Taiwanese regulators declined to renew the licence of a major news channel Wednesday, saying interference by its staunchly pro-China owner had violated press freedom.

The unanimous decision by the National Communications Commission targeting CTi is the first time it has rejected a news channel's licence.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-puts-pressure-on-nations-to-not-recognise-taiwan-as-a-country-foreign-minister-joseph-wu-tells-wion-336966">China puts pressure on nations to not recognise Taiwan as a country: Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tells WION</a>

Regulators took aim at the station's major shareholder Tsai Eng-meng, the billionaire head of food company Want Want and a businessman with extensive investments in mainland China.

He has sparked criticism in the past for being overtly pro-Beijing and imposing his political preferences on the media outlets he owns.

The NCC accused Tsai of making direct and indirect interventions in news coverage by CTi.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-moves-forward-on-three-arms-sales-to-taiwan-china-says-will-make-necessary-response-334859">White House moves forward on three arms sales to Taiwan; China says will make necessary response</a>

"This is to tell all conglomerates that want to buy the media to respect journalistic professionalism and independence... to keep their proper distance," NCC chairman Chen Yaw-shyang told reporters after the ruling.

Unlike authoritarian China, where the state-run media is heavily censored, democratic&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;has a lively, free and often rambunctious press.

Many of the large media outlets are openly partisan, backing Beijing-friendly politicians or their opponents.

Taiwan&nbsp;is self-ruled but claimed by China, which has vowed to one day seize it.&nbsp;

Beijing openly advocates for politicians or parties that favour closer ties with the mainland and loathes current leader President Tsai Ing-wen because she views the island as sovereign and not part of "one China".&nbsp;

False reports

Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said it respected the NCC judgement.

But the opposition Kuomintang party -- which favours closer ties with Beijing -- slammed the move.

"It is completely and utterly hypocritical for governments to invoke press freedom only when it fits their agenda," tweeted KMT chairman Johnny Chiang.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it supported the decision stating "press freedom does not mean the absence of regulation."

It called for NCC to make public all the evidence it examined and apply the same standards to all future license reviews regardless of their political orientation.

CTi slammed the decision, writing on its Facebook page: "Freedom of the press is dead," and adding it would appeal.

According to NCC, CTi received the highest number of public complaints in recent years and has been fined 23 times by regulators, often for poorly-sourced or incorrect reporting.

One example was a false report that local farmers had to dump massive quantities of pomelo fruit last year because they were unable to sell their produce to mainland China as relations soured.

Some analysts and DPP lawmakers had also accused CTi of spreading disinformation to fan anti-government sentiment in the run-up to the January presidential election.&nbsp;

Allegations had swirled over Chinese spying and influence operations ahead of the vote, prompting the DPP-dominated parliament to enact an "anti-infiltration bill" late last year.&nbsp;

Beijing has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;since Tsai came to power in 2016.&nbsp;

But the hardline campaign backfired with Tsai winning a second term in a landslide.&nbsp;

Taiwanese regulators declined to renew the licence of a major news channel Wednesday, saying interference by its staunchly pro-China owner had violated press freedom.

Taiwanese regulators declined to renew the licence of a major news channel Wednesday, saying interference by its staunchly pro-China owner had violated press freedom. The unanimous decision by the National Communications Commission targeting CTi is the first time it has rejected a news channel's licence. Also read| China puts pressure on nations to not recognise Taiwan as a country: Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tells WION Regulators took aim at the station's major shareholder Tsai Eng-meng, the billionaire head of food company Want Want and a businessman with extensive investments in mainland China. He has sparked criticism in the past for being overtly pro-Beijing and imposing his political preferences on the media outlets he owns. The NCC accused Tsai of making direct and indirect interventions in news coverage by CTi. Also read| White House moves forward on three arms sales to Taiwan; China says will make necessary response "This is to tell all conglomerates that want to buy the media to respect journalistic professionalism and independence... to keep their proper distance," NCC chairman Chen Yaw-shyang told reporters after the ruling. Unlike authoritarian China, where the state-run media is heavily censored, democratic Taiwan has a lively, free and often rambunctious press. Many of the large media outlets are openly partisan, backing Beijing-friendly politicians or their opponents. Taiwan is self-ruled but claimed by China, which has vowed to one day seize it. Beijing openly advocates for politicians or parties that favour closer ties with the mainland and loathes current leader President Tsai Ing-wen because she views the island as sovereign and not part of "one China". False reports Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said it respected the NCC judgement. But the opposition Kuomintang party -- which favours closer ties with Beijing -- slammed the move. "It is completely and utterly hypocritical for governments to invoke press freedom only when it fits their agenda," tweeted KMT chairman Johnny Chiang. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it supported the decision stating "press freedom does not mean the absence of regulation." It called for NCC to make public all the evidence it examined and apply the same standards to all future license reviews regardless of their political orientation. CTi slammed the decision, writing on its Facebook page: "Freedom of the press is dead," and adding it would appeal. According to NCC, CTi received the highest number of public complaints in recent years and has been fined 23 times by regulators, often for poorly-sourced or incorrect reporting. One example was a false report that local farmers had to dump massive quantities of pomelo fruit last year because they were unable to sell their produce to mainland China as relations soured. Some analysts and DPP lawmakers had also accused CTi of spreading disinformation to fan anti-government sentiment in the run-up to the January presidential election. Allegations had swirled over Chinese spying and influence operations ahead of the vote, prompting the DPP-dominated parliament to enact an "anti-infiltration bill" late last year. Beijing has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016. But the hardline campaign backfired with Tsai winning a second term in a landslide.

Taiwan refuses to renew the licence of China-friendly news channel

Taiwan on Tuesday said that it will not be intimidated by China's "hooligan" officials&nbsp;and will continue to celebrate its national day around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinese-diplomats-attack-taiwanese-officials-336533/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-moves-forward-on-three-arms-sales-to-taiwan-china-says-will-make-necessary-response-334859">Taiwan&nbsp;</a>deputy foreign minister Henry Tseng told Parliament that it condemned "irrational acts" by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/Chinese">Chinese</a>&nbsp;diplomats amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

It comes after&nbsp;Taiwan had accused Chinese diplomats of attempting&nbsp;to charge into a diplomatic event to take pictures and collect information on who was attending the country's&nbsp;National Day celebrations.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-diplomat-hospitalised-after-scuffle-with-chinese-diplomats-in-fiji-336351">Taiwan diplomat hospitalised after scuffle with Chinese diplomats in Fiji</a>

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said the world needed to see what China was capable of, saying what they did was a "barbaric act".

"China's officials posted overseas are acting like hooligans; beating people is not acceptable. We sternly condemn this," he told reporters.

The issue was hard to deal with because the Chinese diplomats there has diplomatic immunity, Su added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We strongly condemn the violence against our diplomat in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiji?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiji</a>🇫🇯 by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>'s uncivilized "wolf warriors." As a sovereign state, we'll continue celebrating <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TaiwanNationalDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TaiwanNationalDay</a> everywhere, every year. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taiwan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taiwan</a>🇹🇼 is a force for good in the world &amp; we won't be intimidated. JW
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MOFA_Taiwan/status/1318148247190302720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Taiwan's charges were&nbsp;hotly disputed by China, who said&nbsp;that its diplomats were trying to find out whether any Fijian politicians were present at the event.

The Pacific is a major source of competition between the two, where Taiwan has official diplomatic relations with four countries, though not Fiji.

Speaking in Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said&nbsp;Taiwan is a "peace-loving country" and&nbsp;China can spread as many lies as it likes.

Relations between the two countries were on the edge earlier this month as Taiwan celebrated its National Day amid repeated incursion of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/national-day-row-chinese-y-8-asw-aircraft-enters-taiwan-air-space-334300">Chinese jets</a>&nbsp;into Taiwan's airspace. &nbsp;China considers Taiwan as a reneged province in which it intends to unite with the mainland.

Taiwan on Tuesday said that it will not be intimidated by China's "hooligan" officials and will continue to celebrate its national day around the world. Taiwan deputy foreign minister Henry Tseng told Parliament that it condemned "irrational acts" by the Chinese diplomats amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

Taiwan on Tuesday said that it will not be intimidated by China's "hooligan" officials and will continue to celebrate its national day around the world. Taiwan deputy foreign minister Henry Tseng told Parliament that it condemned "irrational acts" by the Chinese diplomats amid heightened tensions between the two countries. It comes after Taiwan had accused Chinese diplomats of attempting to charge into a diplomatic event to take pictures and collect information on who was attending the country's National Day celebrations. Also read: Taiwan diplomat hospitalised after scuffle with Chinese diplomats in Fiji Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said the world needed to see what China was capable of, saying what they did was a "barbaric act". "China's officials posted overseas are acting like hooligans; beating people is not acceptable. We sternly condemn this," he told reporters. The issue was hard to deal with because the Chinese diplomats there has diplomatic immunity, Su added. We strongly condemn the violence against our diplomat in #Fiji🇫🇯 by #China's uncivilized "wolf warriors." As a sovereign state, we'll continue celebrating #TaiwanNationalDay everywhere, every year. #Taiwan🇹🇼 is a force for good in the world & we won't be intimidated. JW — 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) October 19, 2020 × Taiwan's charges were hotly disputed by China, who said that its diplomats were trying to find out whether any Fijian politicians were present at the event. The Pacific is a major source of competition between the two, where Taiwan has official diplomatic relations with four countries, though not Fiji. Speaking in Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said Taiwan is a "peace-loving country" and China can spread as many lies as it likes. Relations between the two countries were on the edge earlier this month as Taiwan celebrated its National Day amid repeated incursion of Chinese jets into Taiwan's airspace. China considers Taiwan as a reneged province in which it intends to unite with the mainland.

Will not be intimidated by China's 'hooligan' diplomats: Taiwan

Taiwan&nbsp;has spent almost $900 million this year on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, the island's defence minister said on Wednesday, describing the pressure they are facing as "great".

China, which claims democratic&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;as its own territory, has stepped up its military activity near the island, responding to what China calls "collusion" between&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;and the United States.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-says-military-under-pressure-from-china-as-missions-mount-332833" hreflang="en">Taiwan says military under pressure from China as missions mount</a>

China has been angered at increased US&nbsp;support for&nbsp;Taiwan, including visits by senior US&nbsp;government officials and ramped up arms sales.

In the past few weeks, Chinese fighter jets have crossed the mid line of the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial buffer zone, and flown multiple missions into&nbsp;Taiwan's southwestern air defence identification zone.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/real-possibility-of-war-taiwan-calls-for-global-coalition-against-china-328167">&nbsp;'Real possibility of war': Taiwan calls for global coalition against China</a>

Speaking at parliament,&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Defence Minister Yen De-fa said to the air force had scrambled 2,972 times against Chinese aircraft this year at a cost of T$25.5 billion ($886.49 million).

"Recently the pressure has been great. To say otherwise would be deceiving people," Yen said, without giving a comparison figure for last year.

He clarified that a figure of 4,132 air force missions this year, as provided in a ministry parliamentary briefing paper, included training and regular patrol missions.

Yen said that the armed forces would this month carry out their own drills off&nbsp;Taiwan's southwest coast, though they would not be live fire.

Taiwan's armed forces are well-trained and well-equipped but are dwarfed by those of China's, and&nbsp;Taiwan's Defence Ministry has previously acknowledged the strain the repeated Chinese drills were placing on them.

Taiwan&nbsp;is in the process of revamping its fighter fleet.

The United States last year approved an $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to&nbsp;Taiwan, a deal that would bring the island's total number of the aircraft to more than 200, the largest F-16 fleet in Asia.

Taiwan has spent almost $900 million this year on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, the island's defence minister said on Wednesday, describing the pressure they are facing as "great".

Taiwan has spent almost $900 million this year on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, the island's defence minister said on Wednesday, describing the pressure they are facing as "great". China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its military activity near the island, responding to what China calls "collusion" between Taiwan and the United States. Also read| Taiwan says military under pressure from China as missions mount China has been angered at increased US support for Taiwan, including visits by senior US government officials and ramped up arms sales. In the past few weeks, Chinese fighter jets have crossed the mid line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial buffer zone, and flown multiple missions into Taiwan's southwestern air defence identification zone. Also read| 'Real possibility of war': Taiwan calls for global coalition against China Speaking at parliament, Taiwan Defence Minister Yen De-fa said to the air force had scrambled 2,972 times against Chinese aircraft this year at a cost of T$25.5 billion ($886.49 million). "Recently the pressure has been great. To say otherwise would be deceiving people," Yen said, without giving a comparison figure for last year. He clarified that a figure of 4,132 air force missions this year, as provided in a ministry parliamentary briefing paper, included training and regular patrol missions. Yen said that the armed forces would this month carry out their own drills off Taiwan's southwest coast, though they would not be live fire. Taiwan's armed forces are well-trained and well-equipped but are dwarfed by those of China's, and Taiwan's Defence Ministry has previously acknowledged the strain the repeated Chinese drills were placing on them. Taiwan is in the process of revamping its fighter fleet. The United States last year approved an $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would bring the island's total number of the aircraft to more than 200, the largest F-16 fleet in Asia.

Taiwan says has spent almost $900 million scrambling against China this year

Taiwan said on Tuesday that China's Su-30 fighters had entered its air defence identification zone.

The jets were given "verbal warnings" to leave and Taiwanese Air Force jets "drove away" the intruders, the ministry said.

The Taiwanese defence ministry said it "took active responses to dispel" multiple Chinese Su-30 fighters in the southwest region.

"The military is fully monitoring sea and air conditions around the Taiwan Strait and takes active responsive measures to defend our territorial safety," it said in a statement.

China has stepped up moves on Taiwan in recent months amid the coronavirus crisis. A Chinese military jet had earlier crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait on February 10.

In March last year, two Chinese J-11 fighter jets had entered Taiwan's air space which Taipei said was a "reckless and provocative" move.

China claims Taiwan to be a renegade province and has vowed to integrate&nbsp;it with the mainland. However, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has openly asserted that&nbsp;the country has an independent identity.

Last December, the Chinese military had sent the Shandong aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Straits just ahead of the presidential elections which Tsai won with a landslide.

Taiwan said on Tuesday that China's Su-30 fighters had entered its air defence identification zone. The jets were given "verbal warnings" to leave and Taiwanese Air Force jets "drove away" the intruders, the ministry said.

Taiwan said on Tuesday that China's Su-30 fighters had entered its air defence identification zone. The jets were given "verbal warnings" to leave and Taiwanese Air Force jets "drove away" the intruders, the ministry said. The Taiwanese defence ministry said it "took active responses to dispel" multiple Chinese Su-30 fighters in the southwest region. "The military is fully monitoring sea and air conditions around the Taiwan Strait and takes active responsive measures to defend our territorial safety," it said in a statement. China has stepped up moves on Taiwan in recent months amid the coronavirus crisis. A Chinese military jet had earlier crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait on February 10. In March last year, two Chinese J-11 fighter jets had entered Taiwan's air space which Taipei said was a "reckless and provocative" move. China claims Taiwan to be a renegade province and has vowed to integrate it with the mainland. However, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has openly asserted that the country has an independent identity. Last December, the Chinese military had sent the Shandong aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Straits just ahead of the presidential elections which Tsai won with a landslide.

Chinese fighter jets enter Taiwan's airspace, given 'verbal warnings'

China-Taiwan hostility has hit fever pitch ever since Tsai Ing-Wen got re-elected as the President of Taiwan. While China says it won't allow separatism, Taiwan claims it's already independent. This contradiction threats to evolve into a full-fledged conflict. Take a look.

Gravitas: Taiwan sends stern message to China