Taiwan

Taiwan’s T-Dome air defence programme may be delayed to 2028 due to budget disputes, as the legislature approved a reduced NT$780 billion defence budget, excluding funding for the Chiang-Kong anti-ballistic missile system.

China conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile test into the Pacific, which analysts say was intended to signal growing military capabilities to U.S. allies in the region. The U.S. State Department and several Pacific nations criticized the launch, which occurred shortly after Australia and Fiji signed a mutual defense treaty.

Taiwan has revived its 'anti-communist patriotic education' program for military academy graduates after 24 years, citing concerns over Beijing's infiltration attempts and recent espionage cases involving service members. The five-day compulsory course, starting July 1, restores the program's original name.

A mainland Chinese research vessel conducted an oceanographic survey in the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan from June 16 to 18. Experts noted the dual-use nature of the collected data, which could support military underwater operations. State media framed the mission as an example of Beijing's expanding civilian maritime governance.

China tested a long-range ballistic missile in the Pacific, prompting protests from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. The test occurred amid rising regional tensions, including China's naval pressure on Taiwan and a recent defense deal between Australia and Fiji.

Delaware lawmakers have passed a law requiring disclosure of all travel expenses of $250 or more paid by third parties, addressing prior gaps in reporting free trips to locations like Taiwan and Israel. The change aims to eliminate ambiguity in existing rules, following media reports that highlighted unreported travel by officials since 2010.

Stephen Huang, 55, founded Tranxform, a Taiwan-based AI chip startup, after working on chips at Apple, Amazon, and MediaTek. The company aims to develop power-efficient processors for AI models outside data centers, leveraging Huang's decades of experience in semiconductor design.

Vivienne Yang moved from Taiwan to New York in 2018 to pursue a career in the ad-tech industry but had to return to Taiwan in 2024 after being laid off, leaving behind her Brooklyn apartment, two cats, and H-1B visa status. She transitioned to a B-2 tourist visa to stay in the US temporarily but eventually relocated due to immigration constraints.

Beijing deployed a new coastguard task force into waters east of Taiwan, the second such deployment in about a month. The move follows China’s top diplomat urging Washington to exercise caution on Taiwan and high-level talks with the Philippines to address South China Sea tensions.

The China Coast Guard has rotated a patrol task group east of Taiwan. A vessel from the China Coast Guard was involved in the operation.

Taiwan is updating its 14-day call-up program to train reservists in drones and US-made Himars rocket systems to address military manpower shortages caused by demographic decline and pressure from Beijing.

HPE stock reached a record high following the launch of Nvidia's Vera CPU server. The HPE ProLiant Compute DL394 Gen12, introduced at Computex in Taiwan, is designed for agentic AI and data processing workloads.

BlackRock downgraded its view on emerging-market stocks to neutral from overweight due to concerns about heavy reliance on the AI supply chain in regions like Taiwan and South Korea. However, the firm maintained its positive stance on Brazil.

A Reddit user reports suspicion of a pig butchering scam involving a woman met on Tandem who transitioned communication to Telegram. Red flags include a Chinese-named video file, unnatural English phrases, inconsistent currency formatting, and defensive political statements about China and Taiwan.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller associated with a bookstore that sold materials critical of Chinese leaders, died in Taiwan at 70 after a cancer relapse. He was seized by Chinese authorities in 2015 and later moved to Taiwan in 2019, reopening the bookstore in 2020. His death occurred amid ongoing tensions over Hong Kong's autonomy and national security laws.

Lam Wing-kee, a bookseller from Causeway Bay Books, was among five people who disappeared in 2015 and was detained by Chinese authorities. He later detailed his detention and died in Taiwan at age 70.

Lam Wing-kee, an ex-HK bookseller detained by China in 2015, died in Taiwan at 70. He was one of five people from Causeway Bay Books who disappeared in 2015 and later described his detention by Chinese authorities.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller seized by Chinese authorities in 2015, died in Taiwan at 70 after a cancer relapse. He moved to Taipei in 2019 and reopened his bookstore there in 2020. Lam's account of his 2015 detention contradicted Chinese government claims, and his death prompted condolences from Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller seized by Chinese authorities in 2015 and later based in Taiwan, died in Taipei at 70 after a cancer relapse. He reopened his bookstore in Taipei in 2020 but temporarily closed it in June 2024 due to health issues. Lam's account of his 2015 abduction contradicted Chinese official narratives, highlighting tensions over free speech in Hong Kong.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller and symbol of resistance to Beijing's crackdown on free speech, died in Taiwan. He was seized by Chinese authorities in 2015.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller who was seized by Chinese authorities in 2015 and became a symbol of resistance to Beijing's crackdown on speech freedom, died in Taiwan at 70 after a cancer relapse. He moved to Taipei in 2019, reopened his bookstore in 2020, and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital before his death. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te expressed condolences, highlighting his message about the value of freedom and democracy.

Supermicro faces legal and business challenges in Taiwan and Singapore, including police investigations into illicit server shipments to China and a Singaporean fraud case involving servers with Nvidia GPUs. The company denies a raid and states it is cooperating with authorities to address improper resales.

US diplomat Raymond Greene states that drones offer a 'game-changing opportunity' to enhance Taiwan's security, urging the region to become a 'hornet’s nest' of drones.

China's new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress has been criticized by rights groups, Taiwan, and the United Nations, who argue it threatens the rights of Uyghurs and Tibetans and enables the persecution of dissidents abroad. The law aims to strengthen Mandarin as the official language to foster a shared national identity.

China's new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, effective Wednesday, faces criticism from Taiwan, the UN, and rights groups for potentially threatening minority freedoms and enabling overseas enforcement against critics. The law emphasizes Mandarin as the official language and mandates political alignment with the Chinese Communist Party, while Beijing denies allegations of rights abuses and asserts the law supports national unity and security.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the Virtual Asset Service Act, establishing its first comprehensive crypto regulatory framework with licensing requirements for service providers and a stablecoin structure. The law mandates approval from the Financial Supervisory Commission and central bank for crypto operations, imposes strict penalties for violations, and includes transition periods for existing firms.

Taiwan has enacted a comprehensive cryptocurrency law, placing virtual asset firms under the oversight of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) for the first time. The legislation includes specific regulations for stablecoins, requiring reserve-and-trust mechanisms to ensure stability and security.

The article compares a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan to the Normandy landings, noting that while Normandy was large in scale, a Taiwan invasion would face unprecedented operational challenges. It highlights the complexity of amphibious operations and emphasizes that analysis of such an invasion often overlooks these difficulties despite China's military modernization.

Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen China's military and combat corruption within the Communist Party during a speech marking the party's 105th anniversary. He emphasized modernizing national defense, enforcing strict military discipline, and resolving the Taiwan question, while opposing external interference.

Taiwan’s legislative branch has passed the nation’s first crypto and stablecoin regulations, which aim to integrate the country with the global crypto market.

Taiwan has implemented a comprehensive cryptocurrency law requiring licensing, reserve mandates, and imposing strict penalties. The law aims to regulate the crypto industry with higher standards and oversight.

Taiwan has passed a key crypto law that requires cryptocurrency platforms to obtain licenses from the Financial Supervisory Commission before operating, addressing legal uncertainty in the digital asset sector.

A former US Pacific commander argues China lacks the capability to conquer Taiwan due to military technology trends favoring the island and the US. China's military modernization has brought its maritime capabilities to the level of France, Japan, and the UK, with the People's Liberation Army dominated by the army. Analysts suggest China may impose a naval blockade instead of direct invasion.

Taiwanese prosecutors raided Super Micro's offices as part of an expanding investigation into AI chip smuggling. The probe now involves 9 people under investigation, up from 3, with 12 sites linked to alleged diversions of Nvidia chips to China being searched.

Taiwan raided the local offices of US IT firm Super Micro over allegations of smuggling Nvidia chips into China. The US has banned exporting advanced chips to China due to fears they could enhance China's AI capabilities, but Chinese tech firms like Meituan continue to develop advanced AI models using home-grown hardware.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te warned military cadets to resist Chinese espionage and defend freedom and democracy, citing a Cold War-era college established to counter communism. Taiwan reports increased Chinese espionage cases, particularly in its armed forces.

Supermicro's offices in Taiwan were raided as part of a chip smuggling investigation. The company's shares fell about 8% following the news of the investigation.

Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) rejected a government spending package and proposed a higher-budget alternative to enhance military unmanned vehicle capabilities and expand the drone sector. The move highlights a cross-party consensus on the importance of unmanned systems for Taiwan’s future defense.

The 2026 COMPUTEX event in Taipei, Taiwan, featured Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang showcasing next-generation AI chips and robotics. The trade show highlighted Taiwan's role as a leading hub for semiconductor and AI supply chain innovation.

South Korea has announced a $1tn investment plan focused on chips and AI. The move follows heavy investments in chip factories and technology by regional rivals such as Taiwan, China, and Japan.