U.S. Secretary of State Speaks With Chinese Foreign Minister
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang discussed the importance of maintaining open communication channels during a phone call this morning, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said; this marks the latest high-level engagement between the two countries in weeks (SCMP)
China Begins Live-fire Drills Near Taiwan
The East China Sea military exercises come as the United States conducts drills elsewhere in the western Pacific (Reuters); meanwhile, China continues its efforts to influence Taiwanese society and feelings about peaceful reunification (Al Jazeera)
Taiwan Scrambles Jets in Response to Chinese Military Aircraft
For the second time in a week, Taiwan detected Chinese warplanes crossing the median line, an unofficial boundary that China has increasingly violated (Al Jazeera)
United States, Japan Boost Military Cooperation With Taiwan
The three countries will share real-time data from naval reconnaissance drones, crucial for tracking PRC naval movements; China says the move will increase military tensions (FT)
Taiwan Activates Air Defense in Response to Chinese Incursion
Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that thirty-seven Chinese aircraft entered its air defense identification zone today for what the ministry called “air surveillance and long-distance navigation training;” Japan also scrambled a jet fighter today in response to a Chinese information-gathering aircraft flying east of Taiwan (Reuters)
Beginning in 2025, the United States will deliver four naval drones to Taiwan that can track and target enemy ships and radars, the Financial Times reported; sharing such information is considered “extremely sensitive” and is part of an effort to strengthen cooperation in the Taiwan Strait (FT)
Senior U.S., Chinese Officials Hold Talks in Beijing
The top U.S. State Department official for Asia became the most senior U.S. official to publicly travel to Beijing since U.S. forces shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February; both sides called the talks “candid” and “productive” (Bloomberg)
Washington Says Chinese Ship Unsafely Maneuvered Near U.S. Vessel in Taiwan Strait
The United States said its ship had to slow down to avoid a collision; China’s defense minister later accused the United States of “provoking bloc confrontation” in the Indo-Pacific in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore (CNN)
U.S.-China Tensions Set to Dominate Asian Security Summit
Diplomats and military officials are weighing the dynamics of an arms buildup in the Pacific region at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, which began today in Singapore; ahead of the summit, China’s defense minister, who has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018, turned down a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (NPR)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened the event with a speech in which he called for diplomacy to preserve regional stability and praised U.S. efforts to establish a “reliable and open” channel of communication with China (The Conversation)
Singapore and China agreed to establish a high-level hotline for military communications (Bloomberg)
U.S., Taiwan to Sign First Deal in New Trade Agreement
The first deal of the agreement covers customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small business; China has denounced the bilateral trade talks, which are expected to strengthen economic ties between the United States and Taiwan (Reuters)
China Turns Down Meeting With U.S. Military Official
Washington had proposed that top military officials from both countries meet at a security dialogue in Singapore between June 2 and 4, the U.S. Department of Defense said; China’s decision to decline the invitation interrupts the momentum of bilateral talks between the two countries in recent weeks (SCMP)
Seven Major Semiconductor Firms Say They Will Increase Business in Japan
The heads of the world’s largest chipmakers met with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida in Tokyo today; their plans to expand operations in Japan come as certain Western governments seek to diversify semiconductor supply chains away from China and Taiwan (FT)
U.S., China Hold First High-Level Bilateral Meeting in Weeks
At today’s meeting in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang asked U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns to serve as a “bridge” between the two countries, China’s foreign ministry said; high-level exchanges between Washington and Beijing have ebbed in recent months following the U.S. downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon (Bloomberg)
FM: Taiwan Ready to Defend Itself, Regardless of Foreign Assistance
When asked in an interview with Sky News Australia who might fight alongside Taiwan in a war with China, Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said that while some nations are debating “strategic ambiguity and strategic clarity,” Taiwan must and is determined to defend itself (AP)
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen expressed to ex-U.S. national security adviser John Bolton that Taiwan is open to deepening cooperation with the United States and other “other like-minded partners” (AP)
Chinese Unmanned Combat Drone Entered Taiwanese Airspace
Taiwan’s defense ministry said that a Chinese TB-001 drone, an uncrewed combat aircraft, flew around Taiwan as a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait; in the defense ministry’s twenty-four-hour update on Chinese military activities, it reported that nineteen military aircraft had entered the island’s air defense identification zone (Reuters)
Upcoming Paraguayan Election to Highlight Taiwan Policies
Efraín Alegre, the opposition’s chief presidential candidate in Sunday’s national elections, has vowed to review Paraguay’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan if elected; Paraguay is the only country in South America that officially recognizes Taiwan (AP)
Guatemalan President Visits Taiwan
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei pledged support for a “free, sovereign, and independent” Taiwan while visiting Taipei today; Guatemala is one of only thirteen countries maintaining official diplomatic relations with Taiwan (Reuters)
Taiwan Concerned U.S. Discourse on Semiconductors Harms Industry
Bloomberg reported that Taiwanese officials have asked Washington to tone down its warnings against relying on Taiwan’s world-leading chip sector; some U.S. officials have warned against overdependence on Taiwanese chips given the possibility that China could invade the island (Bloomberg)
WaPo: Leaked Documents Show China Is Preparing Supersonic Spy Drone Capability
The Chinese military could soon use a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound, according to leaked documents posted to the social media site Discord and seen by the Washington Post(WaPo)
Report: Taiwan to Buy Four Hundred Land-Launched Missiles From U.S.
Taiwan had previously purchased ship-launched versions of the same missile; the $1.7 billion deal comes amid a period of heightened tensions between the United States and China (Bloomberg)
Taiwan’s Governing Party Selects 2024 Presidential Candidate
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party nominated Vice President William Lai Ching-te as its candidate in next year’s presidential election (Al Jazeera)
Lai is seen as having similar policy positions as President Tsai Ing-wen; in January, Lai said Taiwan does not need to “further declare” its independence as it is “already an independent and sovereign nation” (Nikkei)
Chinese Navy Remains in Taiwan Strait After Military Drill
Chinese forces continued “actual combat training” in Taiwan’s waters following its military drill over the weekend; President Tsai Ing-wen called China’s behavior “irresponsible” (Reuters)
Chinese Military Drills Simulate Strike on Taiwan
The drills, which began on Saturday, are an apparent retaliation for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States last week (The Guardian)
France’s Macron Seeks to Resist Getting Dragged Into Crisis Over Taiwan
After finishing a visit to Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that it is not in France’s interest “to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan” and that Europe should avoid taking cues from the United States and China on the matter (Politico)
Beijing Sanctions Taiwan Official, U.S. Organizations
Beijing announced new sanctions on Taiwan’s representative to the United States and two U.S. organizations that sponsored Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the country this week (SCMP)
China Responds to President Tsai’s Meeting With U.S. House Speaker
China sent an aircraft and three military vessels to the waters around Taiwan after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States yesterday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said; China had responded more aggressively when U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan last year (Bloomberg)