A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
CHANGE OF MIND: The Chinese crew at first showed a willingness to cooperate, but later regretted that when the ship arrived at the port and refused to enter
Togolese Republic-registered Chinese freighter Hong Tai (宏泰號) and its crew have been detained on suspicion of deliberately damaging a submarine cable connecting Taiwan proper and Penghu County, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement yesterday. The case would be subject to a “national security-level investigation” by the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, it added. The administration said that it had been monitoring the ship since 7:10pm on Saturday when it appeared to be loitering in waters about 6 nautical miles (11km) northwest of Tainan’s Chiang Chun Fishing Port, adding that the ship’s location was about 0.5 nautical miles north of the No.
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
COORDINATION, ASSURANCE: Separately, representatives reintroduced a bill that asks the state department to review guidelines on how the US engages with Taiwan
US senators on Tuesday introduced the Taiwan travel and tourism coordination act, which they said would bolster bilateral travel and cooperation. The bill, proposed by US senators Marsha Blackburn and Brian Schatz, seeks to establish “robust security screenings for those traveling to the US from Asia, open new markets for American industry, and strengthen the economic partnership between the US and Taiwan,” they said in a statement. “Travel and tourism play a crucial role in a nation’s economic security,” but Taiwan faces “pressure and coercion from the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]” in this sector, the statement said. As Taiwan is a “vital trading
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises
To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
‘STRONG GENERATION’: The DPP has alleged that the TPP legislator-at-large used his position to help businesses affiliated with his wife, siblings, children and in-laws
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator-at-large Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城), who has been accused of conflicts of interest related to his support for a “strong generation,” yesterday said he would resign from his post. The Act Promoting Development for Strong Generation Policies and Industries (壯世代政策與產業發展促進法) was passed on Jan. 7 to address aging through industrial development. It defines the “strong generation” as those aged 55 or older with the ability and willingness to work, and stipulates that the government is responsible for putting in place policies that help those in the aging population lead a better life. Wu, known for initiating the act, at
STABILITY RISK: The CCP announced the exercise in international shipping lanes without prior notice, posing a significant risk to ships, the defense ministry said
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) showed flagrant disregard for international norms by staging a live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait without prior announcement, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The ministry said that it detected the launch of 32 aircraft, including Shenyang J-11 fighters, Shaanxi KJ-500 early-warning planes and drones, among which 22 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and entered the north and southwest regions of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. The aircraft were apparently part of a joint patrol exercise conducted by the PLA Navy, it said. The ministry said it scrambled units from across the military
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said
The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three
NATIONAL SECURITY: The listed universities, dubbed the ‘seven sons of national defense’ in China, are heavily involved in developing Chinese arms and technology
Taiwan has sanctioned seven universities that are part of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as posing a national security risk, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said yesterday. Taiwanese universities and research institutions are forbidden from engaging in any academic activities or exchanges with seven Chinese universities to protect technology critical to national security interests, he said. Students and researchers from the US have been banned from studying or working at the universities since 2020. Dubbed the “seven sons of [China’s] national defense,” the universities were founded by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense before they were transferred to
A SHIELD: About 83.8 percent of respondents agreed that the semiconductor sector is an ‘economic central mountain range’ safeguarding Taiwan against Chinese military threats
More than 80 percent of Taiwanese opposed transferring Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) advanced technology to the US, a survey conducted by the Foundation for the People showed yesterday. The foundation yesterday held a news conference to announce the results of its poll about the international situation, which was attended by the foundation’s chairman and Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣). The poll showed that 85.6 percent of Taiwanese believed US President Donald Trump’s administration could pressure Taiwan by imposing higher tariffs, while 52.8 percent of respondents said harsher US tariffs are “very likely” to happen and 10.7 percent said they are
The leader of efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) yesterday said they would stop collecting signatures for the second stage of the recall drive following allegation of forgeries. A 65-year-old surnamed Cheng (鄭) and her lawyer yesterday alleged that the leader of the recall drive, surnamed Chen (陳), had falsified Cheng’s signature. Cheng said she received a notice of confirmation from the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) Chiayi branch that she had signed the petition, alhough she had not. She added that she suspected her personal information had been leaked. In response, Chen yesterday said that he only received the
NEVER FORGET: Our children must understand that the democracy they now enjoy did not come on a silver platter, but was earned by their ancestors, the president said
Taiwanese should not forget history, must protect Taiwan’s freedom and sovereignty, be the masters of their own country and never allow something like the 228 Incident to happen again, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks at a meeting with members of the Overseas 2-28 Survivors Homecoming Group at the Presidential Office in Taipei. Lai said he would like to express on behalf of the public a sincere welcome to members returning to Taiwan to attend the government’s 228 Incident memorial ceremony this year. It has been 78 years since the incident, and many survivors have been working for the
NATIONAL SECURITY: Under new regulations, civil servants would be required to pledge that they do not have residency in China or possess a Chinese ID
Military personnel, civil servants and educators in Taiwan would be dismissed if they are found to hold any Chinese government-issued documents, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, following reports that civil servants would be required to sign pledges that they do not hold a Chinese ID. The remarks came after the Ministry of Civil Service on Thursday last week issued notices to local governments requiring that civil servants sign a pledge that they do not have residency in China or possess a Chinese ID, including national identification, a residential certificate or passport. It follows a similar directive issued by the Ministry
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
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