Taiwan

Taiwan sees US support unchanged no matter who wins election

TAIPEI, March 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Thursday it believes U.S. support will remain unchanged no matter who wins the presidential election, but it will stay on…

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China trying to ‘normalise’ military drills near Taiwan

TAIPEI, March 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan's top security official told parliament on Monday that China runs "joint combat readiness patrols" near the democratic island every 7-10 days on average, saying…

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China steps up grey-zone warfare to exhaust Taiwan

By Yimou Lee TAIPEI, March 7 (Reuters) - China has stepped up grey-zone warfare against Taiwan, aiming to make the areas around the democratic island "saturated" with balloons, drones and…

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China to send coast guard ships as tensions rise over Taiwanese islands

BEIJING, Feb 18 (Reuters) - China's coast guard said on Sunday it will strengthen its law enforcement activities and carry out regular patrols around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands…

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Taiwan reports Chinese balloons at start of New Year holiday

TAIPEI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday it had detected eight Chinese balloons crossing the Taiwan Strait in the previous 24 hours, two of which flew…

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The US military is preparing for a potential conflict with China by storing supplies in Australia

When US and Australian troops practised amphibious landings, ground combat and air operations last year, they drew headlines about the allies deepening defence cooperation to counter China’s growing military ambitions.…

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Taiwan president tells Pope Francis she supports his AI concerns

TAIPEI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis offering support for his concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and pledging deeper cooperation…

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Taiwan says 11 Chinese military planes crossed strait’s median line

TAIPEI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday it had detected 11 Chinese military planes crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line in the past 24 hours. The…

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Taiwan begins extended one-year conscription in response to China threat

By Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang TAICHUNG, Taiwan (Reuters) - The first batch of new recruits began serving their one-year compulsory military service in Taiwan on Thursday after the conscription…

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Chinese military continues to train, prepare for war -defence ministry spokesperson

BEIJING, Jan 25 (Reuters) - China's military is continuing to train and prepare for war, and will continue to organise relevant military operations on a regular basis, a defence ministry…

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Taiwan reports first major Chinese military activity after election

By Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected 18 Chinese air force planes operating around Taiwan and carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols" with Chinese warships…

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UPDATED: Taiwan ruling party’s Lai wins presidential election

By Yimou Lee and James Pomfret TAIPEI, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwan's ruling party, won an election on Saturday that China had framed as…

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How does a Taiwan election work?

(Reuters) - Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, which will be watched closely by neighbour China as it views the island as a Chinese province. Taiwan's government rejects…

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China’s military ready to ‘smash’ any ‘Taiwan independence’ plot

BEIJING, Jan 12 (Reuters) - China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains on high alert at all times and will take all needed steps to "smash" any "Taiwan independence" separatist plot,…

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Taiwan parties to make final push for support in critical election

By Zahra Matarani and Joseph Campbell TAIPEI/TAINAN, Taiwan, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan's three main political parties will hold mass rallies on Friday evening in a final push for support…

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Taiwan says it spotted more Chinese balloons over strait, a day ahead of vote

TAIPEI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Friday it detected five Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait over the past 24 hours, one of which crossed…

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Ignoring Taiwan’s complaints, more Chinese balloons spotted over strait

TAIPEI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected three more Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, one of which crossed the island, the latest…

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Taiwan spots more Chinese balloons, says one flew over island

TAIPEI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected three more Chinese balloons flying across the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, and one of those flew over the…

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Taiwan spots Chinese balloons over island near major air base

TAIPEI, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Three Chinese balloons flew across Taiwan island on Tuesday and near an air base, the Taiwanese defence ministry said, the first time it has reported…

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China calls on Taiwan’s people to promote ‘peaceful reunification’

The head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Tuesday called on Taiwan's people to promote the process of "peaceful reunification", saying it was the common desire of people on both…

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Taiwan says eight Chinese fighter jets crossed strait’s median line

TAIPEI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday that over the previous 24 hours it had detected eight Chinese fighter jets crossing over the median line of…

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China pressures Taiwan with trade accusations and warplanes month before election

China on Friday pressured Taiwan with a trade barrier probe and warplanes in the Taiwan Strait a month before the island holds key elections, as Taipei called on Beijing to…

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Chinese forces approached close to Taiwan coast to ‘intimidate’ voters before key elections – sources

By Yimou Lee TAIPEI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military drove away four attempts by Chinese forces to approach the island's sensitive contiguous zone last month, Taiwan security officials said,…

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Taiwan spots Chinese weather balloon in strait a month before election

TAIPEI, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Friday that a Chinese weather balloon had crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Thursday, about a month before Taiwan's…

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US Navy patrol plane flies over sensitive Taiwan Strait

BEIJING, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy patrol aircraft flew through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, describing the mission as a demonstration of the…

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Taiwan president: China too ‘overwhelmed’ to consider invasion

China's leadership is too "overwhelmed" with its internal problems to consider an invasion of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said in an interview with the New York Times. China, which views…

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Taiwan reports more Chinese military activity as election nears

TAIPEI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan again reported Chinese warplanes and warships around the island on Thursday, including aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing…

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Taiwan urges elderly, young to avoid China visits due to respiratory illnesses

TAIPEI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan's health ministry on Thursday urged the elderly, very young and those with poor immunity to avoid travel to China due to the recent increase…

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Taiwan rattled by offshore earthquake, no reports of damage

TAIPEI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast on Sunday, the island's weather bureau said, briefly shaking buildings in the capital Taipei but with…

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Australian warship sails through Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Taiwan said on Friday that an Australian warship had sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the sensitive and narrow waterway that separates the democratically governed island…

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War with China is not an option, Taiwan ruling party VP candidate says

By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The vice presidential candidate for Taiwan's ruling party in a January election said on Thursday that war with China is not an…

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Taiwan monitors Chinese carrier group in sensitive Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military has sent forces to keep watch on a Chinese naval formation led by the aircraft carrier Shandong sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait,…

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Taiwan monitors Chinese carrier group in Pacific

TAIPEI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military sent forces to keep watch on Thursday after a Chinese naval formation led by the aircraft carrier Shandong passed the island's south and…

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Taiwan sets up task force to study Israel-Hamas war

By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, (Reuters) - Taiwan has set up a task force to draw lessons from the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, Defence Minister Chiu…

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Taiwan reveals first homegrown submarine in defence milestone

By Carlos Garcia, Walid Berrazeg and Sarah Wu KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine on Thursday, a major step in a project aimed at strengthening…

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China says aim of its drills near Taiwan is to combat ‘arrogance’ of separatists

BEIJING, Sept 27 (Reuters) - China's recent drills near Taiwan are aimed at combating the "arrogance" of separatist forces, the Chinese government said on Wednesday, after Taipei reported a rise…

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Taiwan raises concerns about situation ‘getting out of hand’ with China drills

TAIPEI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The increased frequency of China's military activities around Taiwan recently has raised the risk of events "getting out of hand" and sparking an accidental clash,…

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Taiwan says Chinese movements ‘abnormal’, flags amphibious drills

TAIPEI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Recent Chinese movements around Taiwan were "abnormal", the island's defence minister said on Friday, flagging amphibious exercises in addition to drills Taipei has observed in…

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Taiwan urges China to stop ‘destructive’ military activities

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee TAIPEI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry on Monday urged China to stop "destructive, unilateral action" after reporting a sharp rise in Chinese…

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Taiwan reports 28 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone

By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it spotted 28 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone on Wednesday morning,…

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Biden approves military aid to Taiwan under program normally used for sovereign states

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has approved a military transfer to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, program normally used for sovereign…

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Taiwan warns of ‘sharp increase’ in tensions as Chinese planes cross median line

Taiwan's defence ministry warned on Tuesday of a possible "sharp increase" in military tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity including fighter jets crossing the sensitive median line of the…

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US announces Taiwan weapons package worth up to $345 mln

By Mike Stone and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States unveiled a Taiwan weapons aid package worth up to $345 million, a move likely to anger China even…

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Simulating enemy attack, Taiwan conducts military drill at main airport

By Ann Wang and Fabian Hamacher TAOYUAN, Taiwan, July 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan conducted an anti-aircraft landing drill at its main international airport for the first time on Wednesday, simulating…

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Taiwan probes alleged leak of classified reports, diplomatic cables

By Yimou Lee TAIPEI, July 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan is investigating a possible leak of official documents including diplomatic cables and classified reports on the island's sensitive bid to join…

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China flexes military muscles ahead of Taiwan’s war games

By Yimou Lee and Roger Tung TAIPEI (Reuters) - China's military has been flexing its muscles this week around Taiwan practicing joint force operations far out at sea, ahead of…

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U.S. Navy plans flies through Taiwan Strait after Chinese drills

TAIPEI, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy patrol plane flew through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Thursday, following two days of Chinese military exercises to the south of the…

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Taiwan says Chinese air force, navy stage mass drill to island’s south

TAIPEI, July 12 (Reuters) - China's air force and navy staged another large-scale drill involving fighters, bombers and warships to Taiwan's south and southwest, the island's defence ministry said, as…

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Taiwan military holds live fire drills on strategic southern coast

By Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang FANGSHAN, Taiwan, July 3 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military carried out live fire drills on its strategically-located southern coast on Monday, firing missiles from highly…

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Taiwan says 11 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line

TAIPEI, June 30 (Reuters) - Eleven Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Friday morning, an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan's defence ministry said,…

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Taiwan says it spots two Russian warships off its east coast

TAIPEI, June 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan spotted two Russian warships off its eastern coast on Tuesday and sent its own aircraft and ships to keep watch, the island's defence ministry…

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US Coast Guard ship transited Taiwan Strait after Blinken’s China visit -US Navy

TAIPEI, June 22 (Reuters) - A U.S. Coast Guard ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said on Thursday, transiting the sensitive waterway a…

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Germany’s Scholz: I warned China on using force against Taiwan

BERLIN, June 22 (Reuters) - Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament on Thursday that he had warned China during talks earlier this week against using force to achieve territorial…

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Photo Story: Sand sculpture exhibition in Taiwan

People walk past a Star Wars sand sculpture exhibition at Fulong beach in New Taipei city, Taiwan, 21 June 2023. This year’s sand sculptures feature various Disney characters made by…

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Taiwan says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through strait

TAIPEI, June 21 (Reuters) - A Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry said, amid heightened military…

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Taiwan says 10 Chinese warplanes cross strait’s median line

TAIPEI, June 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan's air force scrambled into action on Sunday after spotting 10 Chinese warplanes crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, as the island's…

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Taiwan presses EU on investment deal as bloc courts tech companies

By Jeanny Kao and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, June 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan and the European Union should sign a long-stalled investment agreement if Europe wants long-term investment from the island,…

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