The US military has strongly suggested that Taiwan prioritize the purchase of anti-air and anti-surface missiles over the procurement of Airborne Early Warning and Control and helicopter platforms, a source in the military said yesterday.The US said the nation should increase its procurement of Patr
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must align with citizens in their mass recall movement to safeguard the country, President William Lai (賴清德) said at the party’s national congress yesterday in his capacity as party chairman.At the party congress, themed “Better democracy, better Taiwan,” Lai s
STILL ON THE TABLE: The government is not precluding advanced nuclear power generation if it is proven safer and the nuclear waste issue is solved, the premier said
Taiwan is willing to be in step with the world by considering new methods of nuclear energy generation and to discuss alternative approaches to provide more stable power generation and help support industries, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.The government would continue to develop diverse
Thousands rallied in Bangkok yesterday to demand the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen.Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent bo
The US Supreme Court on the last day of rulings for its current term gave US President Donald Trump his latest in a series of victories at the nation’s top judicial body, one that might make it easier for him to implement contentious elements of his sweeping agenda as he tests the limits of presiden
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said
US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to th
Taiwan plans to launch its first sovereign satellite by the end of the year, Chunghwa Telecom Co (CHT, 中華電信) President Chien Chih-cheng (簡志誠) said yesterday.The telecom announced that it was prepared to sign an agreement with US-based Astranis Co to launch a dedicated satellite over which Chunghwa T
‘SEVERELY DAMAGED’: Local beer companies’ market share declined 20 percent and production also fell due to beer from China, a legislator said
The Ministry of Finance yesterday said that it would slap anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made beer and hot-rolled steel for four months from Thursday next week, claiming “substantial damage” to Taiwan’s industry.The finance ministry in a statement said that it and the Ministry of Economic Affairs “h
South Korea is in talks with the US about raising its defense spending, a key demand of US President Donald Trump as he calls on allies to ramp up their outlays on security and lessen the burden on the US.“Such discussions are ongoing between working-level officials. We need to decide how to respond
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were to sign an agreement in Washington yesterday to put an end to a conflict in the eastern DRC that has killed thousands, although broad questions loom on what it would mean.However, the agreement has also come under scrutiny for its vagueness,
RESILIENCE EXERCISES: New drills would test the ability of local governments to mount a response across jurisdictions, as well as alongside the armed forces, he said
Next month would be “national unity month” to showcase Taiwan’s resolve amid high military tensions and fears of war across the Taiwan Strait, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.All Taiwanese must play their part in civil defense to ensure preparedness and unity, Lai said at the fourth meeti
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe.Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese co
‘NON-RED’ PLANS: Historical, economic and ‘heart-to-heart’ ties are the important bonds between Japan and Taiwan that he wants to cement, Takayuki Kobayashi said
Japanese Representative Takayuki Kobayashi yesterday said that his visit to Taiwan was aimed at exploring the development of “non-red” supply chains, as well as boosting bilateral ties to prevent Taiwan from being isolated.Kobayashi, who is a former minister of state for economic security, has met w
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a plan to develop central Taiwan as a core manufacturing region for smart technologies and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) centered around a proposed national center for precision and innovative technologies.With Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空
NATO members on Wednesday agreed to massively ramp up their defense spending to satisfy US President Donald Trump, who hailed it as a “monumental win” for the US and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to protect its European allies.Trump cut a jubilant figure after NATO’s 32 members agreed to his h
Myanmar’s junta chief said that the country plans to hold elections in December and January next year, state media reported yesterday.The military deposed Myanmar’s civilian government in a 2021 coup that sparked a many-sided civil war, but has promoted its election plans as a pathway to peace.With
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said
The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday.British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the
POLLUTION CURBS: The MOTC said that more than 4,000 electric buses would be available by the end of this year, with 35% of city bus fleets to be electrified
The government aims to have 4,000 electric buses operating across Taiwan by the end of this year, as part of measures to curb air pollution caused by ultrafine particulate matter (UFP), the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said yesterday.The plan was unveiled at a meeting of the
After undergoing several sea trials, Taiwan’s first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal) is set complete all of its sea acceptance tests by Sept. 30 and be delivered in November on schedule, the navy said yesterday.Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) to
Japan’s military on Tuesday test-fired a missile on Japanese territory for the first time, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter China.The Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile was tested at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido.