China relations

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

The State Department skips direct references to the island as it outlines it foreign policy direction for the next five years.

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The US State Department’s five-year strategic plan makes no mention of Taiwan. Photo: AP
US-China relations

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

Pentagon says it will focus on the first island chain while urging partners to contribute more to the collective defence.

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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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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.

Passengers will no longer be allowed to charge their electronic devices using portable batteries while flying with Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul. Photo: Yonhap News
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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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.

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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Nvidia has received the green light from Washington to export the H200 to China, but was waiting for approvals from the Chinese side. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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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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Visitors have been queuing for hours to see Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Tokyo’s Ueno zoo since it was announced they would leave earlier than previously planned. Photo: Kyodo
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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Washington’s latest arms sale package to Taiwan includes the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars. Photo: EPA-EFE
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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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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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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With a displacement of between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes, the Type 075 Hainan is one of the largest amphibious assault ships in the world. Photo: Eugene Lee
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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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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Pratas, bridging the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel, is the largest natural island in the South China Sea and commands a vital strategic position in its northern reaches. Photo: CNA
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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President Donald Trump’s order to withdraw the United States from multiple UN and other international organisations has caused consternation in Taiwan. Illustration: Reuters
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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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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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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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
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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Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), gives a speech at the company’s production site in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2022. The firm has now bought a second tract of land adjoining the site. Photo: AP
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.

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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