Tag - taiwan

 
 

TAIWAN

The Royal Australian Navy frigate Toowoomba arrives in preparation for Rim of the Pacific military exercises at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in June 2018.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 22, 2026
Australian warship transits Taiwan Strait, tracked by Chinese Navy
An Australian government source said all interactions with foreign ships ​and aircraft “were safe and professional.”
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi display a trade deal they signed during a news conference at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo last October. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate many of Trump’s tariffs throws into doubt a series of trade deals struck in recent months, including with some of America’s largest trading partners.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 22, 2026
Asian economies weigh impact of fresh Trump tariff moves
Japan said it “will carefully examine the content of this ruling and the Trump administration’s response to it, and respond appropriately.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi delivers a diplomatic policy speech at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2026
Japan foreign chief stresses need for communication with China
Relations with Beijing have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks last November over a possible contingency concerning Taiwan.
Sanae Takaichi and her ruling party's election victory strengthens Japan’s stability and its role in regional and global diplomacy amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 20, 2026
Stability as strategy: Japan’s moment for global leadership
Rising anti-China sentiment may have contributed to Takaichi’s strong mandate.
Claims by China that Japan is returning to militarism are misleading because legal and institutional constraints make such a shift unlikely and current defense reforms reflect practical responses to changing regional threats.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 20, 2026
Debunking the myth of Japanese militarism
It is necessary to be clear on this point: Japan in 2026 is not the Japan of 1936.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her policy speech during the House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2026
Touting ‘responsible and proactive’ fiscal policy, Takaichi seeks to reassure markets
In her policy speech to parliament, the prime minister attempted to alleviate concerns that her policies are overly expansionary.
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, the Japan National Tourism Organization said on Wednesday, citing a shift in the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday and warnings against travel to Japan.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Chinese tourist decline fuels first drop in visitors to Japan since pandemic
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, compared with a 45% decline in December, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One while traveling from Palm Beach, Florida, to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Monday night.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 17, 2026
Trump claims he’s ‘talking’ about Taiwan arms sales with China’s Xi
Any talks could run counter to key U.S. policy principles intended to reassure Taipei and Congress that state Washington will not consult with China on weapons deals with Taiwan.
A mine strike is simulated during a military exercise outside a naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 29.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 17, 2026
Taiwan parliament to tackle defense spending review from Monday
The move comes amid pressure from a bipartisan group ⁠of U.S. lawmakers that has expressed concern about parliament stalling the proposed defense ​spending bill.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 15, 2026
China’s top diplomat warns Japan of ‘ghosts of militarism’ in rebuke of Takaichi
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi poured cold water on calls by Tokyo to return to dialogue in the wake of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s general election victory last week.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at her ruling party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Lower House election.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2026
After another historic victory, Takaichi takes command
Not only is she the country’s first female prime minister and a symbol of a new Japan, her career also marks a break from traditional politics.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 12, 2026
Taiwan leader warns countries in region are ‘next’ in case of China attack
President Lai Ching-te warned in an exclusive interview that countries in the region would be China’s next targets should Beijing seize Taiwan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election win is fueling regional backing for Japan to take on a bigger defense role as Asian nations seek balance against China and shifting U.S. policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 12, 2026
Most in Asia want a stronger Japanese security presence — except for China
A more confident Tokyo complicates Beijing’s preferred regional order. For many of Asia’s middle powers, that makes Japan an appealing counterweight.
A soldier speaks to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Hsinchu, Taiwan, last July.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 11, 2026
Taiwan says defense budget delay jeopardizes collective deterrence against China
Officials in Taipei say a failure to pass the government’s nearly $40 billion defense budget would “seriously weaken” the island’s defense buildup.
The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 10, 2026
Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms
Undeterred by Beijing’s economic retaliation for Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, voters endorsed the prime minister’s unyielding stance on China.
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning speaks at the opening session of the conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in March 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
China to support ‘pro-unification forces’ in Taiwan and strike ‘separatists’
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up its military and ‍political pressure against the island as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims.
A People's Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-20S stealth fighter jet. China sent an average of 5.4 aircraft per day across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in January, the lowest number since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
China sends fewer flights near Taiwan in sign of training shift
Beijing sent an average of 5.4 aircraft per day across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in January, the fewest since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office.
Singapore’s stalled birthrate reflects a broader pattern across wealthy Asian economies where higher living standards, shifting values and gender imbalances have made low fertility persistent and resistant to quick policy fixes.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 10, 2026
Why Asia can’t undo decades of falling fertility rates
The challenge is shared by most successful nations. Ultralow fertility is a byproduct of rapid development and elevated living standards.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's fabrication plant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on June 7, 2025
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 10, 2026
Taiwan says ‘impossible’ to move 40% chip capacity to U.S.
Taiwan is a powerhouse in producing chips — a critical component in the global economy — but the White House wants more of the technology made in America.
U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, addresses the media in the Oval Office on Sept. 5, the day he signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 9, 2026
Trump has killed American deterrence
Trump has shown countless times that he cannot keep promises. His reversals on TikTok, tariffs and Ukraine demonstrate that his commitments have the lifespan of a mayfly.

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