The U.S. and Taiwan have agreed to a trade pact that would lower tariffs on goods from the island to 15% and see Taiwanese semiconductor companies increase financing for American operations by $500 billion. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/16/economy/us-taiwan-trade-deal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #taiwan #trade #chipmakers #tsmc #nvidia #howardlutnick #jamiesongreer #donaldtrump #laichingte
People in China are calling for a Venezuela-style snatch of Taiwan's leaders in a prelude to taking over the island, but analysts, scholars and security officials say China's modernizing military is still far from ready. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/12/asia-pacific/china-taiwan-venezuela-lai-assassination/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #taiwan #pla #us #usmilitary #defense #indopacific #venezuela #laichingte
The U.S. has urged China to halt military pressure on Taiwan — days after Japan and Western countries voiced concern over rising tensions — it's first criticism of recent large-scale military exercises around the island. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/02/asia-pacific/politics/us-china-miliary-exercises-taiwan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #taiwan #pla #donaldtrump #laichingte #uschinarelations #usjapanrelations #defense #usmilitary
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Thursday the island is determined to defend its sovereignty and boost its defense in the face of China's increasing expansion, after Beijing held large-scale military drills. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/01/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-lai-ching-te-china-military-drill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #pla #taiwan #laichingte #us #xijinping
A wave of visits to Taiwan by Japanese lawmakers is underway, underscoring the close ties between Tokyo and Taipei and drawing a sharp response from Beijing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/politics/japan-lawmakers-visit-taiwan-china-anger/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #koichihagiuda #china #taiwan #chinajapanrelations #taiwanjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #laichingte #ldp
Koichi Hagiuda, deputy secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday agreed to strengthen Japan-Taiwan relations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/politics/japan-ldp-exec-taiwan-president-meet/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #koichihagiuda #laichingte #taiwanjapanrelations #ldp #chinajapanrelations
Taiwan's high-profile deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, made a previously unpublicized visit to Israel recently, sources said, at a time when Taiwan is looking to the country for defense cooperation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-deputy-foreign-minister-israel/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #china #francoiswu #laichingte #israel #missiles #defense
Taiwan will introduce a $40 billion supplementary defense budget to underscore its determination to defend itself, “significant” new U.S. arms purchases planned, President Lai Ching-te said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-president-defense-spending/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #laichingte #taiwan #china #defense
China is using threats, diplomatic pressure, economic measures and manufactured media narratives to attack new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and influence Japanese politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/20/japan/good-relations-with-communist-party-is-a-fools-errand/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #china #sanaetakaichi #taiwan #xuejian #reiwashinsengumi #us #ldp #shigeruishiba #komeito #japaninnovationparty #ccp #philippines #shinzoabe #laichingte #xijinping #worldwarii
Taiwan is advocating for a "nonred" supply chain initiative among democratic nations to reduce reliance on China and secure critical manufacturing sectors like semiconductors. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/11/world/how-taiwans-supply-chain-might-work/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #taiwan #laichingte #china #india #mexico #us #tsmc #tokyoelectron #foxconn #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #biden #supplychains #semiconductors
Japan’s Sanae Takaichi has appeared to allay fears of a more hawkish approach to Beijing, but her open support for deepening ties with Taiwan is likely to further complicate the already strained relationship with China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/04/japan/politics/takaichi-taiwan-china-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #taiwan #taiwanjapanrelations #china #chinajapanrelations #defense #sanaetakaichi #laichingte #xijinping
A former Taiwan lawmaker who has advocated closer ties to China won the contest to become the leader of the island’s biggest opposition party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/20/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-kuomintang-leader-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #kuomintang #china #taiwan #dpp #laichingte #chengliwun
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would also threaten U.S. homeland interests and would embolden Beijing to compete with Washington on the international stage, President Lai Ching-te said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/07/asia-pacific/politics/china-takeover-taiwan-threat-us/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #laichingte #taiwan #us #china
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te "exuberantly" congratulated former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on winning the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race on Saturday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/05/japan/politics/taiwans-lai-congratulates-takaichi/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #laichingte #taiwan #sanaetakaichi #taiwanjapanrelations
Voters in Taiwan have once again rejected an effort by President Lai Ching-te’s party to flip parliament, a setback that could deepen political deadlock and complicate the island’s push to ramp up defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/24/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-reject-recalls-defense-budget/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #dpp #kuomintang #laichingte #defense #budgets #china #pla
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is weakened by domestic setbacks and uncertain U.S. support as he tries to balance Beijing’s pressure and rising political opposition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/31/world/taiwans-president-running-out-of-options/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #taiwan #laichingte #dpp #kmt #china #donaldtrump #us #tariffs
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is having a bad week. It could become worse, depending on whether Washington uses Taipei as a bargaining chip in its trade talks with Beijing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/30/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-president-us-trade/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #laichingte #china #tsmc #us #donaldtrump #trade #tariffs
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is set to delay a diplomatically sensitive trip his team had floated to the Trump administration for August that would have included stops in the United States https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/29/world/politics/taiwan-lai-us-stopover-china-trade/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #taiwan #laichingte #xijinping #china #us #donaldtrump #trade #tariffs
A failed campaign in Taiwan to unseat lawmakers has handed Beijing and the island’s opposition new ammunition against President Lai Ching-te, potentially deepening a political deadlock. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/28/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-opposition-china-leverage/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #china #dpp #kmt #laichingte
Taiwan’s opposition will keep its legislative majority in a blow to President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party, with voters overwhelmingly rejecting an attempt to recall 24 Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/27/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-recall-election-kuomintang/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #dpp #kuomintang #china #laichingte