Estonia and Taiwan are stuck in a stalemate over plans to open a Taiwanese office in Tallinn, illustrating difficulties in Taipei-Europe ties even as both feel pressure from China & Russia. w/ comments from @matejsimalcik.bsky.social and @williamyang120.bsky.social asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...

Taiwan's plan to set up mission in Estonia hits wall over name

China's past retaliation against Lithuania for engaging with Taipei haunts Europe

asia.nikkei.com

Europe’s ability to strategically engage Taiwan & rebalance ties w/China depends on a nuanced grasp of cross-Strait dynamics. A pleasure to host @williamyang120.bsky.social in Brussels at Martens Centre to explore how EU can step up in the region amid growing uncertainty surrounding the US role.

Donald Trump und Xi Jinping wollen morgen einen Handelsdeal schließen. Für die Taiwaner bedeutet das angespannte Stunden – und Erinnerungen an ein altes Trauma. Analyse auf @spiegel.de (thanks @williamyang120.bsky.social) www.spiegel.de/ausland/usa-...

(S+) USA-China-Gipfel: Wenn Donald Trump und Xi Jinping reden, wird Taiwan nervös

Donald Trump und sein Erzrivale Xi Jinping wollen einen Handelsdeal schließen. Warum das von Peking bedrohte Taiwan einen Pakt zwischen den Weltmächten fürchtet.

spiegel.de

Kinesiske agenter infiltrerer Taiwans militær med penge, kvinder og gambling. Nu kigger Taiwan mod Tel Aviv for at lære at stå imod. Jeg har set nærmere på anbefalingen fra en tidligere admiral: www.berlingske.dk/www.berlings... - vurdering v. @williamyang120.bsky.social

Mette Frederiksen græmmes over brutaliteten. Andre lader sig inspirere af Israels knytnæve

Læs mere her.

berlingske.dk

Personal news: Personal news: Following a months-long application process, I'm happy to announce that I'll start a new role as International Crisis Group's Senior Analyst on Northeast Asia on April 21.

Regional tensions over the South China Sea have tanked the sales of a popular children’s doll in Vietnam after it was put under investigation and accused of being unpatriotic because a design marking appeared to resemble China’s “nine-dash line”. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

#China's military said Sunday (Mar 9) it would tighten its "noose" around Taiwan if separatism over the island escalated, warning proponents to step back from the "edge of the cliff" or face a "dead end", state media reported. www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/ch...

China military vows to tighten 'noose' around Taiwan if separatism escalates

BEIJING: China's military said Sunday (Mar 9) it would tighten its "noose" around Taiwan if separatism over the island escalated, warning proponents to step back from the "edge of the cliff" or face a...

channelnewsasia.com

President Trump's dismantling of the U.S.-led global order has injected deep uncertainty — and perhaps fresh opportunity — into #China's timeline for a potential invasion of #Taiwan. www.axios.com/2025/03/08/t...

Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uighurs to #China last week was in the South-east Asian country’s best interest due to the possibility of retaliation from Beijing if the group was sent elsewhere, a Thai minister said on March 6. www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia...

Thailand’s deportation of Uighurs was to avert China ‘retaliation’: Minister

Resettling the Uighurs would not shield Thailand from a potential fallout with China, the minister said. Read more at straitstimes.com.

straitstimes.com

My latest: #Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is hailing a planned $100 billion investment in the U.S. by TSMC as “a historic moment for U.S-Taiwan relations,” adding that the move is not the result of pressure imposed by the U.S. government. www.voanews.com/a/taiwan-lau...

Taiwan lauds TSMC investment as 'historic moment' for US relations

President Lai Ching-te says that the move is not the result of pressure imposed by US government

voanews.com

#China said Wednesday it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year, as it continues its campaign to build a larger, more modern military to assert its territorial claims and challenge the U.S. defense lead in Asia. apnews.com/article/chin...

China will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year

China says it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year as it continues its campaign to build a larger, more modern military to assert its territorial claims and challenge the U.S. defense lead ...

apnews.com

Canada and the US offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources have said, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where most of them were covertly deported last week. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

US offered to resettle Uyghurs that Thailand deported to China, sources say

Canada and US said they would take 48 people held in Thai detention, according to officials, but Bangkok said to have feared upsetting China

theguardian.com

When Trump hit China with new tariffs, Beijing had an immediate response. @joshuacoe.bsky.social @williamyang120.bsky.social theworld.org/segments/202...

China's reaction to US tariffs - The World from PRX

President Donald Trump has imposed new tariffs on the United States’ top three trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. The response from China came almost immediately. This, as China’s political l...

theworld.org

My latest: #China set the economic growth target for 2025 at 5% on Wednesday, vowing to “rise to the challenge and strive for success” amid a lack of domestic demand and a challenging external environment. www.voanews.com/a/china-sets...

My latest: #China kicks off its biggest political meetings of the year this week as additional tariffs from the United States loom and the leadership in Beijing looks to address the “complex and multifaceted” economic challenges. www.voanews.com/a/china-host...

China hosts political meetings as US tariffs loom

Analysts say Beijing will look to boost domestic demand and consumption as potential U.S. tariff hikes threaten the viability of the export-driven growth model

voanews.com

My latest: #China has held a series of live-fire military drills across the Indo-Pacific region over the past week, from the Taiwan Strait to the Tasman Sea. www.voanews.com/amp/china-fl...

Thailand deported at least 40 Uyghurs to #China on Thursday, ignoring calls from the U.S., the U.N. and right groups not to send back the men, who had been detained in Thailand for more than a decade, because of the risk of torture. www.rfa.org/english/uygh...

My latest: Hong Kong’s largest and oldest opposition party, the Democratic Party, has announced that it will start the process of disbanding, a move that analysts say will mark “the end of an era” for the city’s pro-democracy forces. www.voanews.com/a/hong-kong-...

Hong Kong Democratic Party’s plan to disband marks ‘end of an era’

Analysts say the Democratic Party’s decision to start disbanding is the result of Hong Kong authorities’ decision to implement a Chinese-style governance model

voanews.com

New Zealand Defence Force has confirmed the three Chinese ships off the coast of Australia have moved inside the Australian exclusive economic zone this morning. www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5...

Chinese ships move inside Australian exclusive economic zone

Meanwhile, one of Australia's most senior intelligence figures says the deployment is "designed to be provocative".

rnz.co.nz

China conducted naval drills between Australia and New Zealand over two days. Beijing said it is "deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied" with Australia's remarks which it said were "inconsistent with facts." amp.dw.com/en/china-acc...

China accuses Australia of 'hyping' live-fire navy drills – DW – 02/23/2025

China conducted naval drills between Australia and New Zealand over two days. Beijing said it is "deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied" with Australia's remarks which it said were "inconsistent ...

amp.dw.com

China will be able to establish a "significant strategic presence" in the Pacific following its new agreement with the Cook Islands, a security studies professor says. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

A day after China warned its three military ships would be live weapons testing between New Zealand and Australia, the Cook Islands has today released a controversial agreement indicating #Beijing has secured a maritime presence there. www.1news.co.nz/2025/02/22/c...

China secures maritime presence in Cook Islands

The Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries was signed in Harbin, northern China on February 14.

1news.co.nz

The Cook Islands said on Saturday it has struck a five-year agreement with #China to cooperate in exploring and researching the Pacific nation’s seabed mineral riches. www.nzherald.co.nz/world/cook-i...

The United States is set to cut the size of its diplomatic mission in #China by up to 10 per cent, according to people familiar with the situation. www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

Exclusive | US to slash size of diplomatic mission in China by 10%: sources

The ‘substantial’ cuts are expected to affect both US and local employees and are part of Trump’s drive to overhaul the corps worldwide.

scmp.com

US President Donald Trump said it would be possible to reach a fresh trade deal with #China, signalling he is open to heading off a brewing trade fight between Washington and Beijing. www.straitstimes.com/world/united...

Trump says new China trade deal is ‘possible’ despite tensions

It is a signal he is open to heading off a brewing trade fight between Washington and Beijing. Read more at straitstimes.com.

straitstimes.com

The Australian Defence Force is monitoring three Chinese navy ships which are understood to be sailing east of Sydney. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

Three Chinese warships sailing east of Sydney being monitored, ADF says

The Australian Defence Force is monitoring three Chinese navy ships which are understood to be sailing east of Sydney.

abc.net.au

Japan's Justice Ministry said Monday it will allow Taiwanese who marry a Japanese to list the individual's place of origin as #Taiwan, instead of #China, in Japan's family registry system. english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/02...

Japan family registry to OK listing of Taiwan as place of origin

The Justice Ministry said Monday it will allow Taiwanese who marry a Japanese to list the individual's place of origin as Taiwan, instead of China, in Japan's family registry system, a move that has b...

english.kyodonews.net

#Taiwan is exploring buying arms worth billions of dollars from the United States, sources briefed on the matter said, hoping to win support from the new Trump administration as #China continues to apply military pressure on the island. www.voanews.com/a/taiwan-con...

Taiwan considers multibillion-dollar arms purchase from US, sources say

The package is meant to demonstrate to the United States that Taiwan is committed to its defense, one source said

voanews.com

My latest: #China has launched a new round of diplomatic outreach to European countries amid rising tension between the United States and its European allies. www.voanews.com/a/china-aims...

China aims to improve ties with EU amid transatlantic tension

Analysts say Beijing will try to exploit growing tension between the US and European countries – but say these efforts won’t lead to a fundamental shift in relations between China and the EU

voanews.com

China on Monday urged the United States to "correct its mistakes" after the U.S. State Department removed previous wording on its website about not supporting Taiwan independence, which it said was part of a routine update. www.voanews.com/a/china-urge...

China urges US to 'correct its mistakes' after State Department removes Taiwan web reference

The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own

voanews.com