President-elect William Lai’s (賴清德) inaugural address tomorrow would emphasize solidarity, steadfastness, confidence and responsibility as the themes of his administration, an incoming senior security official said yesterday.Lai, who succeeds President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) after having been her vice p
DISPUTED WATERS: A ‘robust deterrence’ ensures peace and security in the region, which guarantees economic prosperity, US ambassador Emanuel said
US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday stressed the importance of increased deterrence and his country’s commitment to its key ally as he visited two southwestern Japanese islands at the forefront of Tokyo’s tensions with Beijing.Emanuel first visited Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island just
Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday urged president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to reiterate that Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) is a part of the nation’s territory in his inaugural address tomorrow.Chiang made the call during a visit to
The ratio of the Bank of Taiwan’s exposure to China over its net worth has fallen sharply to 3.42 percent as the bank seeks to reduce its reliance on the Chinese market, it said.Bank of Taiwan chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠), who has led Taiwan’s largest lender since 2016, said in a recent media interview
One more person was killed yesterday and two were injured in New Caledonia as security personnel tried to restore order after a fifth night of riots and looting that has now claimed six lives, while Australians stranded in the Pacific territory of France said they were rationing food as they wait fo
The US is redoubling its support for the self-defense capabilities of Taiwan and other partners to counter the threat to regional stability posed by China’s rise, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said on Thursday at a hearing of the US House of Re
MUSICAL INTERLUDE: During the altercations, KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin at one point pulled out a flute and started to play the national anthem
A massive brawl erupted between governing and opposition lawmakers in the main chamber of the legislature in Taipei yesterday over legislative reforms.President-elect William Lai (賴清德) is to be inaugurated on Monday, but his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in the legislature and
Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), who heads the Indigenous Defense Submarine Program, and Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆), chairman of shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船), are expected to be on board during the Hai Kun submarine’s sea acceptance test this month.Taiwan received the first shipment of long-awaited
NO EXPORTS: Kim Yo-jong said the tested weapons are designed to attack Seoul and denied that they were weapons that are set to be delivered to Russia
North Korea yesterday fired suspected short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military said, a day after South Korea and the US flew powerful fighter jets in a joint drill that North Korea views as a major security threat.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons
The Philippines has agreed to buy five coast guard patrol ships from Japan in a deal worth more than US$400 million, Manila said yesterday, as the Southeast Asian nation faces growing Chinese pressure in the South China Sea.Japan is to loan the Philippines ¥64.38 billion (US$413 million) to buy the
PREMIER’S BOW: Despite challenges brought by a US-China rivalry and COVID-19, officials and the public have together built a resilient country, Chen Chien-jen said
Cabinet officials collectively resigned yesterday and are serving as caretakers before the country transitions to a new government, with president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to take office on Monday.Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) presided over his last Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, in which the bill
‘HONG KONGIZATION?’ NSB official Ko Cheng-heng said that Beijing’s campaign against Taiwan would spark a strong backlash from democracies around the world
Cyberattacks from China have surged to 2.5 million per day as it intensifies its “gray zone” activities ahead of president-elect William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on Monday next week, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday at a meeting of the legislatures’ Foreign Affairs and National Defe
About 50 foreign delegations are to attend the inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Monday next week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said on Wednesday, including leaders of allied nations and a group of former officials from the US.The number of visitors underscores the
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday framed their nations’ ties as a stabilizing force in a chaotic world as they met in Beijing.Putin was greeted by Xi at a grand welcoming ceremony outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, footage by state broadcaster
Slovakian politicians yesterday called for calm in the Central European country after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times by a would-be assassin on Wednesday.Fico was in serious, but stable condition, a hospital official said, after he was hit multiple times in an attempt on hi
‘ON THE FRONT LINE’: Taiwanese are at the forefront of the fight against authoritarian expansion, facing foreign disinformation and military threats, the president-elect said
Taiwan is open to dialogue with China, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, just days before he is to take office.“I will not rule out dialogue with China on the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefits and dignity,” Lai said in a prerecorded video,
‘TOO LATE’: Yu Pei-chen, a Taoyuan councilor and ex-army general, said the Chinese officials were 41 years late in imposing sanctions on him, as he enlisted in 1983
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) yesterday announced sanctions against five Taiwanese politicians, pundits and public figures critical of Beijing, accusing them of spreading disinformation about China.The five are: Liu Bao-jie (劉寶傑), Lee Zheng-hao (李正皓), Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), Yu Pei-chen (于北辰), Hu
If the WHO is serious about its goal of “Health for All,” it would allow Taiwan to attend all of its meetings, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday.Taiwan is excluded from most international organizations because of objections by China.The WHO’s director-general should take the
The US is to send a delegation of former officials to Taiwan next week for the inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), a US official said, warning China against any retaliation. The team attending the ceremony on Monday includes US President Joe Biden’s former National Economic Council di
About 100 rights advocates and fishers, along with journalists, yesterday set sail for a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, while China Coast Guard vessels began shadowing the flotilla.The Philippine Coast Guard deployed three patrol ships and a light plane to keep watch from a distance.The flot