Taiwan Adds Chinese AI Companies to Export Control List
On Monday, Taiwan added Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) to its export control list, henceforth requiring government approval before Taiwanese businesses export products to the companies (Reuters)
The decision came while U.S.-China tensions over AI and semiconductors have accelerated, and Taiwan said its decision was driven by “concerns over weapons proliferation and national security” (CNN)
Taiwan Espionage Indictment
Taiwanese prosecutors charged four people with spying for China, including two former senior political aides (Focus Taiwan)
One of the defendants worked in President Lai Ching-te’s office, and another worked for Taiwan’s former foreign minister (Bloomberg)
Taiwan’s Stance Toward China
Taiwan seeks “peace” and “dialogue” with China but will continue to strengthen its military defenses, President Lai Ching-te said in a speech marking the first year of his tenure (CNA)
China has declined multiple offers for talks from Lai. Its Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday said his speech was a “waste of effort and doomed to fail” (Reuters)
Haiti and Saint Lucia Attend Forum in Beijing Despite Diplomatic Ties to Taiwan
Haiti and Saint Lucia are two of twelve nations that formally recognize Taiwan; unidentified diplomatic sources stated that similar interactions between Beijing and Taiwan allies are normal, though two other allies to Taiwan, Guatemala, and Belize were not present at the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) (Reuters)
Taiwan Sends Condolences to Vatican Following Pope Francis’ Death
Taiwan’s President expressed condolences over the passing of Pope Francis and announced plans to send envoys to his funeral; the Vatican is one of only twelve countries to maintain formal relations with Taiwan (Reuters)
U.S. Senator Reaffirms Support for Taiwan’s Self-Defense
During a visit to Taipei, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts emphasized continued American support for Taiwan’s self-defense and regional peace, opposing “any unilateral change” to the island’s status; Ricketts also stated that there is “broad consensus in the U.S. Congress to support Taiwan’s self-defense” (Reuters).
Taiwan to Assess Impact of Potential U.S. Tariffs on Semiconductor Industry
In response to potential U.S. tariffs on imported semiconductor chips, Taiwan’s Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei announced plans to simulate the effects on its semiconductor sector and seek dialogue with Washington to ensure “fair competition” (Reuters)
Chinese Contractor Linked to Malicious Software and Spyware in Taiwan
Western intelligence agencies advised that the contractor possesses close ties to Chinese security and intelligence agencies and could employ the malware packages to surveil advocates in Taiwan, as well as targets in Tibet and Xinjiang; the malware targets mobile devices and allows access to sensitive data, such as user location and cameras (Reuters)
China’s Military Begins Large-Scale Drills Around Taiwan
A Chinese military spokesperson called the drills “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence,” while Taiwan’s presidential office said China’s “blatant military provocations not only threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the whole region” (AP)
The previously unannounced drills follow a weekend visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Nikkei)
Taiwan Holds Civil Defense Drill
More than 1,500 people in the southern city of Tainan practiced how they would respond to disasters including an explosion at a port terminal, an earthquake, and a cyberattack; participants, including local officials and civilians, simulated bringing wounded people to temporary medical centers (Nikkei)
Also today, China held a military drill around the island that included warships as well as twenty-eight fighter jets, drones, and other aircraft, Taiwan’s defense ministry said (Reuters)
Taiwan’s Deputy Defense Minister to Visit the United States to Commemorate Completion of New Fighter Jet
The senior official will lead a delegation to attend a ceremony in the United States this week; Taiwan purchased $8 billion worth of new F-16 fighter jets in 2019 to add to its fleet (Reuters)
Taiwan Conducts Five-Day Military Drills in Scenario of China Turning Drills into Invasion
The Taiwanese military drill focused on rapid mobilization, counters against a Chinese amphibious landing, and identifying “crucial signs” of a possible Chinese attack launched directly from military drills—which have become increasingly common near Taiwan (Reuters)
Trump Declines to Comment on Whether the United States Would Allow China to Take Taiwan by Force
Washington has traditionally shied away from making an explicit security guarantee—instead preferring to maintain a policy of strategic ambiguity—though Joe Biden said multiple times while president that he would intervene to protect Taiwan (Bloomberg)
China Conducts Live-Fire Military Drills in Taiwan Strait
Chinese naval vessels and aircraft participated in the exercises forty nautical miles off Taiwan’s coast, prompting Taipei’s condemnation and the deployment of its own forces to monitor the area after the Chinese forces left (Reuters)
Taiwan Coast Guard Detains Chinese Crew of Cargo Ship
Taiwan detained the Togolese-registered cargo ship after a nearby underwater cable was severed, saying it is investigating the incident for potential “gray-zone harassment;” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said he was not familiar with the matter and it was not “related to China’s diplomacy” (FT)
Taiwan as well as Baltic governments have probed suspected cases of sabotaging subsea cables in recent months (CNN)
Beijing Urges Washington to “Correct Its Mistakes” After Department Webpage on Taiwan Policy Was Updated
The new version omitted a phrase about not supporting Taiwan’s independence, and said Washington would support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations “where applicable” (Reuters)
Taipei welcomed the revision, while a State Department spokesperson said the United States “remains committed to its One China policy” (WaPo)
Taiwan Bans Use of DeepSeek AI in Government Agencies
Taipei justified the decision, citing concerns over Taiwan’s “information security” and fears of personal data collection by China (Reuters)
President Trump Threatens to Levy Tariffs on Taiwanese Semiconductors
Trump floated the idea of enacting tariffs anywhere from 25 to 100 percent on chips imported from Taiwanese manufacturing companies, prompting Taipei to restate the economic benefits of bilateral cooperation (Newsweek)
China grew its arsenal of operational nuclear warheads from five hundred to six hundred in roughly the year until mid-2024, the Department of Defense said; this year’s report did not repeat a projection made in 2022 that China could have 1,500 warheads by the middle of the 2030s—which would bring it close to the amount deployed by the United States in Russia—though an unnamed U.S. defense official told the Financial Times that the Pentagon was being cautious with the latest forecast (FT)
Its annual report on Beijing’s military capabilities discussed recent corruption scandals in the armed forces, saying graft among senior ranks “may have disrupted” progress toward the country’s 2027 target for military modernization (Department of Defense)
A purge following graft scandals has reached every service of China’s military, the report said; it also cited the ongoing construction of new nuclear silos and the growing potential of attacks that could target the nearby U.S. territory of Guam (WaPo)
China remains on track to have an arsenal of more than one thousand warheads by the end of the decade, per the report, though at present it has not shown the type of capabilities needed to invade Taiwan (NYT)
A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said Beijing opposes the “Cold War” thinking of the report but did not dispute any specific facts (AP)
Taiwan Government Discussing Collaboration With Amazon’s Project Kuiper on Satellite-Based Communications
Taipei aims to make mobile phone and internet infrastructure more resilient as tensions rise with China; Taiwanese officials said that factors including Elon Musk’s past comments on Taiwan’s political status and future ruled out working with Starlink, the Financial Times reported (FT)
Chinese Officials Make Rare Visit to Taiwan for Annual Taipei Shanghai City Forum
It is one of the few venues for high-level dialogue after China cut off a regular dialogue mechanism with Taiwan’s government in 2016; Taipei’s mayor said he hoped for “more dialogue and less confrontation” (WaPo)
Shanghai’s vice mayor said tours from his city to Taipei would restart, though Beijing continued to send warplanes and ships into the Taiwan strait even as the forum was taking place (Reuters)
U.S. Conducts First-Ever Ballistic Missile Interception Test From Guam
Yesterday’s successful test underscores the role the U.S. territory, home to Air Force and Navy facilities, could play in any Pacific war; Washington has plans to establish missile defenses at sixteen sites around the island over the next decade, Reuters reported (Reuters)
Taiwan Flags Unusual Large-Scale Chinese Naval Activity
China deployed navy assets in an area running from the southern Japanese islands down into the South China Sea, the largest such activity in decades, Taiwan’s defense ministry said today; China’s military did not immediately comment and had not previously announced exercises (Reuters)
Beijing Announces Sanctions on Thirteen U.S. Military Firms
The sanctions followed Washington’s authorization of a potential $385-plus million arms sale to Taiwan and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s visit to a U.S. territory; U.S. defense companies are typically already largely banned from doing business in China (Reuters, NYT)
Taiwan’s President to Visit Pacific Islands in First Foreign Trip
Lai Ching-te will visit allies Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu in his first overseas trip as president later this month into early next; the Pacific island countries are among the group of twelve countries that have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan (NHK)