Latest news with #ChinaTaiwanRelations
Sky News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
China says British warship sailed through Taiwan Strait to 'cause trouble'
China has criticised a British warship's passage through the Taiwan Strait as a deliberate move to "cause trouble". The Royal Navy said its patrol vessel HMS Spey was conducting a routine navigation through the contested waterway on Wednesday as part of a long-planned deployment in compliance with international law. In response, the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) said the exercise was "public hyping", adding that its forces followed and monitored the ship. "The British side's remarks distort legal principles and mislead the public; its actions deliberately cause trouble and disrupt things, undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," it said in a statement on Friday. "Troops in the theatre are on high alert at all times and will resolutely counter all threats and provocations." The last time a British warship sailed through the strait was in 2021, when HMS Richmond was deployed in the East China Sea en route to Vietnam. 3:23 The strait is contested between Taiwan and China, which split in 1949. Today, China views Taiwan as a breakaway province - with which it promises to one day reunify, and has not ruled out the use of force to do so - and regards the waterway as its own territory. Taiwan, the US, and other Western powers regard the strait as international waters. US navy ships sail through the strait around once every two months, sometimes accompanied by those of allied nations. Responding to HMS Spey's exercise, Taiwan's foreign ministry said it "welcomes and affirms the British side once again taking concrete actions to defend the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait". China has also carried out several military drills across the waterway, with exercises in October involving its army, navy and rocket forces. Beijing called it a "stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces" at the time. It comes as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Thursday ordered defence and security units to step up their monitoring and intelligence efforts in response to China's military activities. Taiwan's defence ministry also reported another spike in Chinese movements close to the island over the previous 24 hours, involving 50 aircraft, concentrated in the strait and the top part of the South China Sea.
Japan Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
China calls British warship's Taiwan Strait transit an attempt to 'cause trouble'
China's military on Friday condemned the sailing of a British warship through the Taiwan Strait as a deliberate attempt to "cause trouble," as Taiwan's president ordered stepped-up monitoring in response to Chinese military activities. Britain's Royal Navy said the patrol vessel HMS Spey conducted a routine navigation through the narrow waterway that was part of a long-planned deployment and took place in full compliance with international law. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, considers the strait to be Chinese waters. Taiwan, the United States and many of its allies say it is an international waterway. The Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army said the Wednesday the sailing of the ship was "public hyping" and that its forces followed and monitored the Spey. "The British side's remarks distort legal principles and mislead the public; its actions deliberately cause trouble and disrupt things, undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," it said in a statement. "Troops in the theater are on high alert at all times and will resolutely counter all threats and provocations." Taiwan's government welcomed the sailing. "The foreign ministry welcomes and affirms the British side once again taking concrete actions to defend the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, demonstrating its firm position that the Taiwan Strait is international waters," the ministry said in a statement. China has over the past five years stepped up its drills around Taiwan, including staging war games that have alarmed Taipei, Washington and Tokyo. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Thursday ordered defense and security units to step up their monitoring and intelligence efforts in response to China's military activities, which he said have not abated even as tensions rise in the Middle East. On Friday morning, Taiwan's defense ministry reported another spike in Chinese movements close to the island over the previous 24 hours, involving 50 aircraft, concentrated in the strait and the top part of the South China Sea. The last time a British warship sailed through the strait was in 2021, when the HMS Richmond was deployed in the East China Sea en route to Vietnam. Chinese military followed it at the time and warned it away. The latest passage comes at a time when Britain and China are seeking to mend their relations, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to visit Beijing later this year — the first trip to the country by a British leader since 2018. U.S. Navy ships sail through the strait around once every two months, sometimes accompanied by allied nations.
CNA
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
China offers cash rewards for hackers it says are Taiwanese military
BEIJING: Authorities in southern China announced on Thursday (Jun 5) they were offering rewards of more than US$1,000 for the arrest of 20 people they say are Taiwanese military hackers, drawing an angry reaction from Taiwan's defence ministry. The public security bureau in the Chinese city of Guangzhou said the hackers were part of the Taiwan military's Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command, and published their pictures, names and Taiwan identity card numbers. Rewards of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392.25) will be offered to those who provide clues or cooperate in their arrest, it said in a statement carried by Chinese state media. The hackers were involved in organising, planning and premeditating attacks on key sectors such as military, aerospace, government departments, energy and transportation, maritime affairs, science and technology research firms in China as well as Hong Kong and Macau, Xinhua news agency said. Xinhua, citing a cybersecurity report, said the Taiwan "information, communication and digital army" has cooperated with US anti-Chinese forces to conduct public opinion and cognitive warfare against China, secretly instigate revolution and attempt to disrupt public order in China. Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement it was not carrying out any "corporate cyber attacks", and that China's offers of a bounty highlighted "the rude and unreasonable attitude of the Chinese communists in intimidating and coercing the Taiwanese people". "Recent statements by the European Union, the United States and the Czech Republic condemning the Chinese communists' hacking organisations for carrying out cyber-attacks prove that the Chinese communists are not only a regional troublemaker, but a common threat to the global internet," it added. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that the Chinese allegations were invented, saying Beijing was trying to shift the focus from Czech and European scrutiny over alleged Chinese hacking activities there. "They fabricated a false narrative to shift the focus. It's a very typical behaviour by the Chinese Communist Party," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. China also said Taiwan had longstanding cooperation with the US National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies for the United States' "Asia-Pacific Strategy", calling it Taiwan's attempt to gain independence through relying on the United States. "The US intelligence department has long provided personnel training and technical equipment support for Taiwan's 'information, communication and digital army', and many police stations have sent 'hunting' teams to Taiwan, to launch a cyber attacks on China," according to a social media post by an account linked to Chinese state television. Last week authorities in Guangzhou, the capital of the southern Guangdong province, attributed a cyberattack on an unnamed technology company to the Taiwan government, saying Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party supported the "overseas hacker organisation" responsible. In response, Taiwan said Beijing was peddling false information, and that it was China that was carrying out hacking against the island. China views Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. Chinese courts and legal bodies have no jurisdiction in separately governed Taiwan, whose government has repeatedly complained about Beijing's "long armed jurisdiction" efforts.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China issues warrants for alleged Taiwanese hackers and bans a business for pro-independence links
China issued warrants Thursday for 20 Taiwanese people it said carried out hacking missions in the Chinese mainland on behalf of the island's ruling party, while separately banning dealings with a Taiwanese company whose owners mainland authorities called 'hardcore Taiwan independence supporters.' Police in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou said they were led by a man named Ning Enwei on behalf of Taiwan's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party but did not identify their alleged crimes. Meanwhile, China's government said all commercial contact had been banned with the Sicuens International Company Ltd., which it says are led by businessman Puma Shen and his father, calling the two men independence supports. Websites mentioning Sicuens say it specializes in sourcing bicycle parts from China. Shen is also the head of the Kuma Academy, an organization that encourages Taiwanese people to prepare for possible invasion. China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the China's Cabinet, said Sicuens 'engages in trade and business cooperation with certain mainland enterprises in pursuit of economic benefits.' 'The mainland side will never allow enterprises related to die-hard 'Taiwan independence' supporters to seek profits in the mainland,' Zhu was quoted as saying. China last year announced punishments on Shen and the Kuma Academy, saying Shen had been 'actively and systematically organizing activities promoting Taiwan independence.' The Academy's website says it 'aims to prepare a prewar mentality for civilians, our mission is to cultivate self-defense capability and will to defend Taiwan. We provide knowledge and skills to help people sustain themselves and recognize enemy disinformation operations in both peace and wartime situations.' Taiwan has responded by bulking up its own military, while some private individuals have opened camps for training in guerilla warfare.
CNA
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
China slams 'separatist' Taiwan leader on one year in office: State media
BEIJING: China slammed Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday (May 20) for his "separatist position" promoting independence, calling it "doomed to fail", state broadcaster CCTV said. "The recent speeches of the leader of the Taiwan region ... continue to adhere to the separatist position of 'Taiwan independence'," Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said according to CCTV. Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, spoke on Tuesday of the need "to prepare for war to avoid war" and bolster the island's economic resilience. "Peace is priceless and there are no winners in war," Lai said in a speech marking his first year in office. But he added "we cannot have illusions" and vowed "to strengthen our national defence capabilities". China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, has threatened to to annex it by force and has held several rounds of large-scale military drills around the island since Lai took office. Lai insisted in his speech that Taiwan was "willing" to communicate with Beijing if there was "parity and dignity". China said on Tuesday it was "willing to engage in dialogue" with Taiwan - with conditions. "On the basis of the one-China principle, we are willing to engage in dialogue ... on issues relevant to promoting the reunification of the motherland," Beijing's spokesperson Chen said.
