A hotel on the east coast of Taiwan has collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, the national fire agency said, with reports that several other buildings have been toppled with some people trapped.

Images on local television showed the Marshal Hotel in Hualien slanted on its side, partially crumpled into the ground.

Media reports said there were 30 people trapped inside with others crawling to safety.

The fire agency said a second hotel had also been damaged, with televison images showing roads strewn with rubble and cracks in highways.

The quake hit at 23:50 pm (1550 GMT) around 21 kilometres (13 miles) northeast of the port city Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey.

It follows almost 100 smaller tremors to have hit the area in the last three days.

The quake comes almost exactly two years since a quake of the same magnitude struck the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing more than 100 people.&nbsp;

The quake hit at 23:50 pm around 21 kilometres northeast of the port city of Hualien

A hotel on the east coast of Taiwan has collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, the national fire agency said, with reports that several other buildings have been toppled with some people trapped. Images on local television showed the Marshal Hotel in Hualien slanted on its side, partially crumpled into the ground. Media reports said there were 30 people trapped inside with others crawling to safety. The fire agency said a second hotel had also been damaged, with televison images showing roads strewn with rubble and cracks in highways. The quake hit at 23:50 pm (1550 GMT) around 21 kilometres (13 miles) northeast of the port city Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey. It follows almost 100 smaller tremors to have hit the area in the last three days. The quake comes almost exactly two years since a quake of the same magnitude struck the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing more than 100 people.

Taiwan hotel collapses after 6.4-magnitude earthquake: Government

China rebuffed Taiwan&rsquo;s objections in a deepening row over the opening of new flight paths in the Taiwan Strait, saying on Wednesday that the space separating routes over the waterway was more than is mandated by international standards.

This month China opened several new air routes, including a northbound route up the sensitive Taiwan Strait that divides China from the island. Taiwan says it was done without its agreement, contravening what the democratic government in Taipei has said was a 2015 deal to first discuss such flight paths.

In response, self-governed Taiwan has withheld approval of routine applications from China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines, majority owned by China Southern Airlines, to add Lunar New Year flights because the airlines had used the disputed air routes.

Taiwan has expressed concern the new routes are too close to existing routes that link it to airports on two groups of Taiwan-controlled islands lying close to China - Kinmen which sits opposite to the Chinese city of Xiamen and the Matsu archipelago near to Fuzhou.

Multiple daily flights connect the islands to mainland Taiwan, while Xiamen and Fuzhou are also busy airports.

Speaking at a regular news briefing, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China&rsquo;s Taiwan Affairs Office, said there was at least 23 km (14 miles) separating the routes.

&ldquo;This type of separation far exceeds lateral separation standards in the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization,&rdquo; Ma said. &ldquo;So it can be said that the connecting routes are safe.&rdquo;

Kinmen and Matsu have both been under Taiwan&rsquo;s control since defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Frequently shelled by the Chinese during the height of the Cold War, both are now popular tourist destinations and connected to China by ferry.

Kinmen&rsquo;s airport is the busiest, with regular though less frequent flights to Matsu&rsquo;s two airports from Taiwan.

Despite the spat, air traffic controllers from both China and Taiwan continue to communicate and coordinate as normal, Wang Zhiqing, a deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China told a separate briefing.

&ldquo;Yesterday I met a relevant official from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and he said the M503 route has been assessed and approved of by them, it&rsquo;s safe and reliable,&rdquo; Wang said, referring to the main disputed route.

The ICAO did not immediately respond to Reuters&rsquo; request for comment

A spokesman for airline lobby International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in an email to Reuters that it welcomed initiatives to improve the safety and efficiency of flight operations, including M503 and the new routes.

It added that the safety of aircraft using M503 was of &ldquo;utmost importance,&rdquo; saying that operational coordination between the flight operation regions needed to be addressed and resolved.

&ldquo;The routes could enlarge the airspace capacity in the region, alleviate the air traffic congestion, improve the punctuality for the surrounding airports and serve as a bypass when surrounding air routes are closed for various reasons.&rdquo;

China considers Taiwan a wayward province, and relations have cooled dramatically since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party took office as Taiwan&rsquo;s president in 2016.

China rebuffed Taiwan’s objections in a deepening row over the opening of new flight paths in the Taiwan Strait, saying on Wednesday that the space separating routes over the waterway was more than is mandated by international standards

China rebuffed Taiwan’s objections in a deepening row over the opening of new flight paths in the Taiwan Strait, saying on Wednesday that the space separating routes over the waterway was more than is mandated by international standards. This month China opened several new air routes, including a northbound route up the sensitive Taiwan Strait that divides China from the island. Taiwan says it was done without its agreement, contravening what the democratic government in Taipei has said was a 2015 deal to first discuss such flight paths. In response, self-governed Taiwan has withheld approval of routine applications from China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines, majority owned by China Southern Airlines, to add Lunar New Year flights because the airlines had used the disputed air routes. Taiwan has expressed concern the new routes are too close to existing routes that link it to airports on two groups of Taiwan-controlled islands lying close to China - Kinmen which sits opposite to the Chinese city of Xiamen and the Matsu archipelago near to Fuzhou. Multiple daily flights connect the islands to mainland Taiwan, while Xiamen and Fuzhou are also busy airports. Speaking at a regular news briefing, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said there was at least 23 km (14 miles) separating the routes. “This type of separation far exceeds lateral separation standards in the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization,” Ma said. “So it can be said that the connecting routes are safe.” Kinmen and Matsu have both been under Taiwan’s control since defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Frequently shelled by the Chinese during the height of the Cold War, both are now popular tourist destinations and connected to China by ferry. Kinmen’s airport is the busiest, with regular though less frequent flights to Matsu’s two airports from Taiwan. Despite the spat, air traffic controllers from both China and Taiwan continue to communicate and coordinate as normal, Wang Zhiqing, a deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China told a separate briefing. “Yesterday I met a relevant official from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and he said the M503 route has been assessed and approved of by them, it’s safe and reliable,” Wang said, referring to the main disputed route. The ICAO did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment A spokesman for airline lobby International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in an email to Reuters that it welcomed initiatives to improve the safety and efficiency of flight operations, including M503 and the new routes. It added that the safety of aircraft using M503 was of “utmost importance,” saying that operational coordination between the flight operation regions needed to be addressed and resolved. “The routes could enlarge the airspace capacity in the region, alleviate the air traffic congestion, improve the punctuality for the surrounding airports and serve as a bypass when surrounding air routes are closed for various reasons.” China considers Taiwan a wayward province, and relations have cooled dramatically since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party took office as Taiwan’s president in 2016.

China says plenty of space separates Taiwan flights amid route row

In order to achieve the mission of &quot;tightening control&quot;&nbsp;over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said.

China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain &quot;social stability&quot; and reduce fake news that floats on the internet.

According to reports, 10,300 pornographic sites were also banned.

Chinese authorities also shut over 128,000 websites that contained &quot;harmful information&quot; last year and deleted 4.55 million posts.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua published the&nbsp;information attributing official government data.

According to the news agency, with websites shutting down, 30.9 million &quot;illegal publications&quot;&nbsp;were also banned last year.

Also, 1,900 people were subjected to criminal penalties.

In 2016 several major portals run by companies like Tencent, Baidu, Weibo were&nbsp;fined by China&#39;s internet regulator for not properly censoring the content ahead of a major conference of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese government is also making efforts to controls the &quot;academic work&quot;.

The authorities have&nbsp;refused Chinese journalists from accessing papers and books on sensitive topics like&nbsp;Tibet, Taiwan and the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square.

(With inputs from news agency)

China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain 'social stability' and reduce fake news that floats on the internet

In order to achieve the mission of "tightening control" over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said. China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain "social stability" and reduce fake news that floats on the internet. According to reports, 10,300 pornographic sites were also banned. Chinese authorities also shut over 128,000 websites that contained "harmful information" last year and deleted 4.55 million posts. The official Chinese news agency Xinhua published the information attributing official government data. According to the news agency, with websites shutting down, 30.9 million "illegal publications" were also banned last year. Also, 1,900 people were subjected to criminal penalties. In 2016 several major portals run by companies like Tencent, Baidu, Weibo were fined by China's internet regulator for not properly censoring the content ahead of a major conference of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese government is also making efforts to controls the "academic work". The authorities have refused Chinese journalists from accessing papers and books on sensitive topics like Tibet, Taiwan and the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square. (With inputs from news agency)

China shut 128,000 'harmful' websites in 2017: Report

Taiwan&#39;s top court has ordered a dentist to pay his mother around Tw$22.33 million (US$744,000) as reimbursement for the money she spent raising and educating him.

Taiwan&#39;s supreme court on Tuesday upheld a previous ruling that the 41-year-old, identified by his family name Chu, should honour a contract he signed with his mother 20 years ago promising to refund her.

The plaintiff, surnamed Lo, divorced her husband in 1990 and raised their two sons on her own.

Worried that nobody would look after her when she got old, Lo signed the contracts with her sons after they both turned 20, stipulating that they must pay her 60 percent of the net profit from their incomes.

Lo accused her sons of ignoring her after they both started relationships, saying their girlfriends even sent her letters through their lawyers demanding her not to &quot;bother&quot; her sons, according to local reports.

She filed the lawsuit eight years ago when they refused to honour the contracts. The older son eventually paid her Tw$5 million to settle the case.

Her younger son claimed that the contract violated &quot;good customs&quot; as raising a child should not be measured in financial terms, and went to court against his mother.

Lo appealed all the way to the supreme court after lower courts ruled in favour of her son.

The supreme court said the contract was valid as Chu was an adult when he signed it, and that as a dentist he was capable of repaying his mother.

Cases of abuse and abandonment of senior citizens have been on the rise in Taiwan in recent years, prompting calls for a law to jail adults who fail to look after their elderly parents although it is yet to pass.

The plaintiff, surnamed Lo, divorced her husband in 1990 and raised their two sons on her own.

Taiwan's top court has ordered a dentist to pay his mother around Tw$22.33 million (US$744,000) as reimbursement for the money she spent raising and educating him. Taiwan's supreme court on Tuesday upheld a previous ruling that the 41-year-old, identified by his family name Chu, should honour a contract he signed with his mother 20 years ago promising to refund her. The plaintiff, surnamed Lo, divorced her husband in 1990 and raised their two sons on her own. Worried that nobody would look after her when she got old, Lo signed the contracts with her sons after they both turned 20, stipulating that they must pay her 60 percent of the net profit from their incomes. Lo accused her sons of ignoring her after they both started relationships, saying their girlfriends even sent her letters through their lawyers demanding her not to "bother" her sons, according to local reports. She filed the lawsuit eight years ago when they refused to honour the contracts. The older son eventually paid her Tw$5 million to settle the case. Her younger son claimed that the contract violated "good customs" as raising a child should not be measured in financial terms, and went to court against his mother. Lo appealed all the way to the supreme court after lower courts ruled in favour of her son. The supreme court said the contract was valid as Chu was an adult when he signed it, and that as a dentist he was capable of repaying his mother. Cases of abuse and abandonment of senior citizens have been on the rise in Taiwan in recent years, prompting calls for a law to jail adults who fail to look after their elderly parents although it is yet to pass.

Taiwan court orders dentist to pay mother for raising him

Taiwan will gradually get used to Chinese air force drills that encircle the island, China said on Wednesday, while Taiwan&#39;s premier reiterated the self-ruled island&#39;s desire for peaceful relations with its giant neighbour.

China considers democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a wayward province under Chinese control.

It has taken an increasingly hostile stance towards Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen, from the island&#39;s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won presidential elections last year and has stepped up its rhetoric and military exercises.

Beijing suspects her of pushing for the island&#39;s formal independence, a red line for China. Tsai says she wants peace with China, but also that she will defend Taiwan&#39;s security and way of life.

Chinese state media has given broad coverage to &quot;island encirclement&quot; exercises near Taiwan this month, including showing pictures of Chinese bomber aircraft with what they said was Taiwan&#39;s highest peak, Yushan, visible in the background.

Asked about the continuing drills and the footage released by the air force, China&#39;s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it and the defence ministry had repeatedly described the exercises as routine.

&quot;Everyone will slowly get used it,&quot; spokesman An Fengshan told a routine news briefing, without elaborating.

China&#39;s air force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the past year or so, Taiwan&#39;s defence ministry said in a white paper this week. China&#39;s military threat was growing by the day, it warned.

Proudly democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by autocratic China, and Taiwan&#39;s government has accused Beijing of not understanding democracy when it criticises Taipei.

Taiwan Premier William Lai told a year-end news conference in Taipei that the United States, Japan and South Korea were all paying close attention to the activities of China&#39;s air force.

Lai said his government would take its lead from the president, who was in charge of relations across the Taiwan Strait.

&quot;Under the president&#39;s leadership the Executive Yuan pushes forward government affairs, stabilising cross-strait relations towards peaceful development,&quot; Lai said, using the formal name for Taiwan&#39;s cabinet.

Chinese state media has given broad coverage to "island encirclement" exercises near Taiwan this month, including showing pictures of Chinese bomber aircraft.

Taiwan will gradually get used to Chinese air force drills that encircle the island, China said on Wednesday, while Taiwan's premier reiterated the self-ruled island's desire for peaceful relations with its giant neighbour. China considers democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a wayward province under Chinese control. It has taken an increasingly hostile stance towards Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen, from the island's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won presidential elections last year and has stepped up its rhetoric and military exercises. Beijing suspects her of pushing for the island's formal independence, a red line for China. Tsai says she wants peace with China, but also that she will defend Taiwan's security and way of life. Chinese state media has given broad coverage to "island encirclement" exercises near Taiwan this month, including showing pictures of Chinese bomber aircraft with what they said was Taiwan's highest peak, Yushan, visible in the background. Asked about the continuing drills and the footage released by the air force, China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it and the defence ministry had repeatedly described the exercises as routine. "Everyone will slowly get used it," spokesman An Fengshan told a routine news briefing, without elaborating. China's air force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the past year or so, Taiwan's defence ministry said in a white paper this week. China's military threat was growing by the day, it warned. Proudly democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by autocratic China, and Taiwan's government has accused Beijing of not understanding democracy when it criticises Taipei. Taiwan Premier William Lai told a year-end news conference in Taipei that the United States, Japan and South Korea were all paying close attention to the activities of China's air force. Lai said his government would take its lead from the president, who was in charge of relations across the Taiwan Strait. "Under the president's leadership the Executive Yuan pushes forward government affairs, stabilising cross-strait relations towards peaceful development," Lai said, using the formal name for Taiwan's cabinet.

Get used to drills, China tells Taiwan; Taipei says it seeks peace

Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an &quot;enormous threat&quot; to Taiwan&#39;s security, Taipei warned today in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point -- by military force, if necessary.

The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of &quot;one China&quot;.

Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016.

The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back.

The frequent drills &quot;have created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait,&quot; Taiwanese defense minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defense report released Tuesday.

The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival&#39;s forces, saying Taiwan&#39;s military needed to adapt to a &quot;multiple deterrence strategies&quot; in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army.

The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 210,000 in Taiwan&#39;s army.

&quot;Taiwan cannot compare with China&#39;s defense budget and military developments,&quot; Feng said in the report.

Instead, Taiwan was &quot;seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military,&quot; he added.

In response to increasing China&#39;s electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry.

It has also restructured its air force to centralise its anti-aircraft and missile defense command.

Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets.

China&#39;s air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan.

Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.

Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016

Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an "enormous threat" to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned today in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions. China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point -- by military force, if necessary. The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence. Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of "one China". Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016. The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back. The frequent drills "have created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwanese defense minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defense report released Tuesday. The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival's forces, saying Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategies" in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army. The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 210,000 in Taiwan's army. "Taiwan cannot compare with China's defense budget and military developments," Feng said in the report. Instead, Taiwan was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," he added. In response to increasing China's electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry. It has also restructured its air force to centralise its anti-aircraft and missile defense command. Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets. China's air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan. Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.

Taiwan warns Chinese military drills pose 'enormous threat'

China&rsquo;s air force carried out another round of long-range drills on Monday, flying into the Sea of Japan and prompting South Korean and Japanese jets to scramble, and again around self-ruled Taiwan amid growing tension over China&rsquo;s assertiveness.

China has in recent months ramped up its long-range air force drills, particularly around Taiwan, claimed by China as its own.

The air force said in a statement that fighter and bomber aircraft flew through the Tsushima Strait that separates South Korea from Japan and into international waters in the Sea of Japan.

The Sea of Japan is not Japan&lsquo;s, and the drills were lawful and reasonable, air force spokesman Shen Jinke said in the statement, describing the exercises as routine and pre-planned.

The Japanese Defence Ministry said in a statement that the aircraft - two SU-30 fighters, two H-6 bombers and one TU-154 reconnaissance plane - had not violated Japan&rsquo;s airspace.

In Seoul, South Korea&rsquo;s Joint Chiefs of Staff said five Chinese military planes were spotted entering the Korean Air Defence Identification Zone, and fighter jets scrambled in response.

The Chinese aircraft also flew through Japan&rsquo;s Air Defence Identification Zone, they said.

&ldquo;Our fighter planes took normal tactical measures, identifying the models of the Chinese planes and flying aerial surveillance until they left,&rdquo; the South Korean statement said.

Chinese air force spokesman Shen alluded to the scrambled aircraft, saying they &ldquo;responded to interference from foreign military aircraft&rdquo; but were able to achieve the aim of their drill.

Taiwan&rsquo;s military said that China had staged a separate drill at the same time, flying a plane through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines and then returning to base through the Strait of Miyako, to Taiwan&rsquo;s north and near Japan&rsquo;s southern islands.

Taiwan monitored Japan sending F-15 fighters to intercept, Taiwan&rsquo;s defence ministry added in its statement.

The Japanese Defence Ministry identified the plane as Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft. There was no violation of Japan&rsquo;s airspace in this instance either, the ministry said.

China&rsquo;s air force last week conducted &ldquo;island encirclement patrols&rdquo; near Taiwan, after a senior Chinese diplomat threatened that China would invade the self-ruled island if any U.S. warships made port visits there.

China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, wants to declare the island&rsquo;s formal independence. Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan&rsquo;s security.

China&rsquo;s air force exercises also come amid regional tensions over North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear and missile programmes, with bellicose rhetoric from both North Korea and U.S. President Donald Trump.

China has in recent months ramped up its long-range air force drills, particularly around Taiwan, claimed by China as its own

China’s air force carried out another round of long-range drills on Monday, flying into the Sea of Japan and prompting South Korean and Japanese jets to scramble, and again around self-ruled Taiwan amid growing tension over China’s assertiveness. China has in recent months ramped up its long-range air force drills, particularly around Taiwan, claimed by China as its own. The air force said in a statement that fighter and bomber aircraft flew through the Tsushima Strait that separates South Korea from Japan and into international waters in the Sea of Japan. The Sea of Japan is not Japan‘s, and the drills were lawful and reasonable, air force spokesman Shen Jinke said in the statement, describing the exercises as routine and pre-planned. The Japanese Defence Ministry said in a statement that the aircraft - two SU-30 fighters, two H-6 bombers and one TU-154 reconnaissance plane - had not violated Japan’s airspace. In Seoul, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said five Chinese military planes were spotted entering the Korean Air Defence Identification Zone, and fighter jets scrambled in response. The Chinese aircraft also flew through Japan’s Air Defence Identification Zone, they said. “Our fighter planes took normal tactical measures, identifying the models of the Chinese planes and flying aerial surveillance until they left,” the South Korean statement said. Chinese air force spokesman Shen alluded to the scrambled aircraft, saying they “responded to interference from foreign military aircraft” but were able to achieve the aim of their drill. Taiwan’s military said that China had staged a separate drill at the same time, flying a plane through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines and then returning to base through the Strait of Miyako, to Taiwan’s north and near Japan’s southern islands. Taiwan monitored Japan sending F-15 fighters to intercept, Taiwan’s defence ministry added in its statement. The Japanese Defence Ministry identified the plane as Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft. There was no violation of Japan’s airspace in this instance either, the ministry said. China’s air force last week conducted “island encirclement patrols” near Taiwan, after a senior Chinese diplomat threatened that China would invade the self-ruled island if any U.S. warships made port visits there. China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, wants to declare the island’s formal independence. Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security. China’s air force exercises also come amid regional tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, with bellicose rhetoric from both North Korea and U.S. President Donald Trump.

China air force drills in Sea of Japan and again around Taiwan

Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-U.S. ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, ahead of the one-year anniversary of Trump taking a precedent-breaking call from Taiwan&rsquo;s president.

China considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of its territory, ineligible for state-to-state relations and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help it defend itself and is the island&rsquo;s main source of arms.

Trump upset China last December by taking a telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, shortly after he won the election, the first call between U.S. and Taiwan leaders since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 1979. While there was no public mention of Taiwan in comments Xi and Trump made in front of reporters, the official Chinese foreign ministry statement about their talks did not mince its words.

&ldquo;The Taiwan issue is the most important, most sensitive core issue in China-U.S. relations, and concerns the political basis of the China-U.S. relationship,&rdquo; the ministry paraphrased Xi as telling Trump. China &ldquo;hopes that the U.S. side continues to scrupulously abide by the &lsquo;one China&rsquo; principle, and prevents disturbances to the broader picture of China-U.S. ties&rdquo;, Xi added.

Trump told Xi that the United States government upheld and stuck to the &ldquo;one China&rdquo; policy, China&rsquo;s official Xinhua news agency reported. China suspects Tsai wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a red line for Beijing. Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan&rsquo;s democracy and security.

China has pressured Taiwan since Tsai took office last year, suspending a regular dialogue mechanism and slowly peeling away its few remaining diplomatic allies. China is deeply suspicious of U.S. intentions towards Taiwan and was upset when the United States recently allowed Tsai to transit through Hawaii and Guam on her way to and from diplomatic allies of Taiwan&rsquo;s in the Pacific.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949&nbsp;when Mao Zedong&rsquo;s Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek&rsquo;s Nationalists fled to the island.

Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-U.S. ties, says Chinese President Xi Jinping

Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-U.S. ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, ahead of the one-year anniversary of Trump taking a precedent-breaking call from Taiwan’s president. China considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of its territory, ineligible for state-to-state relations and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help it defend itself and is the island’s main source of arms. Trump upset China last December by taking a telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, shortly after he won the election, the first call between U.S. and Taiwan leaders since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 1979. While there was no public mention of Taiwan in comments Xi and Trump made in front of reporters, the official Chinese foreign ministry statement about their talks did not mince its words. “The Taiwan issue is the most important, most sensitive core issue in China-U.S. relations, and concerns the political basis of the China-U.S. relationship,” the ministry paraphrased Xi as telling Trump. China “hopes that the U.S. side continues to scrupulously abide by the ‘one China’ principle, and prevents disturbances to the broader picture of China-U.S. ties”, Xi added. Trump told Xi that the United States government upheld and stuck to the “one China” policy, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. China suspects Tsai wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a red line for Beijing. Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s democracy and security. China has pressured Taiwan since Tsai took office last year, suspending a regular dialogue mechanism and slowly peeling away its few remaining diplomatic allies. China is deeply suspicious of U.S. intentions towards Taiwan and was upset when the United States recently allowed Tsai to transit through Hawaii and Guam on her way to and from diplomatic allies of Taiwan’s in the Pacific. China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949 when Mao Zedong’s Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to the island.

Taiwan is the most important issue in Sino-US ties: Xi to Trump

Smartphone maker HTC said Thursday it was selling part of its business to Google for $1.1 billion.&nbsp;

AFP reported HTC as saying that the deal includes intellectual property licensing and half of HTC&#39;s research staff, or around 2,000 people, and is expected to be completed in early 2018 pending regulatory approval. &nbsp;

The announcement marks Google&#39;s latest push into hardware manufacturing.&nbsp;

&quot;For Google, the deal will further strengthen its investment in and committment to smartphones and its hardware business... it shows that Google sees Taiwan as a key hub for innovative technology,&quot; AFP reported HTC spokesman Peter Shen as telling a press conference in Taipei.

The announcement marks Google's latest push into hardware manufacturing

Smartphone maker HTC said Thursday it was selling part of its business to Google for $1.1 billion. AFP reported HTC as saying that the deal includes intellectual property licensing and half of HTC's research staff, or around 2,000 people, and is expected to be completed in early 2018 pending regulatory approval. The announcement marks Google's latest push into hardware manufacturing. "For Google, the deal will further strengthen its investment in and committment to smartphones and its hardware business... it shows that Google sees Taiwan as a key hub for innovative technology," AFP reported HTC spokesman Peter Shen as telling a press conference in Taipei.

Google to buy part of smartphone maker HTC for $1.1 billion

Hundreds of thousands of people might be evacuated from southern China before a gigantic typhoon (like a hurricane) is expected to make landfall later in the week, according to reports.

 
Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Evacuation notices might be issued for as many as 500,000 people.

Talim formed in the Philippines over the weekend, and it&rsquo;s now slated to hit southern Japan, Japan&rsquo;s Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and Fujian, the Weather Channel reported Monday, Sept. 11.

Talim is moving in a west-northwestern direction over the next few days, and by the time it reaches China, it could be a Category 3-strength storm, according to the channel. The Hong Kong Observatory said that it&rsquo;s expected to move across the western portion of the northern Pacific in the general direction of Taiwan and Luzon Strait, the Hong Kong Standard reported. Hong Kong could be affected, as Talim is forecast to come within 500 miles of the city on Thursday.

 
Officials in Taiwan, which is hit by typhoons on a yearly basis, said people are taking the warnings seriously.

 
&ldquo;For Taiwan, the most serious chance of a disaster is heavy rain causing a sudden mudslide. Before Morakot, people were taking chances, sort of like gambling,&rdquo; Li Wei-sen, Taiwan&rsquo;s secretary-general with the government&rsquo;s National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, told The Associated Press.

 
The Central Weather Bureau told Focus Taiwan on Monday that Talim could potentially impact the country on Thursday.

 
Currently, the storm is located some 1,100 miles east-southeast of southern Taiwan.

 
Meanwhile, Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday and it is currently located near Jacksonville, Florida, according to U.S. weather officials. Some 6 million homes and businesses were left without power, Florida Power &amp; Light said. 
&nbsp;

Article by THE EPOCH TIMES

Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Hundreds of thousands of people might be evacuated from southern China before a gigantic typhoon (like a hurricane) is expected to make landfall later in the week, according to reports. Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Evacuation notices might be issued for as many as 500,000 people. Talim formed in the Philippines over the weekend, and it’s now slated to hit southern Japan, Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and Fujian, the Weather Channel reported Monday, Sept. 11. Talim is moving in a west-northwestern direction over the next few days, and by the time it reaches China, it could be a Category 3-strength storm, according to the channel. The Hong Kong Observatory said that it’s expected to move across the western portion of the northern Pacific in the general direction of Taiwan and Luzon Strait, the Hong Kong Standard reported. Hong Kong could be affected, as Talim is forecast to come within 500 miles of the city on Thursday. Officials in Taiwan, which is hit by typhoons on a yearly basis, said people are taking the warnings seriously. “For Taiwan, the most serious chance of a disaster is heavy rain causing a sudden mudslide. Before Morakot, people were taking chances, sort of like gambling,” Li Wei-sen, Taiwan’s secretary-general with the government’s National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, told The Associated Press. The Central Weather Bureau told Focus Taiwan on Monday that Talim could potentially impact the country on Thursday. Currently, the storm is located some 1,100 miles east-southeast of southern Taiwan. Meanwhile, Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday and it is currently located near Jacksonville, Florida, according to U.S. weather officials. Some 6 million homes and businesses were left without power, Florida Power & Light said. Article by THE EPOCH TIMES

Typhoon Talim Forms, Could Hit Southern China and Taiwan

Taiwan&#39;s President Tsai Ing-wen has accepted the resignation of Premier Lin Chuan, the ruling party said on Monday, a departure that had been widely expected because of the president&#39;s falling public support.

Taiwan presidents often shuffle premiers in response to dips in popularity. Lin had faced mounting pressure to step down as Tsai&#39;s popularity plummeted to 29.8 percent by August, a private foundation survey has shown.

When she took office in May 2016, her approval rating was as high as 70 percent.

&quot;The president has accepted his resignation after sincere talks,&quot; Tsai&#39;s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said in a statement.

Under Taiwan&#39;s system, the president is the more important office, holding the jobs of commander in chief and head of state. The prime minister is appointed by the president to lead the cabinet.

Tsai is likely to be looking ahead to her 2020 re-election campaign.

Frozen relations with China, a backlash over pension reforms and a revised labour rule, among other controversies, have put pressure on her to replace Lin, in preparation for that campaign.

Lin said the party had &quot;reached a point where we must embark on the next stage of the mission&quot;.

&quot;So I&#39;ve resigned to pave the way for the president to re-organize her team and resources for that purpose,&quot; he said.

The presidential office said a new premier would be announced on Tuesday.

William Lai, the popular mayor of the southern city of Tainan and a leading DPP figure, is widely expected to replace Lin.

A Lai premiership would not necessary help the president to improve her ratings, some analysts said.

&quot;They need a reboot, because current ratings for both are low,&quot; said Alex Huang, a professor of Tamkang University, Taipei, referring to Tsai and Lin, adding that it must have been a hard decision for Tsai because of their friendship.

&quot;Lin is sort of biting the bullet to clear the path ahead for the president and the next premier,&quot; Huang said.

Some representatives of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have expressed scepticism that Tsai would build an effective partnership with Lai, if he did replace Lin.

&quot;I&#39;d like to see how they both work together,&quot; said Lai Shyh-bao, a KMT legislator. &quot;Both Tsai and Lai have reputations for being overbearing and domineering.&quot;

Lin has been criticized not just by legislators from the opposition, but also from his own DPP. Tsai had praised him as &quot;a great communicator&quot; when she introduced him last year.

Lin, a close confidant of the president who retains her trust, could become the next central bank governor when current governor Perng Fai-nan retires next year.

Taiwan's premier resigns after President's falling public support

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has accepted the resignation of Premier Lin Chuan, the ruling party said on Monday, a departure that had been widely expected because of the president's falling public support. Taiwan presidents often shuffle premiers in response to dips in popularity. Lin had faced mounting pressure to step down as Tsai's popularity plummeted to 29.8 percent by August, a private foundation survey has shown. When she took office in May 2016, her approval rating was as high as 70 percent. "The president has accepted his resignation after sincere talks," Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said in a statement. Under Taiwan's system, the president is the more important office, holding the jobs of commander in chief and head of state. The prime minister is appointed by the president to lead the cabinet. Tsai is likely to be looking ahead to her 2020 re-election campaign. Frozen relations with China, a backlash over pension reforms and a revised labour rule, among other controversies, have put pressure on her to replace Lin, in preparation for that campaign. Lin said the party had "reached a point where we must embark on the next stage of the mission". "So I've resigned to pave the way for the president to re-organize her team and resources for that purpose," he said. The presidential office said a new premier would be announced on Tuesday. William Lai, the popular mayor of the southern city of Tainan and a leading DPP figure, is widely expected to replace Lin. A Lai premiership would not necessary help the president to improve her ratings, some analysts said. "They need a reboot, because current ratings for both are low," said Alex Huang, a professor of Tamkang University, Taipei, referring to Tsai and Lin, adding that it must have been a hard decision for Tsai because of their friendship. "Lin is sort of biting the bullet to clear the path ahead for the president and the next premier," Huang said. Some representatives of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have expressed scepticism that Tsai would build an effective partnership with Lai, if he did replace Lin. "I'd like to see how they both work together," said Lai Shyh-bao, a KMT legislator. "Both Tsai and Lai have reputations for being overbearing and domineering." Lin has been criticized not just by legislators from the opposition, but also from his own DPP. Tsai had praised him as "a great communicator" when she introduced him last year. Lin, a close confidant of the president who retains her trust, could become the next central bank governor when current governor Perng Fai-nan retires next year.

Taiwan's premier Lin Chuan resigns

Taiwan braced for its second storm in two days on Sunday after Typhoon Nesat battered the island, leaving at least 103 injured while causing flooding and widespread power outages.

Much of Taiwan came to a standstill on Saturday after Nesat made landfall in eastern Yilan county, whipping up massive waves of over 49.2 feet (approx 15 metres) and dumping rain of up to 23 inches (58 centimetres) in the southern region of Pingtung.&nbsp;

It moved away from Taiwan Sunday as tropical storm Haitang churned towards the south of the island, likely to make landfall in the evening according to the Central Weather Bureau.

It is the first time in 50 years that Taiwan has issued warnings for two typhoons.

&quot;Haitang is gaining some strength and it is expected to bring heavy rains to central and southern Taiwan from tonight to tomorrow,&quot; forecaster Lin Ting-i said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The storm was 170 kilometres (105 miles) southwest of Eluanbi, the southernmost tip of the island at 0300 GMT.

More than 10,000 people had to be evacuated on Saturday, with 5,338 soldiers deployed for disaster relief.&nbsp;

Most train services were suspended and more than 300 domestic and international flights cancelled or delayed.&nbsp;

At least 103 people were injured, mostly by falling objects or in car accidents while some slipped in the bad weather, according to the central emergency operation centre. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Nearly half a million households were without electricity as Nesat pounded the island with downpours and winds of up to 180 kilometres an hour.&nbsp;

Pingtung suffered the worst flooding as of Saturday night, with some 200 residents stranded and later rescued.&nbsp;

Images showed flooded homes and motorcyclists pushing their vehicles through water.

Around 140,000 households were still without electricity on Sunday, though rail services had mostly resumed.

TV footage showed soldiers sending food to some homes in Pingtung where streets remained flooded.

Taiwan&#39;s second largest airline EVA Airways said it had cancelled around 50 flights after more than 500 flight attendants took typhoon days off, affecting around 30,000 passengers.

Although Nesat was Taiwan&#39;s first typhoon this year, the island was pounded by heavy rains last month. At least one person was killed after 600 millimetres of rain fell in under 11 hours in some areas.

Nesat made landfall in Fuqing city, China&#39;s southeast Fujian province, at around 6 a.m. local time Sunday, according to state media, with authorities issuing a red typhoon alert -- the highest in China&#39;s four-tier, colour-coded warning system.&nbsp;

Emergency response efforts have begun in neighbouring Zhejiang province, where more than 3,000 people have been evacuated, China News Service reported.

Another typhoon, &ldquo;Begonia&rdquo;, is expected to make landfall in Fujian either Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Typhoon Nesat, a medium strength typhoon, made landfall on Saturday and is expected to lash the island over the course of two days, affecting the south most heavily

Taiwan braced for its second storm in two days on Sunday after Typhoon Nesat battered the island, leaving at least 103 injured while causing flooding and widespread power outages. Much of Taiwan came to a standstill on Saturday after Nesat made landfall in eastern Yilan county, whipping up massive waves of over 49.2 feet (approx 15 metres) and dumping rain of up to 23 inches (58 centimetres) in the southern region of Pingtung. It moved away from Taiwan Sunday as tropical storm Haitang churned towards the south of the island, likely to make landfall in the evening according to the Central Weather Bureau. It is the first time in 50 years that Taiwan has issued warnings for two typhoons. "Haitang is gaining some strength and it is expected to bring heavy rains to central and southern Taiwan from tonight to tomorrow," forecaster Lin Ting-i said. The storm was 170 kilometres (105 miles) southwest of Eluanbi, the southernmost tip of the island at 0300 GMT. More than 10,000 people had to be evacuated on Saturday, with 5,338 soldiers deployed for disaster relief. Most train services were suspended and more than 300 domestic and international flights cancelled or delayed. At least 103 people were injured, mostly by falling objects or in car accidents while some slipped in the bad weather, according to the central emergency operation centre. Nearly half a million households were without electricity as Nesat pounded the island with downpours and winds of up to 180 kilometres an hour. Pingtung suffered the worst flooding as of Saturday night, with some 200 residents stranded and later rescued. Images showed flooded homes and motorcyclists pushing their vehicles through water. Around 140,000 households were still without electricity on Sunday, though rail services had mostly resumed. TV footage showed soldiers sending food to some homes in Pingtung where streets remained flooded. Taiwan's second largest airline EVA Airways said it had cancelled around 50 flights after more than 500 flight attendants took typhoon days off, affecting around 30,000 passengers. Although Nesat was Taiwan's first typhoon this year, the island was pounded by heavy rains last month. At least one person was killed after 600 millimetres of rain fell in under 11 hours in some areas. Nesat made landfall in Fuqing city, China's southeast Fujian province, at around 6 a.m. local time Sunday, according to state media, with authorities issuing a red typhoon alert -- the highest in China's four-tier, colour-coded warning system. Emergency response efforts have begun in neighbouring Zhejiang province, where more than 3,000 people have been evacuated, China News Service reported. Another typhoon, “Begonia”, is expected to make landfall in Fujian either Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Taiwan braces for second storm after Nesat injured 103

Panama broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switched to Beijing, accepting its one China policy, the countries announced Monday.

&quot;In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People&#39;s Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document&#39;s signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level,&quot; the note said.

Panama now &quot;recognizes that there is only one China in the world&quot; and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.

The new relationship with Beijing was starting Monday, and the previous one with Taiwan ending, the note added.

(AFP)

Panama now 'recognizes that there is only one China in the world' and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory

Panama broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switched to Beijing, accepting its one China policy, the countries announced Monday. "In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level," the note said. Panama now "recognizes that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory. The new relationship with Beijing was starting Monday, and the previous one with Taiwan ending, the note added. (AFP)

Panama cuts ties with Taiwan, switches to China

Taiwan announced a T$882.4 billion ($29 billion) stimulus package on Thursday to boost its export-driven economy in the face of uncertainty from its two largest trading partners, the United States and China.

Taiwan&#39;s trade-reliant economy is showing signs of recovery, but it is highly vulnerable to protectionist policies from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers, as well as political tensions with Beijing.

In a bid to make the economy more balanced, Taiwan&#39;s government is looking for domestic growth drivers that dovetail with President Tsai Ing-wen&#39;s push to roll out green energy, improved utilities, better transport and telecommunications networks, and innovative technology.

The stimulus package is expected to focus on infrastructure, with spending to be spread over eight years.

Premier Lin Chuan told reporters the plan could add nearly T$1 trillion to the island&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP), while conceding that growth will remain largely export driven.

&quot;But I must admit that when economic growth is not solid, it&#39;s still necessary to take this action to bolster the economy. It&#39;s better to do this sooner rather than later,&quot; the premier added.

Taiwan&#39;s central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady later in the day as the government turns to fiscal stimulus to keep the economic recovery on track.

Taiwan&#39;s export orders grew at their fastest pace in six-and-a-half years in February on strong global demand for electronics that&#39;s bolstering makers of memory chips, flat panels and smartphones.

&quot;It would be appropriate to expand consumption at home,&quot; central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan said in a statement earlier in the day, saying that would provide some cushion from external risks.

&quot;China has been upgrading its supply chains. President Trump is also asking for manufacturers to go back to the US,&quot; the governor said.

The stimulus package is subject to legislative approval.

(Reuters)

The stimulus package is expected to focus on infrastructure, with spending to be spread over eight years

Taiwan announced a T$882.4 billion ($29 billion) stimulus package on Thursday to boost its export-driven economy in the face of uncertainty from its two largest trading partners, the United States and China. Taiwan's trade-reliant economy is showing signs of recovery, but it is highly vulnerable to protectionist policies from US President Donald Trump and increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers, as well as political tensions with Beijing. In a bid to make the economy more balanced, Taiwan's government is looking for domestic growth drivers that dovetail with President Tsai Ing-wen's push to roll out green energy, improved utilities, better transport and telecommunications networks, and innovative technology. The stimulus package is expected to focus on infrastructure, with spending to be spread over eight years. Premier Lin Chuan told reporters the plan could add nearly T$1 trillion to the island's gross domestic product (GDP), while conceding that growth will remain largely export driven. "But I must admit that when economic growth is not solid, it's still necessary to take this action to bolster the economy. It's better to do this sooner rather than later," the premier added. Taiwan's central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady later in the day as the government turns to fiscal stimulus to keep the economic recovery on track. Taiwan's export orders grew at their fastest pace in six-and-a-half years in February on strong global demand for electronics that's bolstering makers of memory chips, flat panels and smartphones. "It would be appropriate to expand consumption at home," central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan said in a statement earlier in the day, saying that would provide some cushion from external risks. "China has been upgrading its supply chains. President Trump is also asking for manufacturers to go back to the US," the governor said. The stimulus package is subject to legislative approval. (Reuters)

Taiwan unveils US$29 billion stimulus amid uncertainty over China, US

At least 32 people were killed when a tour bus crashed near Taipei on Monday night, with television footage showing the bus careening towards a road barrier before flipping on its side.

Of 44 people on the bus, 30 were pronounced dead at the scene and two died in hospital, the fire department said, adding that 12 people were still being treated in hospitals around Taipei, the capital.&nbsp;

Many of the passengers were elderly, although the age range was early 20s to late 60s, according to city authorities.&nbsp;

The trip had been arranged by the Tieh Lien Hua Travel Agency, according to Taiwan&#39;s tourism bureau.&nbsp;

An official with the agency said the tourists were &quot;likely&quot; all from Taiwan, but that it was still looking at passenger information.&nbsp;

&quot;We are making efforts to help with the emergency response and will fully cooperate,&quot; Chou Chi-hung told Reuters by telephone.&nbsp;

It was unclear what caused the crash. Local television showed a video of the bus shot from behind flipping onto its side and skidding towards the hillside after it hit a road barrier when negotiating a highway interchange curve.

Ambulances and fire trucks were lined up along the bend of the road as rescue workers used a crane to lift the battered bus from its wheels, after all the passengers were pulled from the wreckage.&nbsp;

&quot;Prosecutors need to get on the site,&quot; said cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung on live TV.&nbsp;

The crash is the latest accident involving tour buses in Taiwan. Earlier this month, another Taiwanese tour bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed into a bridge in southern Taiwan, injuring some passengers.

It followed a grisly murder-suicide last year in which 24 Chinese tourists were killed after the driver set their moving bus on fire.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The travel agency, which organised the tour, said the tourists were 'likely' all from Taiwan

At least 32 people were killed when a tour bus crashed near Taipei on Monday night, with television footage showing the bus careening towards a road barrier before flipping on its side. Of 44 people on the bus, 30 were pronounced dead at the scene and two died in hospital, the fire department said, adding that 12 people were still being treated in hospitals around Taipei, the capital. Many of the passengers were elderly, although the age range was early 20s to late 60s, according to city authorities. The trip had been arranged by the Tieh Lien Hua Travel Agency, according to Taiwan's tourism bureau. An official with the agency said the tourists were "likely" all from Taiwan, but that it was still looking at passenger information. "We are making efforts to help with the emergency response and will fully cooperate," Chou Chi-hung told Reuters by telephone. It was unclear what caused the crash. Local television showed a video of the bus shot from behind flipping onto its side and skidding towards the hillside after it hit a road barrier when negotiating a highway interchange curve. Ambulances and fire trucks were lined up along the bend of the road as rescue workers used a crane to lift the battered bus from its wheels, after all the passengers were pulled from the wreckage. "Prosecutors need to get on the site," said cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung on live TV. The crash is the latest accident involving tour buses in Taiwan. Earlier this month, another Taiwanese tour bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed into a bridge in southern Taiwan, injuring some passengers. It followed a grisly murder-suicide last year in which 24 Chinese tourists were killed after the driver set their moving bus on fire. (Reuters)

Bus crash kills at least 32 in Taiwan

The US has no plans to alter its One-China policy, but has made important commitments to Taiwan and needs to reaffirm them, Secretary of State nominee for the incoming Trump Administration has said.

&quot;I don&#39;t know of any plans to alter the one-China position,&quot; Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson told members of Senate Foreign Relations during his confirmation hearing for the position of Secretary of State yesterday. If confirmed, he would replace John Kerry as the Secretary of State.

However, Tillerson said the US had made important commitments to Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act, through the Six Issues Accord, and the country should express a reaffirmation of those.

&quot;Again, this is part of this approach that I&#39;m trying to lay out over and over, that we&#39;ve made commitments to people. We need to reaffirm those commitments and live up to those commitments, and I think it&#39;s important that Taiwan knows that we are going to live up to the commitments under the Relations Act and the Six Issues Accord,&quot; he said.

&quot;That in and of itself is a message, so I think the importance of that action to, again, this whole of China approach that I&#39;m speaking about, is we&#39;ve got to deal with the whole of China&#39;s actions and recognise that we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with,&quot; Tillerson said in response to a question.

(PTI)

Trump's incoming state secretary and former ExxonMobil CEO said the US has no plans to alter China relations, but made overtures to Taiwan

The US has no plans to alter its One-China policy, but has made important commitments to Taiwan and needs to reaffirm them, Secretary of State nominee for the incoming Trump Administration has said. "I don't know of any plans to alter the one-China position," Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson told members of Senate Foreign Relations during his confirmation hearing for the position of Secretary of State yesterday. If confirmed, he would replace John Kerry as the Secretary of State. However, Tillerson said the US had made important commitments to Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act, through the Six Issues Accord, and the country should express a reaffirmation of those. "Again, this is part of this approach that I'm trying to lay out over and over, that we've made commitments to people. We need to reaffirm those commitments and live up to those commitments, and I think it's important that Taiwan knows that we are going to live up to the commitments under the Relations Act and the Six Issues Accord," he said. "That in and of itself is a message, so I think the importance of that action to, again, this whole of China approach that I'm speaking about, is we've got to deal with the whole of China's actions and recognise that we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with," Tillerson said in response to a question. (PTI)

I don't know of any plans to alter the one-China position: Rex Tillerson

Tensions between archrivals China and Taiwan flared up as China&#39;s only aircraft carrier entered the Taiwan Strait, the island&#39;s defence ministry said.

According to sources in Taiwan&#39;s defence ministry the Chinese aircraft carrier, Liaoning, has not entered its territorial waters but has breached its air defence zone, AFP reported.

It entered the southwest of Taiwan&#39;s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) at 07:00 Wednesday local time (23:00 GMT), the defence ministry said, along with escort vessels, according to AFP.

&quot;(It) is sailing west of the midline of the Taiwan Strait, moving north,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.

Unconfirmed reports in Taiwanese media suggested that F-16 fighter jets along with other aircrafts were sent to monitor the situation, AFP reported.

The defence ministry issued a statement saying that &quot;the military is monitoring the whole situation and will act as necessary&quot;.

They have &#39;&#39;urged Taiwan&#39;s people to be at ease&quot;.

Relations between the two neighbours have further deteriorated after US President-elect raised questions about US&#39; &quot;One China&quot; policy.

The US has followed the &quot;One China&quot; policy according to which it officially acknowledges the Chinese position that there is only one People&#39;s Republic of China (PRC) represented by China&#39;s government in Beijing.

Even so, the US still maintains unofficial commercial and cultural relations with Taipei, wghich is carried out by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

The &quot;One China&quot; policy implemented by US forms the basis of diplomatic ties between both the countries.&nbsp;

Taiwan&#39;s President Tsai Ing-wen is currently visiting the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador and her recent meeting with key Republican lawmakers including Ted Cruz riled Beijing.

(WION with inputs from AFP) &nbsp;

The defence ministry issued a statement saying that 'the military is monitoring the whole situation and will act as necessary'.

Tensions between archrivals China and Taiwan flared up as China's only aircraft carrier entered the Taiwan Strait, the island's defence ministry said. According to sources in Taiwan's defence ministry the Chinese aircraft carrier, Liaoning, has not entered its territorial waters but has breached its air defence zone, AFP reported. It entered the southwest of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) at 07:00 Wednesday local time (23:00 GMT), the defence ministry said, along with escort vessels, according to AFP. "(It) is sailing west of the midline of the Taiwan Strait, moving north," the ministry said in a statement. Unconfirmed reports in Taiwanese media suggested that F-16 fighter jets along with other aircrafts were sent to monitor the situation, AFP reported. The defence ministry issued a statement saying that "the military is monitoring the whole situation and will act as necessary". They have ''urged Taiwan's people to be at ease". Relations between the two neighbours have further deteriorated after US President-elect raised questions about US' "One China" policy. The US has followed the "One China" policy according to which it officially acknowledges the Chinese position that there is only one People's Republic of China (PRC) represented by China's government in Beijing. Even so, the US still maintains unofficial commercial and cultural relations with Taipei, wghich is carried out by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The "One China" policy implemented by US forms the basis of diplomatic ties between both the countries. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen is currently visiting the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador and her recent meeting with key Republican lawmakers including Ted Cruz riled Beijing. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Tension grips Taiwan as Chinese warship enters strait

US senator Ted Cruz met on Sunday with Taiwan&#39;s President Tsai Ing-Wen, despite objections from Chinese diplomats.

The Republican from Texas, who lost in the US primary elections to President-elect Donald Trump, said in a statement that the two discussed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations during the meeting in Houston.

&quot;Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike,&quot; Cruz said in a statement.

Cruz went through with the meeting despite Chinese opposition: &quot;Shortly before our meeting, the Houston congressional delegation received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with President Tsai, and to uphold the &#39;One China policy,&quot; the senator said.

&quot;The People&#39;s Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,&quot; the Republican continued.&nbsp;

&quot;The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit.&quot;

The Taiwanese president was transiting in Houston this weekend en route to Central America, and is slated to return to Taipei after a stopover in San Francisco next weekend.

Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace.

A phone call between Trump and Tsai in December, after the Republican businessman won the presidency, upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favor of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold.

Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is &quot;a little bit inappropriate&quot; to meet anybody until he takes office January 20.

(AFP)

He said in a statement that the two discussed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations during the meeting in Houston

US senator Ted Cruz met on Sunday with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen, despite objections from Chinese diplomats. The Republican from Texas, who lost in the US primary elections to President-elect Donald Trump, said in a statement that the two discussed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations during the meeting in Houston. "Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike," Cruz said in a statement. Cruz went through with the meeting despite Chinese opposition: "Shortly before our meeting, the Houston congressional delegation received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with President Tsai, and to uphold the 'One China policy," the senator said. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," the Republican continued. "The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." The Taiwanese president was transiting in Houston this weekend en route to Central America, and is slated to return to Taipei after a stopover in San Francisco next weekend. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A phone call between Trump and Tsai in December, after the Republican businessman won the presidency, upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favor of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. (AFP)

US senator Ted Cruz meets Taiwan's president despite objections from China

Taiwan said today it was closely monitoring the movements of China&#39;s sole aircraft carrier and five other warships, which earlier passed south of the island on an exercise held amid worsening cross-strait relations.

The Liaoning and five escorts sailed 20 nautical miles outside Taiwan&#39;s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines yesterday, the defence ministry said.

The ships continued sailing south-west after passing 90 nautical miles to the south of Taiwan&#39;s southernmost point Eluanbi Monday morning. They later travelled to the south-east of the Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea, the ministry added.

&quot;The military has been on guard and fully monitoring the Liaoning. We urge the public to rest assured,&quot; it said.

Taiwanese media said an unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets and warships were deployed in Taiwan&#39;s ADIZ to closely watch the Chinese warships. The ministry declined to comment.

Japan&#39;s defence ministry said earlier that eight Chinese vessels, including the carrier and three destroyers, were spotted by one of its ships in the central part of the East China Sea on Saturday afternoon.

Chinese media has reported that the aircraft carrier was headed for the Pacific on exercise for the first time.

The navy drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing at a time of rising tensions with Taiwan and the United States following a protocol-breaking telephone conversation between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US President-elect Donald Trump.

It was the latest in a series of recent exercises staged by China, after its military aircraft passed near Taiwan on December 10 for the second time in a month.

Taiwan&#39;s defence minister Feng Shih-kuan has called the timing of China&#39;s air exercises a coincidence, but warned the island still faces a military threat.

China views self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.&nbsp;

(AFP)

China's Liaoning and five escorts sailed only 20 nautical miles away from Taiwan's territory, its defence ministry said

Taiwan said today it was closely monitoring the movements of China's sole aircraft carrier and five other warships, which earlier passed south of the island on an exercise held amid worsening cross-strait relations. The Liaoning and five escorts sailed 20 nautical miles outside Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines yesterday, the defence ministry said. The ships continued sailing south-west after passing 90 nautical miles to the south of Taiwan's southernmost point Eluanbi Monday morning. They later travelled to the south-east of the Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea, the ministry added. "The military has been on guard and fully monitoring the Liaoning. We urge the public to rest assured," it said. Taiwanese media said an unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets and warships were deployed in Taiwan's ADIZ to closely watch the Chinese warships. The ministry declined to comment. Japan's defence ministry said earlier that eight Chinese vessels, including the carrier and three destroyers, were spotted by one of its ships in the central part of the East China Sea on Saturday afternoon. Chinese media has reported that the aircraft carrier was headed for the Pacific on exercise for the first time. The navy drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing at a time of rising tensions with Taiwan and the United States following a protocol-breaking telephone conversation between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US President-elect Donald Trump. It was the latest in a series of recent exercises staged by China, after its military aircraft passed near Taiwan on December 10 for the second time in a month. Taiwan's defence minister Feng Shih-kuan has called the timing of China's air exercises a coincidence, but warned the island still faces a military threat. China views self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. (AFP)

Taiwan says Chinese aircraft carrier passed south of island

Taiwan&#39;s parliament on Monday passed the first draft of a controversial marriage equality bill, moving the island a step closer to becoming the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex nuptials.

A legislative committee approved the amendment to the civil law that would allow gay couples to legally tie the knot, as dozens of opponents to the change rallied outside to demand a referendum on the divisive issue.

&quot;Stop reviewing (the bill). Put it to a referendum,&quot; protesters shouted. Some demonstrators climbed over a wall into the parliamentary grounds and were later removed by police. One man even made it as far as the committee&#39;s meeting room but was stopped before he could reach the podium.&nbsp;

Lawmaker Yu Mei-nu of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who proposed the bill, hailed Monday&#39;s decision as an example of Taiwan&#39;s &quot;mature democracy&quot; and called for calm and tolerance.

&quot;It is not the end of the world to pass such a bill. Heterosexual marriages will not be destroyed...I hope everybody will take a calm and tolerant attitude,&quot; Yu told reporters. The amendments require further vetting before they can take effect, a process Yu estimated would take around six months.

While Taiwan is considered progressive on many issues including gay rights, its roots in Confucianism translate into a strong sense of adherence to traditional values such as family loyalty and social hierarchy. Past attempts to legalise same-sex marriage stalled under the Kuomintang party, which dominated politics for decades until it was unseated by the DPP in this year&#39;s elections.&nbsp;

While support for marriage equality has gained momentum under President Tsai Ing-wen, who has openly supported legalising same-sex marriage, so too have opposing voices. &nbsp;

Both sides held rallies in the month leading up to Monday&#39;s decision, attracting tens of thousands of protesters.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Taiwan is now a step closer to becoming the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage

Taiwan's parliament on Monday passed the first draft of a controversial marriage equality bill, moving the island a step closer to becoming the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex nuptials. A legislative committee approved the amendment to the civil law that would allow gay couples to legally tie the knot, as dozens of opponents to the change rallied outside to demand a referendum on the divisive issue. "Stop reviewing (the bill). Put it to a referendum," protesters shouted. Some demonstrators climbed over a wall into the parliamentary grounds and were later removed by police. One man even made it as far as the committee's meeting room but was stopped before he could reach the podium. Lawmaker Yu Mei-nu of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who proposed the bill, hailed Monday's decision as an example of Taiwan's "mature democracy" and called for calm and tolerance. "It is not the end of the world to pass such a bill. Heterosexual marriages will not be destroyed...I hope everybody will take a calm and tolerant attitude," Yu told reporters. The amendments require further vetting before they can take effect, a process Yu estimated would take around six months. While Taiwan is considered progressive on many issues including gay rights, its roots in Confucianism translate into a strong sense of adherence to traditional values such as family loyalty and social hierarchy. Past attempts to legalise same-sex marriage stalled under the Kuomintang party, which dominated politics for decades until it was unseated by the DPP in this year's elections. While support for marriage equality has gained momentum under President Tsai Ing-wen, who has openly supported legalising same-sex marriage, so too have opposing voices. Both sides held rallies in the month leading up to Monday's decision, attracting tens of thousands of protesters. (AFP)

Taiwan passes first draft of marriage equality bill

China said today it welcomed Sao Tome and Principe&#39;s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a move that comes as US President-elect Donald Trump questions Washington&#39;s policy towards the self-ruled island.

The small west African nation suspended ties with China in 1997, when it chose to officially recognise Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.

Beijing has repeatedly asserted its belief that there is only &quot;one China&quot; and that the island remains part of its territory awaiting reunification.

Tensions between the mainland and what it refers to as a &quot;renegade province&quot; have heightened since president Tsai Ing-wen, who leads Taiwan&#39;s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office in May.

Adding fuel to that fire, Trump angered Beijing with comments earlier this month suggesting he could use recognition of the island as a bargaining chip to extract trade deals from China.

&quot;We welcome Sao Tome and Principe back onto the correct path of the one China principle,&quot; the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on its website. &quot;Persisting in the one China principle is the direction of international popular sentiment and an irresistible trend,&quot; it added.

Sao Tome&#39;s decision leaves Taiwan with formal diplomatic ties to only 21 states, including just two in Africa -- Swaziland and Burkina Faso. It also has relations with the Vatican, its most high profile supporter.

Sao Tome&#39;s decision follows a precedent shattering congratulatory phone call from Tsai to Trump, which angered Beijing. 
The billionaire politician further raised the temperature among the Chinese leadership by publicly questioning US reluctance to recognise Taiwan.

&quot;I don&#39;t know why we have to be bound by a one China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,&quot; he told Fox News earlier this month.

Tsai is preparing for a trip next month to meet with diplomatic allies in Latin America, where she is expected to pass through the US, which may irk China.

(AFP)&nbsp;

This diplomatic support for Beijing's 'One China' policy comes after Donald Trump publicly questioned US reluctance to recognise Taiwan

China said today it welcomed Sao Tome and Principe's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a move that comes as US President-elect Donald Trump questions Washington's policy towards the self-ruled island. The small west African nation suspended ties with China in 1997, when it chose to officially recognise Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war. Beijing has repeatedly asserted its belief that there is only "one China" and that the island remains part of its territory awaiting reunification. Tensions between the mainland and what it refers to as a "renegade province" have heightened since president Tsai Ing-wen, who leads Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office in May. Adding fuel to that fire, Trump angered Beijing with comments earlier this month suggesting he could use recognition of the island as a bargaining chip to extract trade deals from China. "We welcome Sao Tome and Principe back onto the correct path of the one China principle," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on its website. "Persisting in the one China principle is the direction of international popular sentiment and an irresistible trend," it added. Sao Tome's decision leaves Taiwan with formal diplomatic ties to only 21 states, including just two in Africa -- Swaziland and Burkina Faso. It also has relations with the Vatican, its most high profile supporter. Sao Tome's decision follows a precedent shattering congratulatory phone call from Tsai to Trump, which angered Beijing. The billionaire politician further raised the temperature among the Chinese leadership by publicly questioning US reluctance to recognise Taiwan. "I don't know why we have to be bound by a one China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," he told Fox News earlier this month. Tsai is preparing for a trip next month to meet with diplomatic allies in Latin America, where she is expected to pass through the US, which may irk China. (AFP)

China welcomes Sao Tome's split with Taiwan

Amid an outpouring of condemnation over President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, some prominent US conservatives are commending his decision to take her call.

Trump&rsquo;s conversation with Tsai on Friday broke decades of US diplomatic policy, risking a serious rift with China by calling into question one of Beijing&rsquo;s self-described &quot;core interests&quot;,the &quot;One China&quot; policy to which then-president Richard Nixon agreed in 1978.

No US president or president-elect has spoken to a Taiwanese leader since then. Some US conservatives however see no evil in the Friday call.

&quot;I would much rather have Donald Trump talking to President Tsai than to Cuba&#39;s Raul Castro or Iran&#39;s Hasan Rouhani,&quot; Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Trump&#39;s main challenger and a fierce critic during this year&#39;s Republican primary race, &nbsp;tweeted on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;This is an improvement.&quot;

President Barack Obama has spoken with Rouhani by phone, and met Castro on a trip to Cuba.

Ari Fleischer, White House spokesman under former president George W. Bush, didn&#39;t think that accepting the call was a bad idea.

&quot;China has been increasingly aggressive with us because they know we won&#39;t do anything meaningful about it,&quot; Fleischer tweeted. &quot;I don&#39;t mind Trump pushing back.&quot;

China regards self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory awaiting reunification under Beijing&#39;s rule, and any US move implying support for independence, even calling Tsai &quot;president,&quot; as Trump did in a tweet announcing the call,prompts grave offense in China.

But some critics thought that Trump had crossed a dangerous line.

&quot;What has happened in the last 48 hours is not a shift. These are major pivots in foreign policy w/out any plan. That&#39;s how wars start,&quot; tweeted Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.

Senior Trump aide Kellyanne Conway brushed aside the criticism, insisting that the call did not necessarily indicate a change of policy.

&quot;Senator Murphy&#39;s tweet is pretty incendiary,&quot; she told CNN late Friday. &quot;This is how wars are starting and it is a major policy shift because you get a phone call? That is pretty negative.&quot;

Asked whether Trump&#39;s decision to take Tsai&#39;s call was the result of a mistake by an inexperienced staff, she said the real estate billionaire was fully aware of the implications.

Trump&#39;s other defenders included Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.

&quot;I commend President-elect Trump for his conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen, which reaffirms our commitment to the only democracy on Chinese soil,&quot; he said in a statement.

&quot;Obama breaks w/decades of US policy on Cuba &amp; gets endless fawning coverage,&quot; the conservative journalist Stephen Hayes tweeted. &quot;Trump breaks w/US policy by phoning Taiwan &amp; he&#39;s reckless?&quot;

Trump received criticism on another matter from an unexpected source on Friday: the outspoken former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who strongly supported him during his campaign.

A favorite of the powerful far-right Tea Party movement, Palin condemned Trump&#39;s deal with the Carrier air conditioner company this week to keep 1,100 jobs in Indiana instead of shipping hundreds to Mexico, in return for what the company said would be a $7 million tax-break package from the state.

&quot;When government steps in arbitrarily with individual subsidies, favoring one business over others, it sets inconsistent, unfair, illogical precedent,&quot; Palin wrote on the website Young Conservatives.

&quot;We support competition on a level playing field, remember? Because we know special interest crony capitalism is one big fail.&quot;

Trump&#39;s transition team is believed to be considering Palin, a former Republican candidate for vice president, for a cabinet position.

During his presidential campaign, the Republican billionaire repeatedly threatened to slap tariffs on firms that decamped for Mexico, Asia and other regions with cheaper labor costs.

On Friday, Trump singled out another industrial company, tweeting, &quot;Rexnord of Indiana is moving to Mexico and rather viciously firing all of its 300 workers. This is happening all over our country. No more!&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(AFP)

Trump?s conversation with President Tsai of Taiwan on Friday broke decades of US diplomatic policy, risking a serious rift with China

Amid an outpouring of condemnation over President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, some prominent US conservatives are commending his decision to take her call. Trump’s conversation with Tsai on Friday broke decades of US diplomatic policy, risking a serious rift with China by calling into question one of Beijing’s self-described "core interests",the "One China" policy to which then-president Richard Nixon agreed in 1978. No US president or president-elect has spoken to a Taiwanese leader since then. Some US conservatives however see no evil in the Friday call. "I would much rather have Donald Trump talking to President Tsai than to Cuba's Raul Castro or Iran's Hasan Rouhani," Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's main challenger and a fierce critic during this year's Republican primary race, tweeted on Saturday. "This is an improvement." President Barack Obama has spoken with Rouhani by phone, and met Castro on a trip to Cuba. Ari Fleischer, White House spokesman under former president George W. Bush, didn't think that accepting the call was a bad idea. "China has been increasingly aggressive with us because they know we won't do anything meaningful about it," Fleischer tweeted. "I don't mind Trump pushing back." China regards self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory awaiting reunification under Beijing's rule, and any US move implying support for independence, even calling Tsai "president," as Trump did in a tweet announcing the call,prompts grave offense in China. But some critics thought that Trump had crossed a dangerous line. "What has happened in the last 48 hours is not a shift. These are major pivots in foreign policy w/out any plan. That's how wars start," tweeted Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. Senior Trump aide Kellyanne Conway brushed aside the criticism, insisting that the call did not necessarily indicate a change of policy. "Senator Murphy's tweet is pretty incendiary," she told CNN late Friday. "This is how wars are starting and it is a major policy shift because you get a phone call? That is pretty negative." Asked whether Trump's decision to take Tsai's call was the result of a mistake by an inexperienced staff, she said the real estate billionaire was fully aware of the implications. Trump's other defenders included Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton. "I commend President-elect Trump for his conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen, which reaffirms our commitment to the only democracy on Chinese soil," he said in a statement. "Obama breaks w/decades of US policy on Cuba & gets endless fawning coverage," the conservative journalist Stephen Hayes tweeted. "Trump breaks w/US policy by phoning Taiwan & he's reckless?" Trump received criticism on another matter from an unexpected source on Friday: the outspoken former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who strongly supported him during his campaign. A favorite of the powerful far-right Tea Party movement, Palin condemned Trump's deal with the Carrier air conditioner company this week to keep 1,100 jobs in Indiana instead of shipping hundreds to Mexico, in return for what the company said would be a $7 million tax-break package from the state. "When government steps in arbitrarily with individual subsidies, favoring one business over others, it sets inconsistent, unfair, illogical precedent," Palin wrote on the website Young Conservatives. "We support competition on a level playing field, remember? Because we know special interest crony capitalism is one big fail." Trump's transition team is believed to be considering Palin, a former Republican candidate for vice president, for a cabinet position. During his presidential campaign, the Republican billionaire repeatedly threatened to slap tariffs on firms that decamped for Mexico, Asia and other regions with cheaper labor costs. On Friday, Trump singled out another industrial company, tweeting, "Rexnord of Indiana is moving to Mexico and rather viciously firing all of its 300 workers. This is happening all over our country. No more!" (AFP)

US: Some conservatives praise Trump's Taiwan phone call

US President-elect Donald Trump is &quot;well aware&quot; of what US policy has been on Taiwan, Trump&#39;s spokeswoman said, after the US president-elect spoke by phone on Friday with Taiwan&#39;s president, a move likely to infuriate China.

&quot;President-elect Trump is fully briefed and fully knowledgeable about these issues on an ongoing basis, regardless on who is on the other end of the phone,&quot; Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway told CNN.

The White House on Friday said there was &quot;no change&quot; to the United States&#39; longstanding &quot;one China&quot; policy after&nbsp;Donald Trump spoke with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

&quot;We remain firmly committed to our &#39;one China&#39; policy,&quot; said Ned Price, a national security spokesman for President Barack Obama. &quot;Our fundamental interest is in peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump is 'fully knowledgeable about these issues on an ongoing basis, regardless on who is on the other end of the phone'

US President-elect Donald Trump is "well aware" of what US policy has been on Taiwan, Trump's spokeswoman said, after the US president-elect spoke by phone on Friday with Taiwan's president, a move likely to infuriate China. "President-elect Trump is fully briefed and fully knowledgeable about these issues on an ongoing basis, regardless on who is on the other end of the phone," Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway told CNN. The White House on Friday said there was "no change" to the United States' longstanding "one China" policy after Donald Trump spoke with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. "We remain firmly committed to our 'one China' policy," said Ned Price, a national security spokesman for President Barack Obama. "Our fundamental interest is in peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations." (Reuters)

Trump is 'well aware' of what US policy has been on Taiwan - spokeswoman

Donald Trump has spoken to the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, over the phone in what is considered a major break from normal US policy regarding China that is sure to anger Beijing.

Ever since 1978, the US under President Carter&#39;s administration&nbsp;has&nbsp;followed a &quot;One China&quot; policy, which recognises Beijing as the only government of both mainland China and Taiwan. Washington closed its Taiwan embassy in 1979.

The&nbsp;New York Times reported that this phone call is believed to be the first contact between a US president or president-elect since 1979.

The Washington Post quoted a former top China adviser to President Obama, Evan Medeiros,&nbsp;who now advises the Eurasia Group, as saying, &quot;This phone call calls into question whether or not Trump adheres to the basic foundation of the US-China relationship...this action guarantees that US-China relations under Trump will get off to a very rock start&quot;.

The Washington Post reports that as Taiwan&#39;s economic power and international recognition as a&nbsp;state independent from mainland China has decreased in recent years, Taiwan has put together a renewed and expensive&nbsp;diplomatic effort aimed at winning over Washington officials and journalists.

The Washington Post also reports that Trump had apparently considered investing in hotels in Taiwan earlier this year:&nbsp;citing a China Times report, the mayor of Taoyuan in November said that a Trump Organization representative had visited and showed interest in constructing hotels. Mr Trump has said that he will separate himself from&nbsp;his businesses before he is officially made president on January 20.

The Washington Post reports that most of the 50 phone calls made since the November 8 US election between state leaders and&nbsp;president-elect Donald Trump or vice president-elect Mike Pence have come without the knowledge or guidance of the State Department.

&nbsp;

Taiwan&#39;s response

An official statement put out by Taiwan said: &quot;The (Taiwanese) president is looking forward to strengthening bilateral interactions and contacts as well as setting up closer co-operative relations.&quot;

Tsai&#39;s office further told the Associated Press, &quot;The president also told US President-elect Trump that she hopes the US will continue to support Taiwan&#39;s effort in having more opportunities to participate in and contribute to international affairs in the future.&nbsp;

The statement also said the two nations &quot;shared ideas and concepts&quot; on &quot;promoting domestic economic development and strengthening national defence&quot; to improve the lives of ordinary people.

&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s reaction

Trump&#39;s transition team released a statement saying he spoke with Tsai Ing-wen, who congratulated Mr Trump. &quot;During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties...between Taiwan and the United States. President-elect Trump also congratulated President Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year.&quot;

On Friday night, President-elect&nbsp;Trump took to the social media site Twitter to defend his actions.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/804848711599882240">December 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/804863098138005504">December 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

(WION)

The US broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979. No president or president-elect has had contact with a Taiwanese leader since

Donald Trump has spoken to the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, over the phone in what is considered a major break from normal US policy regarding China that is sure to anger Beijing. Ever since 1978, the US under President Carter's administration has followed a "One China" policy, which recognises Beijing as the only government of both mainland China and Taiwan. Washington closed its Taiwan embassy in 1979. The New York Times reported that this phone call is believed to be the first contact between a US president or president-elect since 1979. The Washington Post quoted a former top China adviser to President Obama, Evan Medeiros, who now advises the Eurasia Group, as saying, "This phone call calls into question whether or not Trump adheres to the basic foundation of the US-China relationship...this action guarantees that US-China relations under Trump will get off to a very rock start". The Washington Post reports that as Taiwan's economic power and international recognition as a state independent from mainland China has decreased in recent years, Taiwan has put together a renewed and expensive diplomatic effort aimed at winning over Washington officials and journalists. The Washington Post also reports that Trump had apparently considered investing in hotels in Taiwan earlier this year: citing a China Times report, the mayor of Taoyuan in November said that a Trump Organization representative had visited and showed interest in constructing hotels. Mr Trump has said that he will separate himself from his businesses before he is officially made president on January 20. The Washington Post reports that most of the 50 phone calls made since the November 8 US election between state leaders and president-elect Donald Trump or vice president-elect Mike Pence have come without the knowledge or guidance of the State Department. Taiwan's response An official statement put out by Taiwan said: "The (Taiwanese) president is looking forward to strengthening bilateral interactions and contacts as well as setting up closer co-operative relations." Tsai's office further told the Associated Press, "The president also told US President-elect Trump that she hopes the US will continue to support Taiwan's effort in having more opportunities to participate in and contribute to international affairs in the future. The statement also said the two nations "shared ideas and concepts" on "promoting domestic economic development and strengthening national defence" to improve the lives of ordinary people. Trump's reaction Trump's transition team released a statement saying he spoke with Tsai Ing-wen, who congratulated Mr Trump. "During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties...between Taiwan and the United States. President-elect Trump also congratulated President Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year." On Friday night, President-elect Trump took to the social media site Twitter to defend his actions. The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2016 × Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2016 × (WION)

Trump speaks to Taiwan President over phone in major departure from US policy on China

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