This Week in Taiwan

President Lai Ching-te urges coorperation between local and central governments in the aftermath of the metro attack.  Foreign Minister Lin China-lung has instructed his ministry to fully support Palau in hosting the Pacific Islands Forum.  Nvidia tells its Chinese customers it plans to being shipping H200 chips to China.  Taiwan’s Legislature passed the third and final readin...

Taiwan and Slovakia have reac hed a significant mile stone in t echnologic al coop eration with the inaugur ation of a joint s emiconduc tor labo rat ory. The  remaining amendments compris ing the “seven submarine cable laws” passed third r eading at the legislat u re and will requ ire vess els to ac tivate their Automatic Identificat ion Sy stem (AIS) . T h e Nat ional Security B...

The White House released its 2025 National Security Strategy report.  Honduras is in the middle of the country’s most intense presidential race in history. The Interior Ministry says its decision to suspend the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu for one year is not a restriction of free speech. The Legislature on Monday passed third readings of the so-called “seven undersea cabl...

Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu says the US will not “sell out” Taiwan due to strong shared interests.  KMT legislators question transparency and demand a formal state-of-the nation address over the administration’s NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget.  Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim speaks with  War Room host Natalie Winters about Taiwan’s determinatio...

Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu stresses de-escalation and alliance building amid China-Japan escalation.  US reported first death from new H5N1 virus. President Lai is adding US$40 billion to defense budget. US Congress introduces bill to support Taiwan’s interpol participation. Taiwan sends more emergency vehicles to Ukraine. Taiwan announces new national security action plan.

China is carrying out live fire drills in the Yellow Sea and increased patrols in contested waters. The latest developments in escalating China-Japan tensions following remarks by the Japanese prime minister on Taiwan last week. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says Taiwan’s cooperation with the U.S. and Japan is expanding across political, economic, technological, and cultural fronts. China i...

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) urges European countries to expand their collaboration with Taiwan, and to oppose the use of force in the Taiwan strait.  President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced on Saturday that Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) will surpass NT$1 trillion (about US$31 billion) in the 2026 budget, aiming to enhance healthcare services and retain medical pro...

An investigation points to food waste as the most likely source of the African swine fever outbreak in Taichung in central Taiwan.  President Lai Ching-te meets with North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. Taiwan launches the Asia Asset Management Center (AAMC) to attract global capital. Taiwan not a bargaining chip in US-China talks: Foreign Minister Lin. Taiwan to boost international cooperatio...

Taiwanese tourists are wearing nationality badges to avoide being harassed in South Korea amid anti-China protests. Taiwan envoy Lin Hsin-i attends APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea.  Nvidia’s Taiwan headquarters will be located in Taipei, Mayor Chiang Wan-an confirmed.  Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung attends the 2025 Taiwan-Europe Submarine Cable Security Coopera...

President Lai Ching-te: Taiwan won’t achieve peace by accepting the 1992 Consensus or the One-China Principle. KMT elected Cheng Li-wun as its party chair. Chinese President Xi Jin-ping congratulated her in an unprecedented gesture. Taiwan confirms its first African swine fever case.  The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations passed 4 Taiwan-related bills. Sen. Chris Coons says he...

President Lai Ching-te announces plans to build the “T-Dome,” a comprehensive missile defense system.  National Health Insurance Administration and FDA are forming plans to deal with 47 medicines’ upcoming withdrawl from Taiwan market. Official says Taiwan’s chip-making capacity is 2.5 years ahead of the United States.   National Security Bureau released a report...

President Lai Ching-te ( 賴清德 ) visited Chiayi, Tainan, and Hualien over the weekend and this Monday during the Mid-Autumn Festival to assess the progress of post-disaster reconstruction efforts following recent typhoon damage.  A Swedish cross-party delegation has arrived in Taiwan.  Allies celebrated Taiwan's National Days.  MOFA voiced conffidence in ties with the Czech Republi...

The government revised Typhoon Ragasa’s death toll to 18 as rescue operations continue in Hualien County, where seven people remain missing and hundreds are still displaced. Taiwan’s Legislative Budget Center says birthrate policies remain overly focused on one-time subsidies as the fertility rate dropped to 0.8856, urging the government to tackle long-term issues like housing, workpla...

Amanda Stephens fills in for host Iris Hsu, covering: N ew Shinzo Abe Research Center opens at Taipei‘s National Chengchi University P resident Lai vows Taiwan will never surrender if facing an invasion T aiwan’s biotech industry revenue surpasses US$ 25 billion K o Wen-je to remain free on seventy million NT bail as prosecutors drop appeal T yphoon Ragasa: 14 dead and 124 missing afte...

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te: peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential for global security and prosperity. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung urges the United Nations to integrate Taiwan following the UN General Assembly Chinese ambassador's disrespectful behavior towards Taiwan and criticism of Danish media could negatively affect relations between Denmark and China, according to Danish media. Taiwan...

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson voiced confidence in Taiwan’s resilience against China in a Daily Mail op-ed, calling Beijing’s sovereignty claim baseless. A US think tank warned that Taiwan’s dependence on Qatari LNG leaves it vulnerable to Chinese pressure and urged diversification, renewables, and possible nuclear restarts. President Lai Ching-te unveiled three measures...

New Economic Minister joins the Cabinet.  President Lai stressed shared responsibility for defense, warning of China’s threats, and announcing higher troop pay and a defense budget rise to 3.32% of GDP. Military expert warned the PLA could prepare for two weeks before invading Taiwan.  Foreign Ministry condemned former KMT chair’s attendance at Beijing’s military parade...

Team Taiwan set a new milestones at the World Games, bringing home five gold, six silver and four bronze medals. Former White House NSC chief of staff Alexander Gray says US President Donald Trump has never compromised on America's core national interests, and Taiwan has always been one of them. US President Donald Trump met with leaders of Russia, Ukraine and major European countries to discuss t...

The DPP says Taiwan should use its position as a key hub in the first island chain to gain leverage in tariff talks with US, while the KMT is urging the Lai administration to fully engage Washington on all fronts. The DPP is stepping up its involvement in the second round of recall campaigns. The recall vote will coincide with a referendum on nuclear power on August 23.  The U.S.’s tari...

Premier Cho Jung-tai says Taiwan’s special post-disaster recovery ordinance will now cover damages from the recent heavy rainfall. The Democratic Progressive Party is stepping up its involvement in the second round of recall campaigns, with voting set for August 23. The recall vote will coincide with a referendum on nuclear power.  Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is calling...

All 24 KMT lawmakers who faced recall votes on Saturday will remain in office. The ruling DPP said the result offers a moment for “calm reflection and a fresh start.” Reuters and the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration had rejected Lai’s proposed U.S. stopovers, But the Presidential Office dismissed those claims. Premier Cho Jung-tai visited Tainan’s Baih...

Taiwan’s Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun is in the United States this week for a new round of high-stakes tariff negotiations.  President Lai Ching-te met with the members of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS).  Chair of EUDS, Nathalie Loiseau, says Europe is eager to exchange knowledge and strategies with Taiwan on countering hybr...

New U.S. tariffs targeting Southeast Asian countries are raising uncertainty for Taiwanese manufacturers that previously relocated from China. Taiwan’s fisheries authorities push back after a CNN report highlights migrant worker abuse in the fishing industry. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung leads a delegation to Paraguay, aiming to deepen ties through expanded cooperation in technology and he...

Typhoon Danas made historic landfall in Chiayi County, leaving two dead, over 300 injured, and widespread infrastructure damage before exiting Taiwan early Monday. Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste visited Taiwan to reaffirm 69 years of diplomatic ties and deepen cooperation in public health and agriculture. Taiwan condemned China’s new W121 flight path, warning it th...

Taiwan and the UK signed three new agreements under the Enhanced Trade Partnership to boost cooperation in investment, digital trade, and clean energy. President Lai Ching-te urged the UK to support Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP. Team Taiwan made a vibrant showing at the San Francisco Pride Parade, showcasing Taiwan’s inclusive values and leading with its national flag and marriage eq...