Beijing announced a new national holiday, the Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration, to mark the 1945 handover of Taiwan from Japan to China and underscore its claim that the island is an “inalienable part” of the country, state media said; the announcement comes as China continues increasing its military and political pressure on Taiwan (AP)
Concerns Over New Chinese Economic Plan
Taiwan officials said they are monitoring China’s new five-year development plan, which the Communist Party discussed in a meeting on Thursday; Taiwan is concerned the plan could aim to economically integrate the Taiwan-held Kinmen islands, thereby expanding Beijing’s jurisdictional claims (Taipei Times)
Taiwan-U.S. Security Ties
Taiwan announced it will strengthen security cooperation with the United States through policy dialogues and joint training to strengthen deterrence and preserve stability in the Taiwan Strait, as Taiwan accuses Beijing of accelerating military pressure through war games and political harassment (Reuters)
Trump Comments on Taiwan
U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the risk of a Chinese invasion, saying he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping has no intention to seize Taiwan and that U.S.-China relations will remain stable amid plans to negotiate a trade deal with Xi in South Korea (Politico)
Accusations of Chinese Meddling in Taiwan Party Elections
Former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun won the Nationalist leadership race by a wide margin, becoming the party’s second female chair and vowing to pursue “peace and balance” in cross-strait relations; officials investigated alleged Chinese influence operations on social media, with the Nationalists, or KMT, having historically maintained warm ties with Beijing (AP)
Taiwan Introduces New Air Defense System
In his National Day address, President Lai Ching-te announced plans to develop a new multi-layered air defense network called “T-Dome,” modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, as part of a broader effort to boost defense spending and modernize Taiwan’s military; Lai also urged Beijing to renounce force amid escalating Chinese military pressure and frequent incursions (Reuters)
Taiwan Monitors Chinese Military Moves Ahead of National Day
Taiwan’s defense minister said the armed forces are observing Chinese activity to determine whether Beijing may hold war games after Taiwan’s October 10 National Day, as it did last year; he inspected defenses on the Penghu Islands, calling them critical to Taiwan’s security, while Chinese jets and warships continue near-daily operations around the island (Reuters)
Taiwan Accuses China of Exploiting UN Resolution
Taiwan’s government warned that Beijing is misleading the international community by claiming UN Resolution 2758 provides legal backing for its sovereignty over the island, stating that the move seeks to create a pretext for military action; China, however, insisted that the resolution affirms “one China” (Reuters)
Taiwan Rejects U.S. Proposal to Produce Half of Its Chips in United States
Washington had discussed the proposal with Taipei as part of efforts to reshore U.S. manufacturing, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a NewsNation interview that aired over the weekend (WSJ)
Trump has pledged to implement tariffs on chip imports, with exemptions for companies that manufacture in the United States (Bloomberg)
China Simulates Missile Attacks on British Warship
Fighter jets from the People’s Liberation Army conducted “constructive kills,” or simulated missile strikes lacking live fire, against the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Richmond as it passed through the Taiwan Strait with the U.S. destroyer USS Higgins, prompting accusations of provocation from Beijing (Times of London)
Xi Pushes Trump Administration to Formally Oppose Taiwan Independence
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s request to formally “oppose” independence represents a stronger stance than the current U.S. position that it does not “support” independence; the request, raised ahead of a planned Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, would mark a major diplomatic victory for Beijing and test Washington’s long-standing strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, as the island’s authorities affirm they remain in close contact with U.S. partners (WSJ)
Russia Assisting China With Military Capabilities
Leaked Russian documents analyzed by the Royal United Services Institute show that Moscow is supplying China with high-altitude parachute systems, amphibious assault vehicles, and airborne training that could expedite Beijing’s ability to invade Taiwan by a decade; analysts say Russia seeks to pull the United States into a Taiwan conflict and use revenue from weapons sales to fund its war in Ukraine, while China looks to fill gaps in its airborne capabilities (AP)
Taiwan Jails Ex-Ruling Party Aides for Spying for China
A Taiwanese court sentenced the staffers to up to ten years in prison for passing political intelligence to PRC agents; the group included an ex-aide to President Lai Ching-te and a former adviser to then-Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (Guardian)
Taiwan Foreign Minister Makes Rare Appearance at UN General Assembly
The visit took place during UN General Assembly week and marked the first such trip by a Taiwanese foreign minister, featuring a private reception hosted by former U.S. national security officials, as Taipei pushes for greater UN recognition despite Beijing’s objections (Reuters)
China condemned the trip, lambasting the United States for promoting a “public stage for Taiwan independence” (Anadolu Agency)
Taiwan Lifts Chip Export Controls on South Africa
Taiwan imposed chip controls on South Africa after it sought to downgrade Taiwan’s de facto embassy; the measures were Taipei’s first unilateral chip export controls for any country (Bloomberg)
Taipei lifted the chip ban after Pretoria requested consultations on the status of Taiwan’s office; China had criticized that move, saying Taiwan was destabilizing global supply chains (FT)
U.S., Japan, South Korea Voice Concern Over Taiwan Strait
Top diplomats Cho Hyun, Iwaya Takeshi, and Marco Rubio met in New York and issued a joint statement opposing destabilizing activity around Taiwan and “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea; Taiwan welcomed the support (Reuters)
Taiwan’s President Vows to Defend Against Invasion
Capping a week of defense events that included Taiwan’s largest-ever arms show, President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan is determined to defend itself and rejected any claims it would surrender if invaded (Reuters)
Trump Intelligence Advisers Meet With Taiwan Envoy
Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, Alexander Yui, met privately with members of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board in Washington earlier this month, Reuters reported, marking one of the highest-level U.S.-Taiwan contacts of Trump’s second term (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that President Trump vetoed over $400 million in military aid to Taiwan this summer while pursuing a trade deal and summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping; still, the administration agreed to future U.S. arms sales at an Alaska summit last month, and it has since notified Congress of a potential $500 million package (WaPo)
U.S., UK Warships Transit Taiwan Strait as China Protests
The USS Higgins and HMS Richmond sailed through the Taiwan Strait in what Washington and London described as a routine passage under international law; Beijing condemned the move as destabilizing, while its new carrier, Fujian, also crossed the strait (Reuters)
U.S.-China Calls
In his first call with his Chinese counterpart, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Washington does not seek conflict with Beijing but rather seeks to protect its vital interests (NBC)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need for open and constructive communication (State)
On Tuesday, U.S. lawmakers announced plans for their first bipartisan trip to China since 2019 (The Hill)
U.S., Taiwan Defense Officials Met Secretly Last Week in Alaska
Washington had previously canceled a higher-level meeting planned for June; the White House informed Taipei at the time that the cancellation was related to its strikes on Iran, but it also coincided with Washington and Beijing’s ongoing trade talks (FT)
Xi Jinping Appears With Putin, Kim Jong Un in First Joint Public Appearance
The leaders of all three countries have not stepped out together since the Cold War (Bloomberg)
Officially, the military parade marked the anniversary of the victory over Japan in World War II, but it also demonstrated Xi’s international partnerships and ongoing military buildup; in a speech, Xi cast China’s rise as “unstoppable” and said it was on its way to having a “world-class military” (FT)
The parade showcased different types of supersonic and hypersonic missiles as well as underwater drones, some of which had never been seen in public before (Reuters)
Taiwan: Island’s Security Must be a Result of “Own Efforts”
The statement came after Trump said that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not invade Taiwan during Trump’s term; Taipei closely monitors the interactions between Beijing and Washington, a foreign ministry spokesperson said (Reuters)
Citing a Defense Ministry procurement list, Taiwan is developing a long-range subsonic anti-ship cruise missile, known as a “carrier killer,” to counter China’s aircraft carriers; the stealth missile is estimated to have a range of six hundred to one thousand kilometers and is equipped with technology to evade modern ship defenses (SCMP; Asia Times)
Taiwan Purchasing More HIMARS, NASAMS, ATACMS
Military sources disclosed that Taiwan is purchasing twenty-eight more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), nine more National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), and twenty more MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS); in total, Taiwan will possess fifty-seven HIMARS, twelve NASAMS, and eighty-four ATACMS (Taipei Times)