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SHANGHAI, May 23, 2024 (AFP) – China on Thursday announced two days of war games around self-ruled Taiwan, encircling the island with naval vessels and military aircraft. Here’s what you need to know. – Why has China launched these drills? – Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, when nationalists fled to the island following their defeat by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a civil war on the mainland. Beijing considers the democratic island part […]
By James EDGAR BEIJING, May 23, 2024 (AFP) – China on Thursday launched two days of military drills to surround self-ruled Taiwan in what it said was “strong punishment” for the island’s “separatist acts”. The drills come after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as Taiwan’s new president this week and made an inauguration speech that China denounced as a “confession of independence”. Communist China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to […]
BEIJING, May 20, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese social media Weibo on Monday blocked hashtags referencing the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te, preventing them from trending as the self-ruled island swore in a new leader. A hashtag saying “Taiwan 520 new authorities take office”, referring to Monday’s date, was removed, with a notice saying that “according to relevant laws, regulations, and policies, the content of this topic has not been displayed.” Another that reported […]
By Dene-Hern Chen and Amber Wang TAIPEI, May 20, 2024 (AFP) – New Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Monday hailed the arrival of a “glorious era” for the island’s democracy, as he called on China to cease political and military intimidation. In an inauguration speech, Lai also directly addressed the threat of war following years of growing pressure from China’s to bring Taiwan under mainland rule. Lai said a “glorious era of Taiwan’s democracy has […]
KINMEN, Taiwan, May 19, 2024 (AFP) – Taipei’s coast guard ramped up patrols over the weekend around its outlying islands that have seen increased presence of Chinese vessels, the agency said Sunday, the eve of Lai Ching-te’s inauguration as Taiwan’s new president. China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, maintaining a near-daily military presence with frequent appearances of fighter jets, drones and naval ships around the island. It has also in recent months […]
TAIPEI, April 26, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwan was hit by a series of at least 10 earthquakes in the early hours of Saturday, with the strongest reaching 6.1 magnitude, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration. No tsunami warning reports followed the earthquakes, which triggered mobile phone alarms in capital Taipei, an AFP journalist said, and came just several days after dozens of quakes shook the island. The strongest 6.1-magnitude earthquake occurred just off the […]
TAIPEI, April 22, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwan’s capital was hit by a series of earthquakes overnight into the early hours of Tuesday, with the Central Weather Administration saying the strongest was a magnitude-6.3 tremor originating in eastern Hualien. The first strong quake — a magnitude 5.5 — hit on Monday at around 5:08 pm (0908 GMT), according to Central Weather Administration. It could be felt in the capital Taipei. That was followed by a series […]
TAIPEI, April 22, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwan’s capital was shaken by a “strong” earthquake early Monday evening, AFP staff reported, with the Central Weather Administration saying it was a magnitude-5.5 tremor originating in eastern Hualien. The region was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.4 quake that hit on April 3, causing landslides around the mountainous region that blocked off roads, while buildings in the main Hualien city were badly damaged. At least 17 were killed in […]
By Matthew WALSH BEIJING, April 10, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that “external interference” would not stop Beijing from unifying with Taiwan, as he met the self-ruled island’s former leader in a rare display of cross-strait dialogue. Taiwan’s former president Ma Ying-jeou is in China as part of what he has called a “journey of peace” to calm tensions with Beijing, which claims the island as its own territory and has […]
TAIPEI, April 10, 2024 (AFP) – The toll from a massive earthquake that struck Taiwan last week rose to 16 on Wednesday after three more bodies were found on a hiking trail, officials said. The magnitude 7.4 quake that hit the island on April 3 also left more than 1,100 people injured, with strict building codes and widespread disaster readiness credited with averting an even bigger catastrophe. Authorities discovered the three victims Wednesday as they […]
Taiwan’s foreign minister lashed out at Bolivia Saturday for expressing solidarity with China following an earthquake that struck the island Beijing views as its own. At least 10 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured by the magnitude 7.2 quake that struck Taiwan Wednesday, with strict building codes and widespread disaster readiness credited with averting a bigger catastrophe. On Friday, Bolivia’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying the country “expresses its solidarity with the […]
HUALIEN, Taiwan, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwan rescue helicopters flew sorties Saturday to pluck tourists to safety after a massive earthquake cut off roads and blocked tunnels, leaving hundreds stranded for days in the mountains. At least 13 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured by the magnitude 7.4 quake that struck the island on Wednesday, with strict building codes and widespread disaster readiness credited with averting an even bigger catastrophe. The quake […]
