Taiwan launched its annual ten-day military exercises aimed at preparing for a potential Chinese invasion; the drills will mobilize the largest-ever call-up of reservists and test new U.S.-inspired military communications methods (AP).
China Condemns Japan’s Defense White Paper
Japan’s newly released defense white paper says China has intensified military activities around Taiwan and that the overall military balance between China and Taiwan is “rapidly tilting in China’s favor” (China-Global South Project).
China’s foreign ministry pushed back, accusing Japan of making “unwarranted comments” about Taiwan (Reuters)
Taiwan to Test Relocating Arms Production in Case of Chinese Attacks
Taiwan will test relocating weapons production lines and converting civilian factories for military use during its annual drills in early August, aiming to sustain combat operations if Chinese attacks hit supply hubs, the defense ministry said (Reuters).
China Begins Two Days of Live-Fire Drills in Taiwan Strait
Beijing launched a two-day live-fire drill in the Taiwan Strait days after Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said Taiwan was “not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China”; Beijing labeled the speech as “reckless and provocative” (South China Morning Post).
Taiwan to Slow Mobile Internet During Annual Defense Drills
Taiwan will deliberately slow mobile internet speeds for the first time during its civil defense drills in August, testing how citizens would communicate if bandwidth became scarce during a potential Chinese invasion (Reuters).
Taiwan Detects Rise in Nearby Chinese Vessel Activity
Taiwan detected a sharp rise in Chinese coast guard and research vessel activity around the island in June, prompting Taipei to plan drills simulating Chinese escalations off its Pacific Coast, according to Taiwan Coast Guard data and officials (Reuters).
Taiwan Organizes Coast Guard Trip for Foreign Lawmakers
Taiwan’s government took a small group of foreign lawmakers on a Coast Guard ship around sensitive Taiwan-controlled islands next to the Chinese coast, pushing back against China’s Coast Guard, which last month began patrolling waters off Taiwan’s east coast in addition to their regular patrols around Taiwan’s Kinmen islands since 2024 (Reuters).
China’s Actions Risk Creation of New Status Quo, Taiwan Official Warns
A senior Taiwan official warned that China’s gradually increasing pressure tactics risk creating an entirely new status quo in the Taiwan Strait, as it pressures not only Taiwan but also Japan and the Philippines with its maritime actions (Reuters).
Taiwan Tracks Increase in Chinese Naval Movements
A senior security official said Chinese naval activity around Taiwan is rising as the peak military exercise season gets underway, with Beijing also running joint drills alongside Russia (Reuters).
Taiwan Condemns China’s New Coast Guard Patrol East of Taiwan
Beijing announced a new coast guard patrol off Taiwan’s east coast, following international backlash over a task force stationed there a month earlier; Taipei denounced the patrol as an unlawful projection of power that breaches international law and destabilizes the region (CNA).
China Urges U.S. to Handle Taiwan Issue With “Utmost Caution”
In a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pressed Washington to tread extremely carefully on Taiwan-related matters (Reuters).
U.S. Reaffirms Support for Taiwan During Parliamentary Leader Visit
U.S. House members voiced their backing for Taiwan while hosting Taiwan’s parliamentary leader, Han Kuo-yu, in Washington; meanwhile, the Trump administration is weighing a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan that Congress had provisionally approved months earlier (AP).
Separately, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom voiced concern over Chinese Coast Guard operations off Taiwan’s east coast; China responded that other nations should respect its sovereignty, while Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, said in a social media post that he was deeply grateful for the four countries’ statements (Reuters).
Taiwan Begins Military Drill as Warning Time for Chinese Attacks Shortens
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the island’s military is conducting five days of rapid combat-readiness exercises this week, noting that shrinking warning time for a Chinese attack means Taiwan must prove it can react the moment conflict breaks out (Reuters).
China’s Most Powerful Aircraft Carrier Sails Through Taiwan Strait
Fujian, China’s newest and most powerful of its three aircraft carriers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese defense ministry said, a day after Taiwan began its five-day military exercise (AP)
Taiwan Announces Five-Day Military Exercise
Taiwan’s defense ministry announced that its military will conduct five-day combat readiness drills to prepare for a possible Chinese military invasion (Reuters)
Taiwan Fires Rockets in China’s Direction
Taiwan’s military conducted its latest test of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, a U.S.-supplied system, firing rockets into the waters of the Taiwan Strait—which narrowly separates Taiwan and China—for the first time (AP)
Trump Expands on Taiwan Discussions With Xi
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he spoke “a lot” about Taiwan with Xi and added that “on Taiwan, [Xi] does not want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation” (NBC News)
Trump-Xi Meeting
Xi warned that the United States should handle the issue of Taiwan “carefully” and that failure to do so could lead the U.S.-China relationship into “a very dangerous situation” (Chinese MoFA)
The White House readout did not mention Taiwan, but instead emphasized cooperation on trade and ending the Iran war (White House)
Trump declined to answer a reporter’s question about whether he and Xi had discussed the matter (NYT)
A Taiwanese government spokesperson said the Trump-Xi meeting had produced no surprises (Reuters)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” following Trump’s meeting with Xi (NBC News)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked Washington for its support (Reuters)
Trump’s Trip to Beijing
Trump plans to discuss Chinese opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, he told reporters (FT)
His comment appeared to run counter to a long-held U.S. pledge not to consult with Beijing on the matter, though a State Department spokesperson said that Washington remained committed to its Taiwan policies (Focus Taiwan)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly said last week that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed (NYT)
Taiwan’s Defense Budget
Taiwan’s legislature passed a bill allowing for $25 billion in additional defense spending between 2026 and 2033 (FT)
Some of the funds are intended to counter air threats from China (Nikkei Asia)
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party had sought a larger budget to fund domestic weapons production, but the opposition bloc argued that funds for domestically produced weapons should come from the regular budget (Bloomberg)
Lai in Eswatini
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the country via an Eswatini government aircraft, weeks after his initial trip was canceled due to Beijing reportedly pressuring nearby countries to deny him overflight rights; Eswatini is the only African country that formally recognizes Taiwan (Reuters)
Taiwan “will never be deterred by external pressures,” Lai wrote on social media (Taiwan President)
Beijing Extends Concession to Taiwan After KMT-Xi Summit
Following a high-profile meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun, Beijing announced it would resume some suspended ties with Taiwan while exploring a formal communication channel between the two parties; Taiwan’’ government pushed back, calling the moves “political transactions” that bypassed its authority and insisting that any cross-strait negotiations must take place between the two governments on equal footing (AP)
China Reserves Airspace for Forty Days
In a report published by the Wall Street Journal, China has issued a forty-day restriction on its offshore airspace, issuing alerts similar to those used to inform aviation authorities of military exercises; the alerts, which are in effect from March 27 to May 6, were not previously reported, and China has not declared any exercises in the region (WSJ)
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the restricted zones include areas north and south of Shanghai and extend from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea (Taiwan News)
Budget Delays in Taiwan Threaten $2.4 Billion in Defense Spending
A delay in passing Taiwan’s budget risks holding up NT$78 billion ($2.44 billion) in weapons procurement, maintenance, and training, according to a senior defense official; the holdup comes as Taipei pushes for a major defense spending increase to deter China, but faces resistance from an opposition-led parliament wary of approving large expenditures without oversight (Reuters)
Japan’s Long-Range Missiles
Japan deployed its first long-range missile—capable of reaching mainland China—at an army camp in the country’s southwest; it plans to deploy even longer range Tomahawk missiles on a destroyer ship later this year (AP)
The ability to strike enemy bases marks a departure from Tokyo’s postwar security doctrine, which has traditionally focused on self-defense (Chosun Daily)