Leading Taiwanese Chip Firm to More Than Triple Investment in U.S.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will build the first plant in the United States to produce three-nanometer computer chips, the most advanced available, a White House official told Nikkei; it is already building a $12 billion factory in the state of Arizona (Nikkei)
Taiwanese President Resigns From Party Leadership
Tsai Ing-wen stepped down as leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party after its poor showing in local elections; she will continue to serve as Taiwan’s president until 2024 (Nikkei)
Taiwan Representative Meets With Xi at APEC Summit
Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Taiwan’s envoy to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, shared a “happy, polite” conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a rare high-level interaction (Reuters)
This came after an official meeting between Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during which Xi expressed his desire for cooperation and regional integration as tensions between the two countries have escalated over Taiwan and the East China Sea (Reuters)
Prior to the start of the summit, Xi emphasized the need for the region to avoid becoming “an arena for big power contest,” warning against a potential confrontation with the U.S. (Reuters)
Taiwan Displays Drone Technology Amid Tensions with China
The National Chung-Sang Institute of Science and Technology, Taiwan’s primary weapons developer, unveiled its new drone-technology and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles intended for battlefield reconnaissance and surveillance (South China Morning Post)
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters that he has not ruled out supplying arms to Taiwan as the UK reviews its foreign, defense, and security policies (South China Morning Post)
Taiwan Remains a ‘Red-Line’ in U.S.-China Relations
In their first in-person meeting since 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping made clear to President Biden before the G20 Summit in Indonesia that Taiwan remained off limits as the two countries attempt to improve relations (Reuters)
However, Xi agreed to resume climate talks with the United States after suspending contact over U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August and to maintain an open line of communication on other issues of mutual importance (AP)
Chinese Military Steps Up Tactics in Taiwan Strait
The Taiwanese defense ministry reported that thirty-six Chinese fighter jets and bombers flew near Taiwan, ten of which crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait (AP)
Biden to Meet with Xi Amid Tensions over Taiwan
President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China are set to have their first in-person meeting since Biden took office on Monday to discuss the issue of Taiwan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (NYT)
This meeting follows the successful conclusion of trade talks between Taiwan and the U.S. in New York (Reuters)
In addition, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Milley made a statement pledging military support for Taiwan and warning China against invasion (South China Morning Post)
Taiwan Seeks Trade Deal with U.K.
President Tsai Ing-wen expressed Taiwan’s desire to sign a trade deal and increase cooperation with the UK during a meeting with the British Minister of State for Trade Greg Hands in Taipei (Reuters)
Prior to his visit, China warned the British minister not to travel to Taiwan, claiming it would bolster Taiwan’s separatist forces (AP)
This came amidst broader calls from China for no countries to ‘collude’ with Taiwan, following the announcement of Taiwan’s plan to invest $10 million euros in Lithuania for chip production (Reuters)
China’s Xi Again Refuses to Rule Out Forced Unification With Taiwan
At the Chinese Communist Party congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping repeated the party line that China aims for peaceful unification with Taiwan but will not rule out the possibility of using force (Nikkei)
Taiwanese Chip Company Exempt From U.S. Export Curbs on China
A waiver grants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company a one-year exemption from a ban on exports of American chip-making equipment to China (Nikkei)
Biden Again Says U.S. Military Would Defend Taiwan
In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired yesterday, U.S. President Joe Biden said that if China were to invade Taiwan, U.S. military forces would come to the island’s defense (CBS)
It is at least the fourth time that Biden has publicly made comments appearing to contradict the U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan, though the White House later said U.S. policy has not changed; the long-standing policy deliberately leaves unanswered the question of whether the United States would defend the island (NBC)
China’s foreign ministry said it lodged a complaint with the United States; a ministry spokesperson said Beijing “will not tolerate any activities aimed at [Taiwan’s] secession” (Reuters)
Taiwan Hosts Foreign Lawmakers in Washington
The island’s de facto ambassador in Washington hosted about sixty lawmakers from around the world who support sanctioning China for its actions toward Taiwan, Reuters reported (Reuters)
Taiwan Shoots at Chinese Drone
The shots were Taiwan’s first toward a drone flying in its airspace; they came after the military fired warning shots at other Chinese drones (SCMP)
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen had said Taiwan would take “countermeasures” in the case of Chinese “provocations” (Japan Times)
U.S. Sails Warships Through Taiwan Strait
American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month (SCMP)
U.S. Senator Blackburn Vows to Support Taiwan’s Independence
On a visit to Taipei, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) promised support for Taiwan to “become an independent nation;” she leads the fourth high-level U.S. visit in a month (SCMP)
Taiwan Proposes Record Hike to Military Budget
The proposed defense budget would amount to around 2.7 percent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP) if passed; Taiwan’s statistics department minister said the new spending would mostly go toward the operational costs of responding to threats from mainland China (SCMP)
U.S., Japanese Delegations Visit Taiwan
U.S. Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) and a bipartisan group of Japanese legislators are in Taiwan today, the latest in a series of high-level foreign visits that Beijing has criticized (FT)
U.S. to Begin Trade Talks With Taiwan This Fall
The negotiations are set to cover eleven topics, including agriculture, small business, and the environment (WaPo)
China’s Ambassador to U.S. Warns of Continued Consequences Over Taiwan
During a press briefing in Washington, China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, accused the United States of “changing the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and condemned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan (Politico)
He warned of “another round of tensions” if the United States does not “show restraint,” suggesting that Beijing has no plans to reverse its suspension of military-to-military talks and climate cooperation with Washington (Axios)
The United States plans to send naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks, which Qin said it should “refrain” from doing (Time)
Meanwhile, Chinese troops will travel to Russia for the so-called Vostok military exercises with countries including Belarus, India, Mongolia, and Tajikistan; China’s defense ministry said the exercises are “unrelated to the current international and regional situation” (Reuters)
China Conducts New Military Drills Around Taiwan as More U.S. Lawmakers Visit
A five-person U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, as part of a larger Asia trip; their visit follows one by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this month (WaPo)
Taiwan Reportedly Plans Missile Tests Amid China Tensions
Taiwan’s top weapons maker plans to stage four days of missile tests later this month in areas off the island’s east coast, a former official told local media; yesterday, a Taiwanese foreign ministry spokesperson protested China’s new defense white paper, saying it violates “international law and Taiwan’s sovereignty” (SCMP)
TSMC Considers Adding Plants in Japan, Europe
Chip-making giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company said customers’ demand for more geographically diverse supply chains has prompted it to consider building a second plant in Japan and its first in Europe (Nikkei)
Military Budget Delay Threatens Defense Against China
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the delay in passing a $40 billion special military budget risks weakening its joint line of defense against China; Koo further stated that the government has engaged in extensive talks with the United States about which weapons Taiwan needs (Reuters)
Trump: Whether China Invades Taiwan Is Xi’s Decision
In a New York Times interview, Trump said it was “up to” Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China invaded Taiwan, but that he’d told Xi he would be “very unhappy” about an invasion and believed China would not act during his presidency (NYT)