China-Taiwan
Chinese ship accused of cable cutting off Taiwan coast
A Chinese ship has been accused of severing deep sea data cables off the coast of Taiwan. Last Friday, officials in Taipei discovered four cores of an international submarine cable were left ruptured early on 3 January. These cables, located on Taiwan's northern coast, were used to transmit data to the American Telephone and Telegraph company in the United States. According to Taiwan’s coast guard tracking data found that a Chinese owned Shunxing39 cargo vessel dropped anchor around the rupture site near the port of Keelung. While sailing under the flag of Cameroon, officials in Taiwan pointed out the vessel is owned by Jie Yang Trading Ltd, which is registered in Hong Kong, and owned by a Chinese citizen, Guo Wenjie. China has been accused of cable tampering before, back in October 2023 and November 2024, in the Baltic Sea.
China holds major military drills in Taiwan Strait
China’s military conducted major military drills near Taiwan on Monday, days after Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te said China “has no right to represent Taiwan”. Chinese ships and aircraft approached Taiwan from the north, south, and east. These forces prepared for future sea and air assaults and blockades of Taiwanese targets, according to the People’s Liberation Army. The drills began without prior notice to Taiwan. China’s command spokesperson, Li Xi, said the drill “serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces”. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council later said the military exercises were “blatant provocations” aimed at destabilising the region. American officials condemned the drills, with a State Department spokesperson calling on China to “avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”. Taiwan is self-governed, but Beijing claims the island as part of China’s territory. Australia’s Senate passed a bipartisan motion in August condemning China’s attempts to use a 1971 United Nations resolution to advance its claim to Taiwan. Lai’s comments were part of his speech on Taiwan’s national day. While Lai defended Taiwan’s indepe
China freezes assets of nine US firms over Taiwan arms sales
China has announced sanctions against nine U.S. military-linked companies, freezing their assets within China in retaliation for ongoing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The move, effective Wednesday, is the latest step in Beijing’s efforts to pressure the U.S. to halt its support for Taiwan’s defense. In a statement released by China’s foreign ministry, the targeted firms include notable names such as Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, and Cubic Corporation. "These countermeasures are aimed at safeguarding China's sovereignty and security interests," the ministry explained. Other affected companies include S3 Aerospace, TCOM Ltd Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal, and Exovera. The ministry emphasised that all organisations and individuals within China are now prohibited from conducting any transactions with the sanctioned firms. The move underscores China’s ongoing frustration with the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, a democratically-governed island that Beijing considers part of its territory. "We urge the United States to immediately stop the dangerous trend of arming Taiwan," said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, during a press briefing. "Stop connivi