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Taiwan goes to the polls amid escalating military tensions with China, which claims that it has a right to the vastly smaller country's territory

Taiwan prepares for 'peace and war' elections

As voters in Taiwan elect a new president and parliament, the country's fractious relationship with China, and its continued reliance on US support, remain central to its future - even if voters seem to be paying less attention to that tortured dynamic.

Asia • 13 Jan 24

Tsai Ing-wen will leave office in May having served as president for eight years

Taiwan's Tsai urges China for 'peaceful coexistence'

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has expressed hopes for Taipei and Beijing to seek "long-term peaceful coexistence" and said future relations should be decided by Taiwan's "democratic procedures".

Asia • 01 Jan 24

People watch China's President Xi Jinping deliver his New Year's speech in Beijing

China's 'reunification' with Taiwan inevitable, Xi says

China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping has said in his New Year's address, striking a stronger tone than he did last year with less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader.

World • 31 Dec 23

Foxconn employs hundreds of thousands of people in China and is a major investor there

Foxconn faces China tax probe amid Taiwan election

Foxconn, a major supplier of Apple's iPhones, is facing a tax probe in China, two sources close to Foxconn confirmed today.

Business • 23 Oct 23

Chen Siming was stuck in the transit lounge of the airport for two weeks

Chinese activist stuck in transit lounge now in Canada

A Chinese activist who fled to Taiwan last month and urged authorities there not to deport him said he had arrived in Canada and obtained political asylum.

World • 08 Oct 23

UN Ambassadors of Belize, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu gathered to reaffirm their support for Taiwan's participation at the UN

Allies call for end of Taiwan's exclusion from UN

Taiwan's allies sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General on Thursday, urging Taiwan's participation in the international body. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and condemns calls for it to be represented at the UN.

World • 06 Oct 23

China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan around the island in April (File image)

Taiwan says 68 Chinese planes, 10 vessels near island

Taiwan said China had flown 68 warplanes and deployed 10 navy vessels into areas around the self-ruled island in one day.

World • 14 Sep 23

A worker clears fallen trees from a road in the aftermath of Typhoon Haikui in Taitung County

Thousands without power as Typhoon Haikui hits Taiwan

Taiwan is working to restore power to tens of thousands after Typhoon Haikui barrelled into the east and south of the island, as cities and counties in the affected areas closed schools and businesses and domestic airlines cancelled flights.

World • 04 Sep 23

A file photo of the USS Milius, which sailed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday

US warship sails Taiwan Strait days after China drills

The US warship USS Milius sailed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday, in what the US Navy described as a "routine" transit, just days after China ended its latest war games around the island.

World • 17 Apr 23

China views Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen as a separatist

Taiwan heading for 'stormy seas' under President Tsai

China has said that President Tsai Ing-wen is pushing Taiwan into "stormy seas" after Beijing held military exercises in response to Ms Tsai's recent meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

World • 12 Apr 23

A China Coast Guard ship sails towards the zone where China said it conducted exercises

China ends Taiwan drills, US deploys naval vessel

China has ended three days of military drills around Taiwan saying it had tested integrated military capabilities under actual combat conditions.

World • 10 Apr 23

Chinese state television showed footage of the drills

China simulates striking Taiwan on second day of drills

China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island, with the island's defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces.

World • 09 Apr 23

A man walks with a flag as a ship passes by behind him on Pingtan island, the closest point to Taiwan, in China's southeast Fujian province

US urges 'restraint' as China launches Taiwan drills

The United States has called on China to show restraint as Beijing launched military drills around Taiwan, stressing that Washington was ready to meet its security commitments in Asia.

World • 08 Apr 23

Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen speaks during an event with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California

China deploys warships near Taiwan after US meeting

China has deployed warships through waters around Taiwan as it vowed a "resolute response" to the island's president meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

World • 06 Apr 23

Chinese jets have made more than 1,000 incursions into Taiwan's air zone this year (File pic)

China flies dozens of fighter jets into Taiwan zone

China deployed 71 warplanes in weekend military exercises around Taiwan, Taipei's defence ministry said, including dozens of fighter jets in one of the biggest daily incursions to date.

World • 26 Dec 22

Tuan Tuan (R) and Yuan Yuan, the two giant pandas which were sent to Taiwan in 2008

Beloved panda gifted by China to Taiwan dies

A panda that China gifted to Taiwan 14 years ago as a symbol of what were then warmer ties has died, after suffering a spate of seizures, Taipei Zoo has said.

World • 19 Nov 22

Xi Jinping said 'reunification of the motherland must be achieved and will be achieved'

China will never abandon use of force over Taiwan - Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that China would "never commit to abandoning the use of force" when it comes to the issue of Taiwan.

World • 16 Oct 22

Holidaymakers from Thailand were greeted with flower garlands when they arrived shortly after midnight

Taiwan fully reopens border as strict Covid rules ease

Taiwan has welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after the island fully reopened its borders, ending strict quarantine rules in place since the coronavirus pandemic began.

World • 13 Oct 22

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shook hands in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly

US and Chinese ministers meet as Taiwan tensions rise

Senior diplomats from the United States and China began a meeting today with tensions high after a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and an explicit pledge by US President Joe Biden to defend the Chinese-claimed island.

World • 23 Sep 22

A flag-lowering ceremony takes place at Liberty Square in Taipei

US will defend Taiwan if Chinese invade - Biden

In his strongest comments yet on Taiwan, US President Joe Biden has said that the US will defend the self-governing island in the event of a Chinese invasion.

China • 19 Sep 22

Typhoon Nanmadol approaches Izumi, Kagoshima prefecture

Typhoon Nanmadol bears down on Japan's Kyushu island

Typhoon Nanmadol bore down on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu today with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warning of gales and high waves.

World • 18 Sep 22

It comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, prompting mainland China to launch a show of force (File pic)

US announces $1.1bn arms package for Taiwan

The United States announced a new $1.1bn (€1.1bn) package of arms to Taiwan, vowing to keep boosting the island's defences as tensions soar with China.

World • 03 Sep 22

The US Navy's USS Chancellorsville guided missile destroyer during a joint port visit to Hong Kong in 2018

Two US Navy warships sail through Taiwan Strait

Two United States warships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the American navy has said, the first such transit since China staged unprecedented military drills around the island.

World • 28 Aug 22

Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan described the recent US visits as 'warm acts of kindness and firm demonstrations of support' (File image)

US visits 'reinforce Taiwan's determination to defend'

Recent visits by guests from the United States have reinforced Taiwan's determination to defend itself, President Tsai Ing-wen said today as she met the latest US lawmaker to arrive on the island in defiance of Beijing.

World • 26 Aug 22

Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, previously voiced support for Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan (File image)

US senator arrives in Taiwan, defying angry Beijing

A US senator who sits on the Senate's Commerce and Armed Services Committees has arrived in Taiwan, the third such visit this month and defying pressure from Beijing for such trips not to take place.

World • 25 Aug 22