Tech Research Firm Found Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Chip Inside a Huawei Product
The China-based company Huawei is subject to U.S. export controls intended to prevent access to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) chips; the report suggests Huawei’s lack of self-sufficiency in the most advanced chips and the difficulty of enforcing export controls (Reuters)
TSMC said it has not supplied chips to Huawei since mid-September 2020; the U.S. Commerce Department said it was aware of the reporting (CNBC)
Trump Threatens Tariffs on China If It Enters Taiwan
Former President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that if China were to “go into” Taiwan, he would “tax” China at 150 to 200 percent, referring to imposing tariffs; he added he “wouldn’t have to” use military force against a blockade on Taiwan because Chinese President Xi Jinping “respects” him (WSJ)
China’s Coast Guard Warns Japanese Fishing Boat That It “Illegally” Entered Its Territorial Waters
The encounter occurred near the uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands off the northeast shore of Taiwan that both countries claim as theirs; China cautioned Japan’s boat to clear out, the latest in a slew of disputes in the countries’ shared waterways (SCMP)
China Kicks Off War Games in Taiwan Strait
The large-scale air and sea drills began today in nine areas surrounding Taiwan as part of Beijing’s warning against “separatist acts” by Taipei’s independence forces; a regional command of the Chinese military said they were “prepared for battle” (Nikkei)
The drills follow just days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s first National Day speech, where he said China had “no right to represent Taiwan” (FT)
Taiwan Reasserts Territorial Sovereignty Ahead of National Day
In a speech, President Lai Ching-te rejected the characterization of the People’s Republic of China as Taiwan’s “motherland,” emphasizing that the PRC “has no right” to represent Taiwan because it was established nearly thirty-eight years before Taiwan (CNN)
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson responded to his remarks saying that Beijing was the “sole legal representative” of China (WaPo)
Japanese Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait for First Time
Japan was accompanied by Australian and New Zealand vessels in the transit, unnamed government sources told Nikkei; Japan followed countries such as the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in conducting freedom-of-navigation exercises in the Taiwan Strait (Nikkei)
Meanwhile, talks between dozens of U.S. and Taiwanese firms on collaborating on drone production wrapped up yesterday in Taipei as Taiwan hopes to play a bigger role in supply chains for Western drones; both Washington and Taipei hope to chip away at China’s position as the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial drones (NYT)
China Test Launches Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
China said it fired a missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean this morning, the country’s first public test launch into international waters in decades; while Beijing called the event a “routine” part of annual training, several analysts suggest this is unusual and could be a signal or posturing to the United States (BBC)
U.S., Chinese Pacific Commanders Hold Call to Manage Rivalry
Today’s long-anticipated conversation aimed to reduce the risk of “misperception or miscalculation,” the White House said; it’s part of a restoration of military-to-military communication that Beijing slashed with Washington in August 2022 after then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taipei (CNN)
Sullivan Wraps Trip to China as Pacific Island Nations Talk Policing
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and held rare talks with a top Chinese general as part of his visit to manage bilateral relations this week; he is returning to Washington with plans for U.S. President Joe Biden to hold a phone call with Xi in the coming weeks (Bloomberg)
The White House said Sullivan discussed security issues in the Taiwan Strait, Ukraine, and South China Sea, and that “both sides welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication” (White House)
Xi said the two countries should be “a stable source of world peace,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported (FT)
Sullivan’s trip came as Pacific Island nations have been meeting in Tonga this week to weigh their own responses to security concerns; they committed yesterday to a $271 million Australia-funded policing program that some island nations described as trying to curb China’s security role in the region (AFP)
Jake Sullivan Makes First Visit to China by U.S. National Security Advisor in Eight Years
Sullivan began a three-day visit to Beijing today that continues a push to stabilize U.S.-China relations since they hit a low point in early 2023; Sullivan and Yi are expected to discuss topics including military tensions in the Pacific and regarding Taiwan (Reuters)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the talks aim to “overcome interference and remove obstacles” to stronger bilateral ties, while Sullivan said the two countries are “working to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict” (Nikkei,FT)
Several events ahead of the visit have thrown tension points in the bilateral relationship into sharp focus; Japan’s most senior government spokesperson said today that a Chinese military plane violated Japanese airspace for the first time in a “totally unacceptable” move that threatened national security (FT,FT)
Taiwan Plans Record Military Spending
The island’s budget calls for spending some $20 billion, or the equivalent of 2.45 percent of its estimated gross domestic product (GDP), on defense next year; Taiwan has been purchasing new equipment including fighter jets as part of a multiyear military modernization plan (Bloomberg, CNA)
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te opened the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei today, calling for unity from Taiwan’s partners “as we support the democratic umbrella;” former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko are speaking, with representatives coming from eleven countries (Taipei Times)
Taiwan also carried out a rare missile test launch yesterday from a site on the island’s southeastern coast(Reuters)
Taiwan Begins Annual War Games to Simulate How Its Forces Would Repeal a Potential Chinese Invasion
The drills include stepped-up nighttime operations for the first time, though some exercises have been partially reduced due to an approaching typhoon (Reuters,CNA)
China Calls Off Arms Control Talks With U.S. Over Weapons Sales to Taiwan
Beijing is ceasing arms control and nuclear nonproliferation talks with Washington due to the sales to Taipei, with China’s foreign ministry saying “the U.S. must respect China’s core interests and create the necessary conditions for dialogue;” eight months ago, the two countries had their first formal talks on the issue in nearly five years (SCMP)
A U.S. State Department spokesperson called the decision “unfortunate” and said the United States would continue to support its allies and partners in the region, adding that “China has chosen to follow Russia’s lead in asserting that engagement on arms control can’t proceed when there are other challenges” (WaPo)
Officials Submitting Plans to Allow Civil Services and Infrastructure to Continue Functioning in a Hypothetical War With China
The proposals to President Lai Ching-te include building up energy stockpiles and emergency medical capacity and bolstering communications infrastructure, unnamed government officials told the Financial Times (FT)
Taiwan Raises Travel Warning for China After Death Penalty Threat
Taiwan has raised its travel warning for China after Beijing announced last week that it would enact new sentences on “diehard supporters” of Taiwanese independence, including the death penalty; Taiwan says its citizens should not visit China unless it is absolutely necessary (AFP)
Biden Administration Approves $360 Million Weapons Package to Taiwan
Washington is selling 1,000 armed drones to Taipei, including 720 lightweight Switchblade one-way attack drones that have also been used in Ukraine’s offensive against Russia (AP)
Chinese Submarine Surfaces in Taiwan Strait
A Chinese nuclear submarine has surfaced near Taiwanese fishermen in the Taiwan Strait; Taiwan’s defense minister said that they have a “grasp” of the situation and are monitoring it (Reuters)
U.S. Admiral Emphasizes “Hellscape” Strategy with Regards to Taiwan Defense
A top U.S. naval officer, Admiral Samuel Paparo, told the press at the International Institue for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue Summit that the United States has plans to turn the Taiwan Strait into an “unmanned hellscape” if faced with a Chinese invasion (South China Morning Post)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Expresses Support for Closer Ties With Taiwan
Earlier that day, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te hailed the “fast-growing” bilateral partnership in a post congratulating Modi on his reelection; China’s foreign ministry said it protested to India over the statement (Bloomberg)
U.S., China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks in Singapore
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met for seventy-five minutes today with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue to discuss security issues in Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Middle East; a spokesperson for the Chinese defense ministry called the talks “practical and constructive,” while a U.S. statement signaled continuing differences about Chinese military activity around Taiwan and China’s “role in supporting Russia’s defense industrial base” (Bloomberg)
Bipartisan Group of U.S. Lawmakers Make Five-Day Visit to Taiwan
Representative Andy Barr (R-KY), co-chair of the Taiwan caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, emphasized U.S. economic, diplomatic, and military commitments to Taiwan, as well as U.S. resolve to “maintain the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait;” Beijing expressed strong opposition to the group’s visit, which began on Sunday (AP)
Separately, Taiwan legislators passed changes today that could curb the authority of the president, prompting thousands of people to demonstrate against the measure (Bloomberg)
China Announces Military Drills Around Taiwan as ‘Punishment’ Following Inauguration
A Chinese military spokesperson said today that the two-day drills encircling Taiwan were “punishment” for “separatist acts;” they follow the Sunday inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who said in his speech that China and Taiwan “are not subordinate to each other” (Nikkei)
Taiwan’s defense ministry said it “expressed regret for such irrational provocations” (RFA)
Bloomberg: ASML, TSMC Can Diasble Advanced Chipmaking Machines If China Invades Taiwan
Roughly 90 percent of the world’s most sophisticated chips are made in Taiwan; spokespeople for the two companies, the Dutch trade ministry, the White House National Security Council, and U.S. Commerce and Defense Departments did not comment on the story (Bloomberg).
Taiwan’s President Pledges to Seek Peace, Calls on China to Stop Threats at Inauguration
Lai Ching-te called for the joint pursuit of peace with China in his inaugural address as president today, while denouncing threats from Beijing and pledging to raise Taiwan’s “defense awareness;” Lai proposed that Taiwan and China resume educational and tourism exchanges (VOA)
He also promised to deepen international cooperation and to “continue using Taiwan’s democratic vitality as a force for good” (BBC)