The Ministry of National Defense said today that Chinese warplanes and warships had carried out the first "combat patrol" around Taiwan of the new year, after President William Lai (賴清德) again expressed willingness to talk to Beijing.
China sends its military into the skies and waters near the island on an almost daily basis, and holds what Taiwan calls "joint combat readiness patrols" several times a month.
The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 22 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets, carrying out a "joint combat readiness patrol" around Taiwan in conjunction with Chinese warships starting this morning.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
It said the Chinese aircraft flew in airspace to the north, west, southwest and east of Taiwan, and that Taiwanese forces were dispatched to keep watch.
China's defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lai, in his New Year's Day news conference, reiterated his desire for exchanges with China. He has repeatedly called for talks but has been rebuffed. Beijing, which held two rounds of war games around Taiwan last year, calls him a "separatist."
China's Eastern Theatre Command, whose area of responsibility includes Taiwan, yesterday released a New Year's video on social media of warships and warplanes, and what appeared to be a Chinese fighter jet flying near a P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft that the US sometimes sends through the Taiwan Strait.
The video, set to the song "Chinese" by Hong Kong pop star Andy Lau (劉德華), also included images of Chinese students visiting Taiwan late last year at the invitation of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told reporters in Taipei today that the video was another example of Chinese psychological warfare.
The video is an example of China’s “united front” efforts to create an “illusion,” he said.
"It is the People's Liberation Army showing its intimidation of Taiwan," he said.
He believes Taiwanese know that the Chinese Communist Party is acting primarily due to political factors, he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to implement Lai’s Four Pillars of Peace action plan and Four Commitments to handle the cross-strait and international relations, he added.
Additional reporting by Fion Khan and CNA
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS