The US military would prioritize protecting its homeland and deterring China while providing “more limited” support to allies in Europe and elsewhere, a Pentagon strategy document released on Friday said. The document did not mention Taiwan. The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) marks a significa
KEY INDUSTRIES: If the reform proves successful, it would bolster Taiwan’s pivotal role in the technology landscape, National Chi Nan University president Wu Tung-hsing said
The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said that it would pilot a major reform of the government-funded overseas study program for the “five key trusted industries” by loosening regulations and boosting scholarships by about NT$1 million (US$31,668) to attract top technology talent.The five trust
Simple Mart Retail Co (三商家購), which runs supermarket chain Simple Mart (美廉社) in Taiwan, announced that it would acquire the OK Mart (OK超商) convenience store chain for NT$125 million (US$3.96 million).A board meeting held on Friday approved a plan for Simple Mart to acquire a 100 percent stake in OK
Two days of talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at finding a path to end the four-year war yesterday wrapped up in Abu Dhabi as Kyiv came under a massive Russian air attack. Yesterday’s discussions ran for about three hours. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to brief Ukraini
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said
The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation.These are part of the Consolidate
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday offered to talk with Ukraine about a crackdown on sanctions-busting arms after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Taiwan as a source of illicit missile components.Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan has continued updating export controls to s
TAIWAN-EU BOND: The resolutions condemned China’s attempt to change the ‘status quo’ and called on EU members to deepen relationships with Taiwan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday welcomed the European Parliament’s passage of two resolutions that express concern over China’s threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and support deepening multifaceted Taiwan-EU cooperation and exchanges. The European Parli
The Kremlin early yesterday said the “territorial issue” remained unresolved after Russian President Vladimir Putin held late-night talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the latest peace plan for ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.There is “no hope of achieving a long-term settlement”
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday dissolved the lower house of parliament, paving the way for an early election on Feb. 8.The move is an attempt to capitalize on her popularity to help the governing party regain ground after major losses over the past few years, but it would delay par
THIRTY-EIGHT PROGRAMS: The Cabinet said the opposition was seeking funding for programs it prioritized, while the TPP accused the DPP of a policy about-face
Civil servants would face problems administering the 38 projects fast-tracked in a motion by opposition parties, who have now stalled the general budget for 147 days, Cabinet officials said yesterday.Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) urged opposition parties to review and deliberate
‘COMMITTED TO DETERRENCE’: Washington would stand by its allies, but it can only help as much as countries help themselves, Raymond Greene said
The US is committed to deterrence in the first island chain, but it should not bear the burden alone, as “freedom is not free,” American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said in a speech at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s “Strengthening Resilience: Defense as th
The Executive Yuan yesterday proposed amendments to the National Pension Act (國民年金法), with the government expecting to invest about NT$86 billion (US$2.72 billion) annually and an estimated 1.76 million people set to benefit.The draft changes aim to raise benefit levels, ease means-testing threshold
A framework deal on Greenland agreed with US President Donald Trump would require NATO allies to step up on arctic security and the first results of this would be seen this year, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters in an interview yesterday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum i
Members of Philippine civil society groups yesterday filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, accusing him of systematically bilking taxpayers out of billions of dollars for bogus flood control projects.Rage over so-called ghost infrastructure projects has bee
A Vietnamese migrant worker yesterday won NT$12 million (US$379,627) on a Lunar New Year scratch card in Kaohsiung as part of Taiwan Lottery Co’s (台灣彩券) “NT$12 Million Grand Fortune” (1200萬大吉利) game.The man was the first top-prize winner of the new game launched on Jan. 6 to mark the Lunar New Year.
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said
The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan.The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiati
‘AUTHORITARIAN GAZE’: The level of Chinese state involvement in the corporate sector poses a significant and unavoidable national security risk, an analyst said
Chinese-linked artificial intelligence (AI) programs are allegedly sending Beijing information, so democratic countries should ban them and establish mutually agreed-upon rules for AI, the Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology Research Institute said in a report released yesterday.Taiwan and it
The Philippines yesterday repatriated 17 Taiwanese suspected of financial fraud to face trial in Taiwan after arresting them in a joint law enforcement operation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.In May, Philippine police detained the suspects in Cebu following an 11-month investigation conducte
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi yesterday issued the most direct threat yet against the US after Tehran’s bloody crackdown on protesters, warning that the nation would be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”The comments by Araghchi, who saw his in
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