Tag: taiwan

The 10-part series dramatises a potential invasion by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a first for Taiwan….reports Asian Lite News

Since the release of the teaser for the Taiwanese television series “Zero Day” last month, which depicts a fictional Beijing invasion, the dramatised scenes have ignited strong reactions and sparked vivid speculation about a potential Chinese invasion, CNN reports.

The 10-part series dramatises a potential invasion by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a first for Taiwan.

The teaser shows a besieged island experiencing terror and anarchy after a military blockade: locals race to take out cash, foreigners rush to leave, prisons erupt in riots, and television networks are compromised to air enemy propaganda.

Although the threat has been hanging over the self-governing island for decades, it is now intensifying as the Communist Party-run China becomes more assertive and powerful and shows off its military might, raising tensions to unprecedented levels, according to CNN.

With over a million views on YouTube and local media coverage, the 17-minute teaser proved to be a hit in Taiwan.

“As a 21-year-old, I almost burst into tears when I watched it. Every scene in those 17 minutes felt so close to us. Maybe one day in the future, these scenarios will become a reality around us,” said a top comment with over a thousand upvotes, according to CNN.

However, the teaser also drew criticism, particularly from leaders in the opposition, who claimed it heightened anxiety and overstated the situation.

Despite never having controlled Taiwan, China’s ruling Communist Party claims it as part of its territory and has vowed to take the island by force if necessary. (ANI)

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The Ministry did not specify the types of aircraft or vessels involved in the incident but assured that the situation was under close surveillance…reports Asian Lite News

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has reported a surge in activity by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near the Taiwan Strait, with 22 Chinese aircraft, nine People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and one official ship detected as of 6 am local time on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry, 12 of the PLA aircraft breached the median line, entering Taiwan’s southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan’s military closely monitored the situation and responded promptly to the incursion.

In a post on X, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said, “22 PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

The Ministry did not specify the types of aircraft or vessels involved in the incident but assured that the situation was under close surveillance. Incursions by PLA military aircraft and vessels into Taiwan’s ADIZ are not uncommon but have escalated tensions in the region, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China.

The Taiwan Strait, separating Taiwan from mainland China, has been a frequent area of contention, with Beijing viewing Taiwan as a breakaway province and asserting sovereignty over the island.

The latest incident comes amid heightened regional security concerns and underscores Taiwan’s ongoing vigilance in defending its airspace and territorial integrity against Chinese military activities.

As tensions persist, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence remains on high alert, prepared to respond to any further escalations in the region.

Amid the growing threat, Taiwan, starting Monday, began military exercises to test its war-fighting capabilities.

Amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, China has increased its military presence and conducted frequent drills in the region. The manoeuvres are seen as part of Beijing’s ongoing pressure campaign against Taiwan, which China views as a renegade province. (ANI)

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China has decided to suspend talks with the United States on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations…reports Asian Lite News

The US side bears full responsibility for the suspension of a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations with China, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on certain US officials’ accusation against China of refusing to engage in the consultations.

Li said that for some time, ignoring China’s firm opposition and repeated representations, the US side has continued to sell arms to Taiwan, and taken actions that seriously undermine China’s core interests and damage mutual trust between the two sides, thereby undermining the political atmosphere necessary for continued arms control consultations, reports Xinhua news agency.

“For this reason, China has decided to suspend talks with the United States on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations, and the responsibility for this situation lies entirely with the US side,” Lin said.

China is willing to maintain communication with the United States on international arms control issues on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, but the US side must respect China’s core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue and exchanges between the two sides, the spokesperson noted.

Meanwhile, Penpa Tsering, the President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, commented on President Biden’s recent signing of the ‘Resolve Tibet Bill,’ stating that the move has clearly struck a nerve with China.

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, which states that China’s ongoing occupation of Tibet must be resolved per international law peacefully and not through repression.

In an interview with ANI, Tsering highlighted the intense reaction from the Chinese government, which has condemned the bill as an interference in their domestic affairs.

“The very fact that they came here to deliver the bill to His Holiness and then President Biden signing it, even before he signed, they said, please don’t sign the form.

Now, after signing, they are saying, don’t implement the bill; otherwise, it will have consequences,” Tsering said, adding, “So, in that sense, we know that it has worked and China has for it.”

Expressing a confident stance on the impact of the newly signed ‘Resolve Tibet Bill’ and highlighting that the bill has significantly unsettled the Chinese government. Tsering remarked that the strong Chinese reaction underscores the bill’s effectiveness in challenging Beijing’s narrative on Tibet.

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President Lai made the remarks as he met the career diplomat during their first official meeting on Wednesday….reports Asian Lite News

Describing US official, Raymond Greene as an “old friend of Taiwan, President Lai Ching Te said that the nation will cooperate with the US and like-minded countries to promote regional prosperity, Taiwan News reported.

President Lai made the remarks as he met the career diplomat during their first official meeting on Wednesday.

In his first official meeting with Director Raymond Greene of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), President Lai Ching-te expressed his belief that relations between Taiwan and the United States would only improve in future.

The American Institute in Taiwan is a de facto embassy of the United States of America in Taiwan.

July 9, marked the professional diplomat’s official start of office as Sandra Oudkirk concluded her three-year term.

Given that Greene had previously spent two terms at AIT, the president referred to him as an old friend of Taiwan.

During his visit to the Presidential Office, Greene stated that the United States would continue to assist Taiwan’s attempts to protect itself because cross-strait peace and stability were essential to the Indo-Pacific area and the rest of the globe, reported Taiwan News.

Lai declared that Taiwan would make every effort to thwart China’s attempts to alter the status quo of the self-governed island, Taiwan News reported citing Radio Taiwan International (RTI).

Greene recalled that Lai, a lawmaker at the time, had received an invitation to participate in the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme when he first started working at AIT twenty years earlier.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China’s foreign policy, with Beijing considering the island as a renegade province that must be reunified with the mainland, if necessary by force.

As the situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to unfold, regional stability hangs in the balance, with any escalation posing significant risks not only to Taiwan and China but also to the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.

Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”

This comes at a time when the tensions between China and Taiwan are at an all-time high. Despite never having governed Taiwan, China’s governing Communist Party considers it part of its territory and has threatened to conquer it by force if necessary. (ANI)

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In response to China’s action, Taiwan’s armed forces employed aircraft, naval vessels and coastal missile systems to monitor Beijing’s activities….reports Asian Lite News

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that 15 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels have been detected around Taiwan in the past 24 hours till 6 am (local time) on Sunday.

In response to China’s action, Taiwan’s armed forces employed aircraft, naval vessels and coastal missile systems to monitor Beijing’s activities.

In a post on X, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence stated, “15 PLA aircraft and 10 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 14 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s central, southwestern, and southeastern ADIZ. We’ve monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of “gray zone tactics” by operating more military aircraft and naval ships near Taiwan, according to Taiwan News report. According to CSIS, gray zone tactics are termed as “an effort or a series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force,” the report said.

This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. Beijing has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) and military exercises near the island.

Taiwan has been governed independently of China since 1949. However, China views Taiwan as part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

On Friday, Taiwan MND stated that 30 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels were operating near its territory from 6 am (local time) on Friday and 6 am (local time) on Saturday.

Of the total aircraft, 23 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The Chinese military aircraft came as close as 72 kilometres from Eluanbi in the south and 77 kilometres from Keelung in the north, according to a Taiwan News report. In response to China’s action, Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and responded accordingly.

In a post on X, Taiwan’s MND stated, “30 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 23 aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern ADIZ.#ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.” (ANI)

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At election time, Beijing funded trips by local politicians to China in an attempt to influence voting behaviour…reports Asian Lite News

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau and Ministry of Culture accused China that it is attempting to interfere in Taiwan’s democratic processes, including influencing elections and interfering with media, Taiwan News reported on Wednesday

National Security Bureau (NSB) said China was inviting local politicians intending to influence elections, while the Ministry of Culture (MOC) said it would present a report on the alleged attempts by Chinese reporters to interfere with Taiwan’s media, reports said.

Officials from the Mainland Affairs Council, National Security Bureau, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau will present a report to the Legislative Yuan by July 4, detailing their findings on China’s alleged interference in Taiwan’s elections and media.

The methods used by China included underground financial institutions demanding confidential military data as a form of debt repayment by military officers, as per Taiwan News.

At election time, Beijing funded trips by local politicians to China in an attempt to influence voting behaviour, while also spreading reports about measures supposedly favouring Taiwan businesses.

The NSB reports that prosecutors have filed 39 indictments in 84 cases over the past year, indicating a rising trend in challenges to Taiwan’s national security, Taiwan News reported citing CNA.

According to the report, the alleged interference by Chinese journalists posted in Taiwan on TV talk shows was the subject of an investigation by the MOC.

Seven Chinese media companies had stationed a total of 10 correspondents in Taiwan, Taiwan News reported citing CNA.

The probe focused on a former reporter for China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency who was accused of involvement in the production of a TV show. He had already left Taiwan, as Chinese correspondents were issued a press pass for three months, with one extension possible.

The MOC said it would publish the results of its probe into the former Chinese journalist within a week, Taiwan News reported citing Radio Taiwan International (RTI) report.

The investigation focused both on UDN, the Taiwan media outlet that had invited the correspondent, and his employer, Xinhua News. The Chinese news agency’s two current reporters in Taiwan have also been invited to discuss the issue, according to the MOC. (ANI)

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Analysts and military strategists said that there are two key options available to China – a full-scale invasion or a military blockade….reports Asian Lite News

China’s military could isolate Taiwan, cripple its economy, and compel the democratic island to submit to Beijing’s Communist Party without firing a shot, CNN reported citing a Washington think tank.

There are concerns about the Communist Party’s intentions to take control of Taiwan, potentially by force, have intensified due to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s increasingly aggressive stance towards the self-governed island. China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further fueled these fears.

According to CNN, analysts and military strategists said that there are two key options available to China – a full-scale invasion or a military blockade.

However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington highlights a third option: quarantine. This method, using “gray zone” tactics, involves actions just below the threshold of war. The China Coast Guard, its maritime militia, and various police and maritime safety agencies could enforce a full or partial quarantine of Taiwan, potentially cutting off access to its ports and essential supplies, such as energy, for the island’s 23 million people.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might play only auxiliary and support roles, according to CSIS authors Bonny Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaiole, Samantha Lu, and Truly Tinsley.

“China has significantly increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, stoking fears that tensions could erupt into outright conflict. Much attention has been paid to the threat of an invasion, but Beijing has options besides invading to coerce, punish, or annex Taiwan,” the report says.

Recently, China’s Minister of National Defence Admiral Dong Jun warned “external forces” for emboldening Taiwan Independence separatists in an attempt to contain China with Taiwan and said that these malicious intentions are dragging Taiwan into a dangerous situation.”

He said that anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will “end up in self-destruction.”He accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of pursuing Taiwan’s separation in an incremental manner and added that they are bent on erasing the Chinese identity of Taiwan.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships that operate near Taiwan’s territory.Gray zone tactics are called “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force,” according to Taiwan News.

This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China’s foreign policy. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it a part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. (ANI)

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Minister Koo acknowledged the delays were indeed caused by the weapons’ failure to meet required US Army standards initially….reports Asian Lite News

Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo announced on Monday that the island nation is set to receive all 1,700 TOW 2B anti-tank missiles and 100 launchers purchased from the United States by the end of this year, following a two-year delay, Focus Taiwan reported.

The timeline update came during a legislative session in response to queries from ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu about the delivery schedule.

Originally allocated NTD11.81 billion (USD364 million) over the fiscal years 2018-2025 for the procurement, Taiwan had expected delivery to commence in 2022 but faced setbacks. According to Wang, Taiwan has yet to receive any missiles as per the original schedule due to failed US Army tests.

Minister Koo acknowledged the delays were indeed caused by the weapons’ failure to meet required US Army standards initially. However, he assured that all necessary tests have now been successfully passed, ensuring delivery before year-end, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

Highlighting the significance of the acquisition, Koo mentioned the TOW 2B anti-tank missiles and launchers are part of three major arms packages purchased from the US, all of which have encountered significant delays.

Among these packages are 66 F-16V fighter jets and AGM-154 air-to-ground missile systems renowned for their precision in strikes against surface targets. Koo disclosed that Taiwan anticipates receiving two F-16V prototypes for further flight tests by the fourth quarter of this year, with a request to receive all 66 by the end of 2026.

Regarding the AGM-154s, Koo did not specify the quantity purchased or the expected delivery timeline.

Describing the capabilities of the TOW 2B missiles, an unnamed military source explained they are designed to target the vulnerable tops of armored vehicles, enhancing Taiwan’s defensive capabilities in potential invasion scenarios.

During a visit to Taiwan in May, Michael McCaul, chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, cited approximately USD20 billion worth of pending arms sales to Taiwan, attributing delays primarily to industry-related issues, Focus Taiwan reported.

Allegation: Chinese influence

The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) of Taiwan issued a stern warning, cautioning against the formation of political entities under foreign influences. This advisory follows allegations that a Chinese entity attempted to recruit Taiwanese celebrities to establish a political party, Focus Taiwan reported.

Taiwanese have the right to form political parties but cannot accept instructions or funding from foreign forces to develop parties, as this would violate the National Security Act and the Anti-Infiltration Act, the MOI said in a statement.

The statement was prompted by social media posts made by Taiwanese singer R-chord on June 14 and actress Alexis Ho on June 15. These posts detailed efforts by Beijing Ciguang Film and Television Media Co, Ltd, a Chinese company, to recruit them via email for pro-China activities.

Screenshots of the emails revealed that the artists were invited to release a statement titled “Establish a new type of cross-strait relations” on their Facebook pages, after which they would be appointed as vice chairpersons of a purported “Taiwan Pro-Peace Party.” The correspondence also promised lucrative employment opportunities with an annual income exceeding NTD10 million (USD308,950), projecting recruitment of at least 1,000 founding members for the party, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

According to information sourced from the Chinese business inquiry platform “AiQicha,” Beijing Ciguang Film and Television Media Co, Ltd was founded in February 2023 with a registered capital of 90 million Chinese yuan (approximately USD12.4 million). The company’s declared business activities primarily involve film and television production, as well as organising cultural and artistic exchanges.

As of the latest update, the MOI’s political party information website does not list any entity named the “Taiwan Pro-Peace Party,” underscoring the lack of official recognition for such an organisation within Taiwan’s political framework.

Highlighting broader concerns, the MOI referenced previous instances where political parties in Taiwan were suspected of receiving directives and financial backing from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Notably, leaders or officials associated with the Republican Party and the Taiwan People’s Communist Party have faced allegations of promoting specific electoral candidates under CCP influence.

The National Security Act, under Article 2, explicitly prohibits individuals from engaging in activities that involve initiating, financing, manipulating, or developing organisations on behalf of foreign countries, including China, Hong Kong, Macau, or entities deemed hostile to Taiwan’s interests.

Similarly, Article 3 of the Anti-Infiltration Act prohibits individuals from making political contributions or donations linked to referendum activities if such actions are influenced, commissioned, or funded by sources associated with foreign infiltration, Focus Taiwan reported. (ANI)

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