# Taiwan
Latest news and articles about Taiwan
Total: 53 articles found
Li Qiang’s Fifth-Year Blueprint: Fiscal Firepower, Tech Push and a Focus on Domestic Demand
Premier Li Qiang’s government work report for 2026 balances modest growth targets with an expanded fiscal programme, a reinforced industrial-technology push and stronger social supports. The plan emphasizes domestic demand, strategic R&D investment, and risk-managed stabilisation of property and local-government debts while reaffirming Beijing’s assertive foreign-policy and security posture.
In a Crisis, Whose Papers Protect Whom? What Taiwan Travel Documents Reveal About Cross‑Strait Calculations
Commentary prompted by the question "what do Taiwan compatriots' documents deliver in a crisis?" highlights how travel permits and passports perform both practical and symbolic roles across the Taiwan Strait. In emergencies, legal status, institutional capacity and political will matter more than paperwork, yet documents remain central to the competition for legitimacy and the protection of civilians.
Beijing Warns Taiwan: 'Independence Is a Dead End' as Mainland Signals Leverage in 15th Five‑Year Plan Era
A senior Chinese NPC delegate warned that Taiwan independence is a ‘‘dead end’’ and urged Taiwanese to distrust external backers, framing unification as inevitable amid Beijing’s growing economic and military strength. He presented the mainland’s upcoming 15th Five‑Year Plan as a major opportunity for Taiwan’s participation, while blaming the DPP and foreign arms sales for raising tensions.
Beijing Delegate Tells Taiwan Voters ‘Independence Is a Dead End’ as Beijing Offers Economic Pull, Military Push
An NPC delegate, Zeng Liqun, warned Taiwanese that independence is a dead end and urged engagement with the mainland’s upcoming 15th Five‑Year Plan, while condemning the DPP and external actors for undermining cross‑strait ties. His comments blend economic inducements with security warnings, reflecting Beijing’s simultaneous carrot‑and‑stick approach to Taiwan amid heightened regional tensions.
Japan’s Push to Remilitarise Sparks Cross‑Society Alarm and Fears of Regional Escalation
Prominent Japanese figures convened in Tokyo to denounce Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposals to loosen arms‑export controls, revisit the Three Non‑Nuclear Principles and expand southwest deployments. Critics warn these policies could heighten regional tensions, damage Japan’s moral standing on wartime history, and impose domestic economic costs.
U.S. Softens Tone as Taiwan’s Parties Pivot — A Trillion‑TWD Arms Push Looms
U.S. restraint toward Beijing and heightened Middle East risks have prompted a rapid political realignment in Taiwan, enabling President Lai to consolidate power and propel a NT$1.25 trillion arms procurement toward a legislative showdown. The Kuomintang’s sudden willingness to lead review of the defence bill reflects U.S. pressure and internal pro‑American currents, but accelerated purchases could provoke mainland countermeasures without delivering guaranteed security.
Fewer Visible Sorties, Not Less Pressure: How J-20s and Information Warfare Are Reworking the Taiwan Air Picture
A reported drop in PLA sortie counts around Taiwan has prompted speculation of de‑escalation, but evidence points to a qualitative shift in operations. The deployment and massing of J‑20 stealth fighters, combined with integrated sensor networks, mean fewer visible flights can still impose significant military pressure and complicate Taiwan's defence picture.
Trump’s Air‑Force‑One Comment Jolts Taipei — US Signals a Recalibration of Taiwan Arms Policy
President Trump’s on‑the‑record remark that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan “need to be discussed” with Beijing has unsettled Taipei and cast doubt over a potential $20 billion‑plus package. The comment reflects U.S. domestic and economic constraints that are reshaping how Washington balances deterrence and diplomacy in the China‑Taiwan‑U.S. triangle.
Trump Says He Has Discussed Taiwan Arms Sales With Beijing — Taipei and Tokyo Worry
President Trump said he has discussed future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese leaders, a statement that contradicts a long-standing U.S. pledge not to consult Beijing and has alarmed officials in Taipei and Tokyo. The comments come amid reporting of a potential $20 billion package of air-defence systems and broader U.S.-China talks ahead of a planned presidential visit to China.
Trump Suspends China Tech Bans to Rescue April Visit — But Taiwan Arms Sales Could Still Derail Talks
President Trump has paused several US sanctions and restrictions on Chinese tech and transport firms in a bid to salvage a planned April visit to Beijing. Beijing has signalled that only a credible US shift on Taiwan — including freezing large arms sales and stronger public commitments to the one-China framework — would secure high-level engagement.
Beijing’s 24‑Hour Counterpunch to Lai Ching‑te: Diplomacy and Air Power Tighten the Noose
Beijing responded within 24 hours to Vice President Lai Ching‑te’s comments and Taiwan’s defence budget push with coordinated diplomatic rebuke and intensified PLA air‑sea patrols. The episode highlights the erosion of informal cross‑strait norms and the rising tempo of coercive signalling that raises the risk of miscalculation in the Taiwan Strait.
From G‑20 Ouster Threats to a J‑20 Model: Washington’s Financial Ultimatum and Beijing’s Iran Signal
A near‑unanimous US House vote threatened to remove China from six international bodies if it attacked Taiwan, a move that signals bipartisan hardening in Washington and shifts the contest into the realm of financial governance. Beijing answered with a political gesture toward Iran and vows to deepen ties in 2026, underscoring how both powers are using institutional leverage and symbolic diplomacy to prepare for prolonged strategic competition.