Taiwan has offered to help its allies to buy COVID-19 vaccines but on one condition that the money should not be spent on vaccines from China.

Coronavirus Update: Taiwan says no to vaccines from China

Speaking at WION Global Summit, Audrey Tang, Digital Minister, Taiwan explained how she worked with the Taiwan government in developing digital public infrastructure.&nbsp;

"When I first became the digital minister in 2016, there's a very important infrastructure bill being deliberated. I work with the ministry of culture to reclassify that digital public infrastructure, the civic infrastructure online as part of the infrastructure bill," &nbsp;Audrey told moderator Ali Aslan, International TV Presenter and Journalist in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/globalsummit/dubai-2021">WION's Global Summit in Dubai</a>.&nbsp;

Speaking at the session on "Digital Revolution: The World Goes Online", she also highlighted that the task was "unheard" of as infrastructure is "tangible" and what they hoped to achieve was in the digital domain.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wuhan-virus-and-the-travails-of-being-a-pro-china-hong-kong-lawmaker-372793">'Wuhan virus' and the travails of being a pro-China Hong Kong lawmaker</a>

She said when they finally received government funding for implementing the idea, they were able to build digital parks "equivalent" to national parks, &nbsp;

"But by succeeding in government funding of using photogrammetry, videogrammetry to capture the heritage, cultural sites, we built equivalent of national parks, actually better than that because people can create their own experiences based on those assets," she said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/respect-human-rights-and-dignities-taiwans-former-defence-minister-to-china-at-wion-global-summit-372787">'Respect human rights and dignities': Taiwan's Former Defence Minister to China at WION Global Summit</a>

She also hoped that the idea of "connected spaces and digital public infrastructure" will gain a lot of attention as it "resonates" with the regulatory infrastructure required to give people more choices.

Audrey added that this will lead to less dependency on the private sector and anti-social websites as part of social platforms.&nbsp;

However, the digital minister added that the idea needs investment.&nbsp;

"In order to make civic life worth internationally, we also need investment into digital public infrastructure," Audrey said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Speaking at WION Global Summit, Audrey Tang, Digital Minister, Taiwan explained how she worked with the Taiwan government in developing digital public infrastructure.

Speaking at WION Global Summit, Audrey Tang, Digital Minister, Taiwan explained how she worked with the Taiwan government in developing digital public infrastructure. "When I first became the digital minister in 2016, there's a very important infrastructure bill being deliberated. I work with the ministry of culture to reclassify that digital public infrastructure, the civic infrastructure online as part of the infrastructure bill," Audrey told moderator Ali Aslan, International TV Presenter and Journalist in WION's Global Summit in Dubai. Speaking at the session on "Digital Revolution: The World Goes Online", she also highlighted that the task was "unheard" of as infrastructure is "tangible" and what they hoped to achieve was in the digital domain. Also read | 'Wuhan virus' and the travails of being a pro-China Hong Kong lawmaker She said when they finally received government funding for implementing the idea, they were able to build digital parks "equivalent" to national parks, "But by succeeding in government funding of using photogrammetry, videogrammetry to capture the heritage, cultural sites, we built equivalent of national parks, actually better than that because people can create their own experiences based on those assets," she said. Also read | 'Respect human rights and dignities': Taiwan's Former Defence Minister to China at WION Global Summit She also hoped that the idea of "connected spaces and digital public infrastructure" will gain a lot of attention as it "resonates" with the regulatory infrastructure required to give people more choices. Audrey added that this will lead to less dependency on the private sector and anti-social websites as part of social platforms. However, the digital minister added that the idea needs investment. "In order to make civic life worth internationally, we also need investment into digital public infrastructure," Audrey said.

WION Global Summit: How Taiwan developed digital public infrastructure

Assuring the world that Taiwan is always ready to help those in need in these desperate times of the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Tsai, Former Defence Minister, Taiwan questioned the WHO's stance on China regarding COVID-19.

Speaking at the&nbsp;WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday, he said Taiwan believes "China has immense responsibility for not reporting this virus to WHO in time".

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-wion-global-summit-china-building-artificial-islands-in-south-china-sea-says-japanese-state-defence-minister-372686" hreflang="en">Live — China building artificial islands in South China Sea: Japanese Minister</a></h2>

China's Wuhan was the original epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken millions of lives around the world. However, China has shied away from accepting the responsibility for the spread of this deadly virus.

Talking about the same, Tsai said, "China has to take responsibility for delaying reporting pandemic to the WHO".

Tsai also stressed the impact the coronavirus and other non-democratic reforms have had on the relationships of China with other countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wuhan-virus-and-the-travails-of-being-a-pro-china-lawmaker-372793" hreflang="en">'Wuhan virus' and the travails of being a pro-China lawmaker</a>

&nbsp;

Highlighting the straining relationship of China with Taiwan, Japan, the US and others, he also called out Beijing for silencing the democratic voices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang.&nbsp;

He also talked about how the international groups and governments have raised concerns against the inhumane practices of China in these regions.

"China has to respect human rights and human dignity," he said during the second session of the WION Global summit titled The Post-Pandemic World Order. "China has to stop action against Japan, Taiwan, the US."

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHpUx06_fVE">Also watch |</a>

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Talking about China's increasing military activity in the South China Sea, he appealed on behalf of Taiwan to Chinese Communist Party Leadership in Beijing&nbsp;to stop their aggression towards Taiwan, Japan, and others in the South China Sea.

"China sends their fighter jets almost every day and their submarines in the South China Sea causing the disturbance in the Asia Pacific, and therefore we appeal to China to stop their missile threatening to the countries in the region," he said.

Assuring the world that Taiwan is always ready to help those in need in these desperate times of the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Tsai, Former Defence Minister, Taiwan questioned the WHO's stance on China regarding COVID-19.

Assuring the world that Taiwan is always ready to help those in need in these desperate times of the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Tsai, Former Defence Minister, Taiwan questioned the WHO's stance on China regarding COVID-19. Speaking at the WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday, he said Taiwan believes "China has immense responsibility for not reporting this virus to WHO in time". Live — China building artificial islands in South China Sea: Japanese Minister China's Wuhan was the original epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken millions of lives around the world. However, China has shied away from accepting the responsibility for the spread of this deadly virus. Talking about the same, Tsai said, "China has to take responsibility for delaying reporting pandemic to the WHO". Tsai also stressed the impact the coronavirus and other non-democratic reforms have had on the relationships of China with other countries. Also read | 'Wuhan virus' and the travails of being a pro-China lawmaker Highlighting the straining relationship of China with Taiwan, Japan, the US and others, he also called out Beijing for silencing the democratic voices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang. He also talked about how the international groups and governments have raised concerns against the inhumane practices of China in these regions. "China has to respect human rights and human dignity," he said during the second session of the WION Global summit titled The Post-Pandemic World Order. "China has to stop action against Japan, Taiwan, the US." Also watch | × Talking about China's increasing military activity in the South China Sea, he appealed on behalf of Taiwan to Chinese Communist Party Leadership in Beijing to stop their aggression towards Taiwan, Japan, and others in the South China Sea. "China sends their fighter jets almost every day and their submarines in the South China Sea causing the disturbance in the Asia Pacific, and therefore we appeal to China to stop their missile threatening to the countries in the region," he said.

'Respect human rights and dignities': Taiwan's Former Defence Minister to China at WION Global Summit

China is carrying out incursions, sinking foreign ships, establishing new districts, giving Chinese names to islands, building new artificial islands and using fishing vessels as maritime militias in the South China Sea.&nbsp;

Let us get to know about the strategic importance of the South China Sea and Beijing's never-ending nefarious activities in the region.&nbsp;

South China Sea is a strategic waterway surrounded by six nations, such as China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. &nbsp;

Two groups of islands here are at the centre of a fierce territorial dispute. The first is the Paracel Archipelago, contested by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.&nbsp;

The second are the Spratly Islands, disputed between China and all other five nations. These islands are strategic because they are surrounded by waters teeming with marine life and are rich in oil and gas resources. &nbsp;

One-third of the world's shipping traffic also passes through the South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire sea.&nbsp;

It uses a map from the 1940s to justify its territorial claims and military aggression aimed at making others accept its claims. &nbsp;

In March 2020, Chinese vessels rammed into a Taiwanese coast guard ship. In April 2020, a Chinese surveillance ship hit and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat.&nbsp;

The next month, China deployed an exploration vessel near Malaysia's exclusive economic zone. The frequency of harassment increased throughout 2020. Beijing strengthened its position amid the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

China established new administrative districts in the disputed waters with official Chinese names. At least 25 islands and reefs in the South China Sea have been named in Mandarin.&nbsp;

The Global Times says the standardisation of names reflects China's sovereignty over them and to further strengthen these claims of sovereignty. China has established several artificial or man-made islands like the Fiery Cross and the Subi Reef, where Chinese research stations are conducting field navigation and scientific surveys.&nbsp;

Now, reports have emerged that Chinese maritime militias are operating in the area. These militias are primarily fishing vessels that are being used to augment the Chinese navy's operations.&nbsp;

The vessels possess sophisticated communication and GPS technology. They use swarm warfare tactics to enhance China's nefarious endeavours and assert Beijing's territorial claims. &nbsp;

These militias have become a critical feature of China's expansionist strategy and could trigger a fresh flare-up in the tense South China Sea.&nbsp;

China is carrying out incursions, sinking foreign ships, establishing new districts, giving Chinese names to islands, building new artificial islands and using fishing vessels as maritime militias in the South China Sea.

China is carrying out incursions, sinking foreign ships, establishing new districts, giving Chinese names to islands, building new artificial islands and using fishing vessels as maritime militias in the South China Sea. Let us get to know about the strategic importance of the South China Sea and Beijing's never-ending nefarious activities in the region. South China Sea is a strategic waterway surrounded by six nations, such as China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Two groups of islands here are at the centre of a fierce territorial dispute. The first is the Paracel Archipelago, contested by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The second are the Spratly Islands, disputed between China and all other five nations. These islands are strategic because they are surrounded by waters teeming with marine life and are rich in oil and gas resources. One-third of the world's shipping traffic also passes through the South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire sea. It uses a map from the 1940s to justify its territorial claims and military aggression aimed at making others accept its claims. In March 2020, Chinese vessels rammed into a Taiwanese coast guard ship. In April 2020, a Chinese surveillance ship hit and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat. The next month, China deployed an exploration vessel near Malaysia's exclusive economic zone. The frequency of harassment increased throughout 2020. Beijing strengthened its position amid the coronavirus pandemic. China established new administrative districts in the disputed waters with official Chinese names. At least 25 islands and reefs in the South China Sea have been named in Mandarin. The Global Times says the standardisation of names reflects China's sovereignty over them and to further strengthen these claims of sovereignty. China has established several artificial or man-made islands like the Fiery Cross and the Subi Reef, where Chinese research stations are conducting field navigation and scientific surveys. Now, reports have emerged that Chinese maritime militias are operating in the area. These militias are primarily fishing vessels that are being used to augment the Chinese navy's operations. The vessels possess sophisticated communication and GPS technology. They use swarm warfare tactics to enhance China's nefarious endeavours and assert Beijing's territorial claims. These militias have become a critical feature of China's expansionist strategy and could trigger a fresh flare-up in the tense South China Sea.

Why South China Sea is a hotbed of confrontation

Taiwan is drilling wells, seeding clouds and even appealing to the gods to help the sub-tropical island ride out its worst drought in more than half a decade, after replenishing typhoons failed to make landfall last year.

Sea goddess, air force C-130s called upon to fight Taiwan drought

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.&nbsp;

While Taiwan's air force is well trained and well equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control.&nbsp;

Taiwan's air force said two air force F-5E fighters, each with one pilot aboard, crashed into the sea off the island's southeastern coast after they apparently collided in mid-air during a training mission.&nbsp;

One pilot was found and air-lifted to hospital by helicopter but later died, while the other is missing, air force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei told reporters, adding the aircraft were in good working order.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-and-japan-affirm-cooperation-over-taiwan-emergency-372064">US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency</a>

The air force has now grounded the F-5 fleet and suspended all training missions, he said.&nbsp;

The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet.&nbsp;

Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, and the pilot of that aircraft also died.&nbsp;

In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei.&nbsp;

The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island.&nbsp;

Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis. While Taiwan's air force is well trained and well equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. Taiwan's air force said two air force F-5E fighters, each with one pilot aboard, crashed into the sea off the island's southeastern coast after they apparently collided in mid-air during a training mission. One pilot was found and air-lifted to hospital by helicopter but later died, while the other is missing, air force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei told reporters, adding the aircraft were in good working order. Also Read: US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency The air force has now grounded the F-5 fleet and suspended all training missions, he said. The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet. Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, and the pilot of that aircraft also died. In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei. The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island. Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan loses two fighter jets in collision, third crash in six months 

Taiwan is facing the island’s most severe water shortage in 56 years and has set up an emergency response centre to combat the drought. The country has also set up multiple wells, seeded clouds and besought a gold-faced sea goddess to help the sub-tropical island ride out its most serious drought in about half a century.

The drought is worse&nbsp;across a band of western Taiwan, including the major metropolises of Hsinchu, home to many of Taiwan's renowned tech firms, Taichung in the centre of the island, and Tainan and Kaohsiung to the south.

Water levels in four major reservoirs have fallen to around or below one-tenth of capacity. Some chipmakers are buying water by the truckload for their foundries, though supplies so far are generally continuing uninterrupted for households.

Authorities have been piping in water from other reservoirs to the main one for Hsinchu, but it was still not enough and they were now drilling wells.

Officials hope the 'plum rain' season that starts around late spring will help, but in the meantime are taking more drastic steps.

In Taichung earlier this month the Water Resources Agency took the unusual step of sending its top official for central Taiwan to a three-hour religious ceremony to pray for rain, the first time the event has been held in 58 years.

Some 3,000 people, mostly farmers as well as Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, prayed to the sea goddess Mazu, her gold face signifying her divinity and a popular deity believed to bring good fortune and end drought.

Also, Taiwan's air force has used C-130 transport aircraft to seed the clouds, while water resources officials back up the effort from the ground by firing chemicals into the air. Agriculture accounts for more than 70 per cent of water consumption in Taiwan, to grow rice and fruit like mango and pineapple.

Taiwan is facing the island’s most severe water shortage in 56 years and has set up an emergency response centre to combat the drought. The country has also set up multiple wells, seeded clouds and besought a gold-faced sea goddess to help the sub-tropical island ride out its most serious drought in about half a century.

Taiwan is facing the island’s most severe water shortage in 56 years and has set up an emergency response centre to combat the drought. The country has also set up multiple wells, seeded clouds and besought a gold-faced sea goddess to help the sub-tropical island ride out its most serious drought in about half a century. The drought is worse across a band of western Taiwan, including the major metropolises of Hsinchu, home to many of Taiwan's renowned tech firms, Taichung in the centre of the island, and Tainan and Kaohsiung to the south. Water levels in four major reservoirs have fallen to around or below one-tenth of capacity. Some chipmakers are buying water by the truckload for their foundries, though supplies so far are generally continuing uninterrupted for households. Authorities have been piping in water from other reservoirs to the main one for Hsinchu, but it was still not enough and they were now drilling wells. Officials hope the 'plum rain' season that starts around late spring will help, but in the meantime are taking more drastic steps. In Taichung earlier this month the Water Resources Agency took the unusual step of sending its top official for central Taiwan to a three-hour religious ceremony to pray for rain, the first time the event has been held in 58 years. Some 3,000 people, mostly farmers as well as Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, prayed to the sea goddess Mazu, her gold face signifying her divinity and a popular deity believed to bring good fortune and end drought. Also, Taiwan's air force has used C-130 transport aircraft to seed the clouds, while water resources officials back up the effort from the ground by firing chemicals into the air. Agriculture accounts for more than 70 per cent of water consumption in Taiwan, to grow rice and fruit like mango and pineapple.

Taiwan faces its most severe water shortage in 56 years; sea goddess, air force C-130s called upon

Taiwan has a unique crisis to handle. While the world is battling with rising coronavirus cases, Taiwan is having to fight against an increase in requests for name change.

Being termed as "salmon chaos" by local media, Taiwan officials received more than 150 applications for name change in the last two days.

The peculiar thing is that majority of these people want to add "gui yu" to their names in some way.&nbsp;

Reason behind this sudden demand for the name change is a chain of sushi restaurants. The Chinese characters "gui yu" stands for 'salmon'.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-taiwanese-change-names-to-salmon-for-free-sushi-371491">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-taiwanese-change-names-to-salmon-for-free-sushi-371491/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A chain of sushi restaurants had started a two-day promotion offer under which anyone who had "gui yu" in their name could enjoy an all-you-eat sushi meal along with five other people.

Considering that Taiwan allows its citizens to change their names thrice, people — mostly young people — decided to take advantage of the rule and the promotion offer.

However, this hilarious demand was not well received by the officials who said it only leads to more work.&nbsp;

"This kind of name change not only wastes time but causes unnecessary paperwork," the deputy interior minister, Chen Tsung-yen told reporters. "I hope everyone can be more rational about it,"

Locals are rushing to the administrative offices to change their names and many of them have jokingly told the local reporters that they will "just change our names back afterwards".

Taiwan has a unique crisis to handle. While the world is battling with rising coronavirus cases, Taiwan is having to fight against an increase in requests for name change.

Taiwan has a unique crisis to handle. While the world is battling with rising coronavirus cases, Taiwan is having to fight against an increase in requests for name change. Being termed as "salmon chaos" by local media, Taiwan officials received more than 150 applications for name change in the last two days. The peculiar thing is that majority of these people want to add "gui yu" to their names in some way. Reason behind this sudden demand for the name change is a chain of sushi restaurants. The Chinese characters "gui yu" stands for 'salmon'. Watch | A chain of sushi restaurants had started a two-day promotion offer under which anyone who had "gui yu" in their name could enjoy an all-you-eat sushi meal along with five other people. Considering that Taiwan allows its citizens to change their names thrice, people — mostly young people — decided to take advantage of the rule and the promotion offer. However, this hilarious demand was not well received by the officials who said it only leads to more work. "This kind of name change not only wastes time but causes unnecessary paperwork," the deputy interior minister, Chen Tsung-yen told reporters. "I hope everyone can be more rational about it," Locals are rushing to the administrative offices to change their names and many of them have jokingly told the local reporters that they will "just change our names back afterwards".

Salmon chaos: Taiwan pleads with people to stop changing names for free food

In a phenomenon that has been dubbed as "Salmon Chaos" by local media in Taiwan, around 150 mostly young people flocked to government offices in recent days to officially register a change in their name.

WION Fineprint: Taiwanese change names to 'Salmon' for free Sushi

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Paraguay to work with its diplomatic ally Taiwan to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, after protests in the South American country over the government`s handling of the health crisis. 
 
Thousands of Paraguayans have protested in the capital Asunción over the lack of medicine and intensive care beds amid a spike in coronavirus cases and calls to impeach President Mario Abdo. 
 
The US&nbsp;State Department said Blinken spoke with Abdo on Sunday, outlining US&nbsp;efforts to help tackle the pandemic, and underscored the importance of free expression, peaceful demonstration, and the rule of law. 
 
"The Secretary stressed the importance of continuing to work with democratic regional and global partners, including Taiwan, to overcome this global pandemic, combat corruption, and increase transparency and accountability," it said in a statement. 
 
Paraguay is Chinese-claimed Taiwan`s sole remaining diplomatic ally in South America. China views democratic Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to the trappings of a state. 
 
The United States has expressed concern at Beijing`s efforts to win over the remaining 15 countries which still have formal ties with Taipei and expand Chinese influence, especially in Latin America which Washington traditionally views as its backyard. 
 
Paraguay had kept infections very low early last year but COVID-19 cases have jumped since September and vaccines have been slow to arrive, though Chile donated around 20,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine to Paraguay this month. 
 
Paraguay`s Senate last week approved a declaration of support for a plan to use $12.8 million in funds given by Taiwan for a housing development project to be used to buy 2 million vaccine doses. 
 
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said Taiwan and Paraguay have a "solid friendship". 
 
"Our government will continue to uphold the spirit of pulling together in times of trouble and trying our best to assist allies to fight the pandemic together within the scope of our capabilities," she said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Paraguay to work with its diplomatic ally Taiwan to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, after protests in the South American country over the government`s handling of the health crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Paraguay to work with its diplomatic ally Taiwan to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, after protests in the South American country over the government`s handling of the health crisis. Thousands of Paraguayans have protested in the capital Asunción over the lack of medicine and intensive care beds amid a spike in coronavirus cases and calls to impeach President Mario Abdo. The US State Department said Blinken spoke with Abdo on Sunday, outlining US efforts to help tackle the pandemic, and underscored the importance of free expression, peaceful demonstration, and the rule of law. "The Secretary stressed the importance of continuing to work with democratic regional and global partners, including Taiwan, to overcome this global pandemic, combat corruption, and increase transparency and accountability," it said in a statement. Paraguay is Chinese-claimed Taiwan`s sole remaining diplomatic ally in South America. China views democratic Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to the trappings of a state. The United States has expressed concern at Beijing`s efforts to win over the remaining 15 countries which still have formal ties with Taipei and expand Chinese influence, especially in Latin America which Washington traditionally views as its backyard. Paraguay had kept infections very low early last year but COVID-19 cases have jumped since September and vaccines have been slow to arrive, though Chile donated around 20,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine to Paraguay this month. Paraguay`s Senate last week approved a declaration of support for a plan to use $12.8 million in funds given by Taiwan for a housing development project to be used to buy 2 million vaccine doses. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said Taiwan and Paraguay have a "solid friendship". "Our government will continue to uphold the spirit of pulling together in times of trouble and trying our best to assist allies to fight the pandemic together within the scope of our capabilities," she said.

US urges Paraguay to work with Taiwan amid pandemic protests

As the coronavirus has upended lives and economies around the world, Taiwan has been an oasis.

Every day, droplets fly with abandon in packed restaurants, bars and cafes. Office buildings hum, and schools resound with the shrieks and laughter of maskless children. In October, a Pride parade drew an estimated 130,000 people to the streets of this capital city. Rainbow masks were abundant; social distancing, not so much.

Taiwan, an island of 24 million that has seen just 10 COVID-19 deaths and fewer than 1,000 cases, has used its success to sell something in short supply: living without fear of the coronavirus. The relatively few people who are allowed to enter Taiwan have been coming in droves, and they’ve helped to fuel an economic boom.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/can-the-world-learn-from-south-africas-vaccine-trials-370380" hreflang="en">Can the world learn from South Africa’s vaccine trials?</a>

“For a while, Taiwan felt a little empty. A lot of people moved abroad and only came back once in a while,” said Justine Li, head chef at Fleur de Sel, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the city of Taichung, adding that the restaurant had been booked up for a month in advance since fall. “Now, some of those once-in-a-while guests have moved back.”

These <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID</a> migrants are largely overseas Taiwanese and dual nationals. They have included businesspeople, students, retirees and well-known figures such as Eddie Huang, a Taiwanese-American restaurateur and author. About 270,000 more Taiwanese entered the island than left it in 2020, according to the immigration authorities — about four times the net inflow of the previous year.

Taiwan’s borders have been mostly closed to foreign visitors since spring. But highly skilled non-Taiwanese workers have been allowed in under a “gold card” employment program, which the government has aggressively promoted during the pandemic. Since Jan. 31, 2020, more than 1,600 gold cards have been issued, more than four times as many as in 2019.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-has-increased-social-inequality-in-uk-survey-369696" hreflang="en">Coronavirus has increased social inequality in UK: Survey</a>

The influx of people helped make Taiwan one of last year’s fastest-growing economies — indeed, one of the few to expand at all. There was a brief slowdown at the start of the pandemic, but the economy grew more than 5% in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2019. The government expects 4.6% growth in 2021, which would be the fastest pace in seven years.

Steve Chen, 42, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur who co-founded YouTube, was the first to sign up for the gold card program. He moved to the island from San Francisco with his wife and two children in 2019. Then, after the pandemic hit, many of his friends in Silicon Valley, particularly those with Taiwanese heritage, began to join him — a reverse brain drain, of sorts.

He and colleagues such as Kevin Lin, a co-founder of Twitch, and Kai Huang, a co-creator of Guitar Hero, have traded coffee meetups at the Ferry Building in San Francisco for badminton matches and poker nights in Taipei. Taiwan’s leaders say the infusion of foreign talent has given a shot of energy to its tech industry, which is better known for manufacturing prowess than for entrepreneurial culture.

“That whole chain that you have in the Silicon Valley — the entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk, the investors that are willing to write an early check — all of those folks have actually come back and are in Taiwan now,” said Chen, lounging on a couch at his office in a government-backed coworking space in Taipei.

“I feel like it’s a golden era for tech,” he said, “and it’s dawning on the government that they should really take advantage of this time now.”

The surge of returning citizens has put a squeeze on the short-term rental market. One property manager estimated that the number of dual nationals or overseas Taiwanese looking for apartments was twice as high in 2020 as in most recent years.

Not all of Taiwan’s industries have been flourishing. Those that depend on robust international travel, including airlines, hotels and tour companies, have taken big hits. But exports have been on the rise for eight straight months, fueled by shipments of electronics and surging demand for Taiwan’s most important product: semiconductor chips.

Domestic tourism is also booming. Taiwanese who had been used to taking short flights to Japan or Southeast Asia are now exploring their home. Sightseeing destinations such as Sun Moon Lake and the Alishan mountain resort area have been swamped with tourists, and at least one upscale hotel outside Taichung is booked through July.

Orchid Island, a small, coral-ringed island off Taiwan’s east coast, had so many visitors last summer that hotel operators started a campaign encouraging them to take 2 pounds of trash with them when they left.

Some aspects of pandemic life have permeated Taiwan’s borders. Temperature checks and hand sanitizing are common, and masks are required in many public places (though not schools).

But for the most part, the virus has been out of sight and out of mind, thanks to rigorous contact tracing and strict quarantines for incoming travelers.

Some returnees, including Robin Wei, 35, are dreading their eventual departure.

“We just feel very lucky and definitely a little guilty,” said Wei, a product manager for a Bay Area tech company who returned to Taipei with his wife and young son in May. “We feel like we are the ones who benefited from the pandemic.”

For many, coming back has meant a chance to reconnect with Taiwan.

After getting a master’s degree in computer science in Australia, Joshua Yang, 25, a dual Taiwanese-Australian citizen, decided to return in October. The job market in Australia was looking bleak, he said, so he took the opportunity to do the military service required of all Taiwanese men under 36.

Yang wasn’t the only one with that idea. When he arrived for basic training in December, Yang said, he found himself bunking with an assorted group of returnees and dual nationals, including an American, a German, a Filipino and an overseas Taiwanese who had been studying in California.

Since completing 2 1/2 weeks of training, Yang has been allowed to finish out his service by volunteering at an Indigenous history museum in a remote town in southern Taiwan.

“It’s something that I have always wanted to do, but I don’t know if I would have had the opportunity if it weren’t for the pandemic,” Yang said. “I’ve been able to understand my homeland in a different way through a different lens and learn what it’s like for the Indigenous people of Taiwan, who are the traditional owners of the land.”

Many are wondering how long Taiwan’s status as a COVID-19 outlier can last, especially as vaccine rollouts surge forward elsewhere. So far, officials have been slow to procure and distribute vaccines, in part because there has been so little need for them. The government announced just this month that it had received its first batch, to be given to medical workers.

Some people, including Tai Ling Sun, 72, are already making plans to leave the bubble.

In January, Sun and her husband came from California to the city of Kaohsiung, where she grew up, at the urging of friends and family in Taiwan. They were concerned about her safety in Orange County, where coronavirus cases had been on the rise.

After two weeks in quarantine, Sun stepped out into a Taiwan that — aside from the masks — looked and felt almost exactly as it had on previous visits. She has since been making the most of her stay with a series of routine medical checkups, something that many in the United States have been delaying since the pandemic started.

But a virus-free paradise doesn’t provide immunity to all ailments. Sun said she had begun to feel homesick. She longed to see her five children and breathe pristine suburban air. And, she added, she wanted a vaccine.

“It’s been great to be here,” Sun said. “But it’s time to go home.”

As the coronavirus has upended lives and economies around the world, Taiwan has been an oasis. Every day, droplets fly with abandon in packed restaurants, bars and cafes.

As the coronavirus has upended lives and economies around the world, Taiwan has been an oasis. Every day, droplets fly with abandon in packed restaurants, bars and cafes. Office buildings hum, and schools resound with the shrieks and laughter of maskless children. In October, a Pride parade drew an estimated 130,000 people to the streets of this capital city. Rainbow masks were abundant; social distancing, not so much. Taiwan, an island of 24 million that has seen just 10 COVID-19 deaths and fewer than 1,000 cases, has used its success to sell something in short supply: living without fear of the coronavirus. The relatively few people who are allowed to enter Taiwan have been coming in droves, and they’ve helped to fuel an economic boom. Also read | Can the world learn from South Africa’s vaccine trials? “For a while, Taiwan felt a little empty. A lot of people moved abroad and only came back once in a while,” said Justine Li, head chef at Fleur de Sel, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the city of Taichung, adding that the restaurant had been booked up for a month in advance since fall. “Now, some of those once-in-a-while guests have moved back.” These COVID migrants are largely overseas Taiwanese and dual nationals. They have included businesspeople, students, retirees and well-known figures such as Eddie Huang, a Taiwanese-American restaurateur and author. About 270,000 more Taiwanese entered the island than left it in 2020, according to the immigration authorities — about four times the net inflow of the previous year. Taiwan’s borders have been mostly closed to foreign visitors since spring. But highly skilled non-Taiwanese workers have been allowed in under a “gold card” employment program, which the government has aggressively promoted during the pandemic. Since Jan. 31, 2020, more than 1,600 gold cards have been issued, more than four times as many as in 2019. Also read | Coronavirus has increased social inequality in UK: Survey The influx of people helped make Taiwan one of last year’s fastest-growing economies — indeed, one of the few to expand at all. There was a brief slowdown at the start of the pandemic, but the economy grew more than 5% in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2019. The government expects 4.6% growth in 2021, which would be the fastest pace in seven years. Steve Chen, 42, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur who co-founded YouTube, was the first to sign up for the gold card program. He moved to the island from San Francisco with his wife and two children in 2019. Then, after the pandemic hit, many of his friends in Silicon Valley, particularly those with Taiwanese heritage, began to join him — a reverse brain drain, of sorts. He and colleagues such as Kevin Lin, a co-founder of Twitch, and Kai Huang, a co-creator of Guitar Hero, have traded coffee meetups at the Ferry Building in San Francisco for badminton matches and poker nights in Taipei. Taiwan’s leaders say the infusion of foreign talent has given a shot of energy to its tech industry, which is better known for manufacturing prowess than for entrepreneurial culture. “That whole chain that you have in the Silicon Valley — the entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk, the investors that are willing to write an early check — all of those folks have actually come back and are in Taiwan now,” said Chen, lounging on a couch at his office in a government-backed coworking space in Taipei. “I feel like it’s a golden era for tech,” he said, “and it’s dawning on the government that they should really take advantage of this time now.” The surge of returning citizens has put a squeeze on the short-term rental market. One property manager estimated that the number of dual nationals or overseas Taiwanese looking for apartments was twice as high in 2020 as in most recent years. Not all of Taiwan’s industries have been flourishing. Those that depend on robust international travel, including airlines, hotels and tour companies, have taken big hits. But exports have been on the rise for eight straight months, fueled by shipments of electronics and surging demand for Taiwan’s most important product: semiconductor chips. Domestic tourism is also booming. Taiwanese who had been used to taking short flights to Japan or Southeast Asia are now exploring their home. Sightseeing destinations such as Sun Moon Lake and the Alishan mountain resort area have been swamped with tourists, and at least one upscale hotel outside Taichung is booked through July. Orchid Island, a small, coral-ringed island off Taiwan’s east coast, had so many visitors last summer that hotel operators started a campaign encouraging them to take 2 pounds of trash with them when they left. Some aspects of pandemic life have permeated Taiwan’s borders. Temperature checks and hand sanitizing are common, and masks are required in many public places (though not schools). But for the most part, the virus has been out of sight and out of mind, thanks to rigorous contact tracing and strict quarantines for incoming travelers. Some returnees, including Robin Wei, 35, are dreading their eventual departure. “We just feel very lucky and definitely a little guilty,” said Wei, a product manager for a Bay Area tech company who returned to Taipei with his wife and young son in May. “We feel like we are the ones who benefited from the pandemic.” For many, coming back has meant a chance to reconnect with Taiwan. After getting a master’s degree in computer science in Australia, Joshua Yang, 25, a dual Taiwanese-Australian citizen, decided to return in October. The job market in Australia was looking bleak, he said, so he took the opportunity to do the military service required of all Taiwanese men under 36. Yang wasn’t the only one with that idea. When he arrived for basic training in December, Yang said, he found himself bunking with an assorted group of returnees and dual nationals, including an American, a German, a Filipino and an overseas Taiwanese who had been studying in California. Since completing 2 1/2 weeks of training, Yang has been allowed to finish out his service by volunteering at an Indigenous history museum in a remote town in southern Taiwan. “It’s something that I have always wanted to do, but I don’t know if I would have had the opportunity if it weren’t for the pandemic,” Yang said. “I’ve been able to understand my homeland in a different way through a different lens and learn what it’s like for the Indigenous people of Taiwan, who are the traditional owners of the land.” Many are wondering how long Taiwan’s status as a COVID-19 outlier can last, especially as vaccine rollouts surge forward elsewhere. So far, officials have been slow to procure and distribute vaccines, in part because there has been so little need for them. The government announced just this month that it had received its first batch, to be given to medical workers. Some people, including Tai Ling Sun, 72, are already making plans to leave the bubble. In January, Sun and her husband came from California to the city of Kaohsiung, where she grew up, at the urging of friends and family in Taiwan. They were concerned about her safety in Orange County, where coronavirus cases had been on the rise. After two weeks in quarantine, Sun stepped out into a Taiwan that — aside from the masks — looked and felt almost exactly as it had on previous visits. She has since been making the most of her stay with a series of routine medical checkups, something that many in the United States have been delaying since the pandemic started. But a virus-free paradise doesn’t provide immunity to all ailments. Sun said she had begun to feel homesick. She longed to see her five children and breathe pristine suburban air. And, she added, she wanted a vaccine. “It’s been great to be here,” Sun said. “But it’s time to go home.”

COVID? What COVID? Taiwan thrives as a bubble of normality.

China is accelerating moves to supersede American military power in Asia, as a result of which it can invade Taiwan within the next six years, a top US commander has warned.

Taiwan split from China at the end of a civil war in 1949 and exists under the constant threat of invasion by the mainland. Chinese leaders view Taiwan as part of their territory and have vowed to one day take it back.

The US continues to remain the island’s most important unofficial ally -- previously, it wass Donald Trump who embraced warmer ties with the island, and now it is new President Joe Biden whose State Department said in January that its commitment to the island was “rock-solid”. Also, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US was formally invited to Biden’s inauguration, an unprecedented move since 1979 -- when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

“I worry that they’re [China] accelerating their ambitions to supplant the United States and our leadership role in the rules-based international order... by 2050,” Washington’s top military officer in Asia-Pacific, Admiral Philip Davidson, told a US Senate armed services committee hearing on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-continue-assisting-taiwans-self-defence-capabilities-says-white-house-369156">Also read |&nbsp;US to continue assisting Taiwan's self-defence capabilities, says White House&nbsp;</a>

“Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions before that. And I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years."

China also has made expansive territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea and even threatens the American island of Guam, underlined Davidson.&nbsp;

"Guam is a target today," he warned, recalling that the Chinese military released a video simulating an attack on an island base strongly resembling US facilities in Diego Garcia and Guam.&nbsp;

He called on lawmakers to approve the installation on Guam of an Aegis Ashore anti-missile battery, capable of intercepting the most powerful Chinese missiles in flight.&nbsp;

Guam "needs to be defended and it needs to be prepared for the threats that will come in the future," Davidson said.&nbsp;

In addition to other Aegis missile defence systems destined for Australia and Japan, Davidson called on lawmakers to budget for offensive armaments "to let China know that the costs of what they seek to do are too high."

Davidson said, however, that missile defence was not enough to deter a potential adversary, and countries&nbsp;need to "score some runs to win the match".

(with inputs)

China is accelerating moves to supersede American military power in Asia, as a result of which it can invade Taiwan within the next six years, a top US commander has warned.

China is accelerating moves to supersede American military power in Asia, as a result of which it can invade Taiwan within the next six years, a top US commander has warned. Taiwan split from China at the end of a civil war in 1949 and exists under the constant threat of invasion by the mainland. Chinese leaders view Taiwan as part of their territory and have vowed to one day take it back. The US continues to remain the island’s most important unofficial ally -- previously, it wass Donald Trump who embraced warmer ties with the island, and now it is new President Joe Biden whose State Department said in January that its commitment to the island was “rock-solid”. Also, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US was formally invited to Biden’s inauguration, an unprecedented move since 1979 -- when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. “I worry that they’re [China] accelerating their ambitions to supplant the United States and our leadership role in the rules-based international order... by 2050,” Washington’s top military officer in Asia-Pacific, Admiral Philip Davidson, told a US Senate armed services committee hearing on Tuesday. Also read | US to continue assisting Taiwan's self-defence capabilities, says White House “Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions before that. And I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years." China also has made expansive territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea and even threatens the American island of Guam, underlined Davidson. "Guam is a target today," he warned, recalling that the Chinese military released a video simulating an attack on an island base strongly resembling US facilities in Diego Garcia and Guam. He called on lawmakers to approve the installation on Guam of an Aegis Ashore anti-missile battery, capable of intercepting the most powerful Chinese missiles in flight. Guam "needs to be defended and it needs to be prepared for the threats that will come in the future," Davidson said. In addition to other Aegis missile defence systems destined for Australia and Japan, Davidson called on lawmakers to budget for offensive armaments "to let China know that the costs of what they seek to do are too high." Davidson said, however, that missile defence was not enough to deter a potential adversary, and countries need to "score some runs to win the match". (with inputs)

China could invade Taiwan in next six years, top US commander warns

China banned Pineapple imports from Taiwan. Suddenly, Taiwan needed a new market for its pineapples. With generous orders from friends and a hashtag - #FreedomPineapples are now breaking sales records. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: How Taiwan won a 'Pineapple war' against China

China could invade Taiwan by the year 2027. Top US commanders are concerned as Beijing thrives to replace American military power in Asia. Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China.

Top US Commander fears Chinese invasion in Taiwan in next 6 years

As Taiwan continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, the White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities." &nbsp;

Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advanced our shared prosperity, security and values. And in the Indo-Pacific region, we maintain our long-standing commitment," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing.&nbsp;

"We maintain our long-standing commitments as outlined in the three communicates, the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. So, our position remains the same," she added.&nbsp;

Sputnik citing an official reported that a State Department bilateral fact sheet stated the US and Taiwan enjoy an unofficial relationship, but Washington does not support the Island's independence.&nbsp;

A 1979 pact with China switched US diplomatic recognition to Beijing, although The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in that same year, allows Washington to support the island's defensive capabilities. &nbsp;

Deeming one-China policy as outdated and counter-productive, recently two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. &nbsp;

The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. &nbsp;

The resolution called US government to scrap the one-China policy. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organizations.&nbsp;

According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As Taiwan continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, the White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities.

As Taiwan continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, the White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities." Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advanced our shared prosperity, security and values. And in the Indo-Pacific region, we maintain our long-standing commitment," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing. "We maintain our long-standing commitments as outlined in the three communicates, the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. So, our position remains the same," she added. Sputnik citing an official reported that a State Department bilateral fact sheet stated the US and Taiwan enjoy an unofficial relationship, but Washington does not support the Island's independence. A 1979 pact with China switched US diplomatic recognition to Beijing, although The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in that same year, allows Washington to support the island's defensive capabilities. Deeming one-China policy as outdated and counter-productive, recently two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. The resolution called US government to scrap the one-China policy. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organizations. According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years. (With inputs from agencies)

US to continue assisting Taiwan's self-defence capabilities, says White House 

China urged the United States on Sunday to remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy.&nbsp;

Last week, US President Joe Biden singled out a 'growing rivalry with China' as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the Asian country as 'the biggest geopolitical test' of this century.&nbsp;

Speaking at his annual news conference, the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, struck a tough line even as he outlined where the world's two biggest economies could work together.&nbsp;

Questioned about recent US-China frictions over Taiwan, Xinjiang and the disputed South China Sea, Wang said Beijing 'will never accept baseless accusations and smears'.&nbsp;

The United States used democracy and human rights as a basis for arbitrarily interfering with other countries' affairs, he said. "The US should realise this as soon as possible, otherwise the world will continue to experience instability."&nbsp;

Wang added that differences between China and the United States must be managed carefully, the two sides must advocate healthy competition not zero-sum finger-pointing, and that areas like climate change and fighting the pandemic were where they could cooperate.&nbsp;

"It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway and lift the various unreasonable restrictions placed on Sino-US cooperation to date as soon as possible, and not create new obstacles artificially."&nbsp;

The United States and China are at odds over influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Beijing's economic practices, Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights in China's Xinjiang region.&nbsp;

The Biden administration has indicated it will broadly continue the tough approach to China taken by former President Donald Trump, but do so in coordination with allies.&nbsp;

Wang warned that on Chinese-claimed Taiwan, there was no room for compromise, urging the new US government to change the previous administration's 'dangerous acts of playing with fire'.&nbsp;

Biden's team says the US commitment to democratic Taiwan is 'rock solid'.&nbsp;

During Trump's administration, the United States levied a series of sanctions against China and its officials over Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Beijing's economic policies, which have not been lifted under the new administration.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

China urged the United States on Sunday to remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy.

China urged the United States on Sunday to remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy. Last week, US President Joe Biden singled out a 'growing rivalry with China' as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the Asian country as 'the biggest geopolitical test' of this century. Speaking at his annual news conference, the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, struck a tough line even as he outlined where the world's two biggest economies could work together. Questioned about recent US-China frictions over Taiwan, Xinjiang and the disputed South China Sea, Wang said Beijing 'will never accept baseless accusations and smears'. The United States used democracy and human rights as a basis for arbitrarily interfering with other countries' affairs, he said. "The US should realise this as soon as possible, otherwise the world will continue to experience instability." Wang added that differences between China and the United States must be managed carefully, the two sides must advocate healthy competition not zero-sum finger-pointing, and that areas like climate change and fighting the pandemic were where they could cooperate. "It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway and lift the various unreasonable restrictions placed on Sino-US cooperation to date as soon as possible, and not create new obstacles artificially." The United States and China are at odds over influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Beijing's economic practices, Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights in China's Xinjiang region. The Biden administration has indicated it will broadly continue the tough approach to China taken by former President Donald Trump, but do so in coordination with allies. Wang warned that on Chinese-claimed Taiwan, there was no room for compromise, urging the new US government to change the previous administration's 'dangerous acts of playing with fire'. Biden's team says the US commitment to democratic Taiwan is 'rock solid'. During Trump's administration, the United States levied a series of sanctions against China and its officials over Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Beijing's economic policies, which have not been lifted under the new administration. (With inputs from agencies)

China urges US to remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation 

If you love reading books, you'll surely have a favorite place where you would like to collab for a good read. A bookshop in Taiwan has now come up with a pretty novel shopping experience.

WION Fineprint: Bookshop to connect with the soul

China's Premier Li Keqiang reiterated the government's stance on Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, in an address to the country's ceremonial legislature.

Speaking at the opening of the annual meeting of China’s parliament, Li said Beijing stands by the “one China” principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-warns-china-against-hong-kong-election-rules-change-368237">Also read: European Union warns China against Hong Kong election rules change</a> 
 
He repeated official promises to promote a "peaceful growth of relations" with Taiwan but announced no new initiatives toward the self-ruled island that split with the mainland in 1949 following a civil war.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to invade if it tries to make its de facto independence official.

Li said the mainland will "resolutely deter" any activity "seeking 'Taiwan independence.'

China remains committed “to promoting the peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Strait and China’s reunification”, he told the roughly 3,000 delegates at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

“We will remain highly vigilant against and resolutely deter any separatist activity seeking Taiwan independence,” Li added.

“We will promote exchanges, cooperation and integrated development across the Taiwan Strait. Together we can shape a bright future of rejuvenation for our great nation.”

Taiwan has complained of increased Chinese military harassment since the coronavirus pandemic began, with fighter jets and naval vessels regularly approaching the island on drills China has described as routine.

China says Taiwan is its most sensitive and important territorial issue, and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a Chinese province under its control, making the Taiwan Strait a potential military flashpoint.

(With inputs from agencies)

China's Premier Li Keqiang reiterated the government's stance on Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, in an address to the country's ceremonial legislature. Speaking at the opening of the annual meeting of China’s parliament, Li said Beijing stands by the “one China” principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China.

China's Premier Li Keqiang reiterated the government's stance on Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, in an address to the country's ceremonial legislature. Speaking at the opening of the annual meeting of China’s parliament, Li said Beijing stands by the “one China” principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China. Also read: European Union warns China against Hong Kong election rules change He repeated official promises to promote a "peaceful growth of relations" with Taiwan but announced no new initiatives toward the self-ruled island that split with the mainland in 1949 following a civil war. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to invade if it tries to make its de facto independence official. Li said the mainland will "resolutely deter" any activity "seeking 'Taiwan independence.' China remains committed “to promoting the peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Strait and China’s reunification”, he told the roughly 3,000 delegates at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. “We will remain highly vigilant against and resolutely deter any separatist activity seeking Taiwan independence,” Li added. “We will promote exchanges, cooperation and integrated development across the Taiwan Strait. Together we can shape a bright future of rejuvenation for our great nation.” Taiwan has complained of increased Chinese military harassment since the coronavirus pandemic began, with fighter jets and naval vessels regularly approaching the island on drills China has described as routine. China says Taiwan is its most sensitive and important territorial issue, and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a Chinese province under its control, making the Taiwan Strait a potential military flashpoint. (With inputs from agencies)

Beijing will deter Taiwan independence but seeks 'peaceful unification': Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.&nbsp;

The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. &nbsp;

The resolution called US government to scrap the 'one-China policy'. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organisations.&nbsp;

According to Focus Taiwan, the US government switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has since maintained only unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan as defined by the Taiwan Relations Act.&nbsp;

According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years.&nbsp;

It also said Beijing has weaponised the 'one China policy' to block Taiwan's membership and full participation in international organisations and events, 'ranging from the United Nations and the World Health Organization to the Olympic Games'.&nbsp;

Taiwan has actually regularly participated in the Olympic Games, but under the name 'Chinese Taipei'. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.&nbsp;

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. &nbsp;

"The President should recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected national government in Taipei, normalise diplomatic relations between our two nations, appoint a US ambassador to Taiwan, and receive a Taiwanese ambassador to the US," the bill said.&nbsp;

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. The resolution called US government to scrap the 'one-China policy'. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organisations. According to Focus Taiwan, the US government switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has since maintained only unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan as defined by the Taiwan Relations Act. According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years. It also said Beijing has weaponised the 'one China policy' to block Taiwan's membership and full participation in international organisations and events, 'ranging from the United Nations and the World Health Organization to the Olympic Games'. Taiwan has actually regularly participated in the Olympic Games, but under the name 'Chinese Taipei'. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. "The President should recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected national government in Taipei, normalise diplomatic relations between our two nations, appoint a US ambassador to Taiwan, and receive a Taiwanese ambassador to the US," the bill said.

US lawmakers look to scrap 'one-China policy' through resolution  

The de facto US and Canadian embassies in Taiwan on Tuesday praised the quality of pineapples grown on the island, depicting photographs of their top diplomats in Taipei with the fruit after an import ban by China.&nbsp;

China last week stopped the import of Taiwanese pineapples, citing&nbsp;'harmful creatures'&nbsp;it said could come with the fruit.&nbsp;

Infuriated Taiwanese authorities called the ban a political move to further pressure the island, a charge that China denied.&nbsp;

While neither the United States nor Canada, like most countries, have formal diplomatic ties with the Chinese-claimed island, both have their own disputes with Beijing over human rights, trade and other issues.&nbsp;

While Taiwan is best known internationally for its thriving tech companies, the sub-tropical island has a flourishing fruit industry. Last year, more than 90% of its exported pineapples went to China.&nbsp;

Referencing a tweet by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu for people around the world to&nbsp;'rally behind the #FreedomPineapple', the Canadian Trade Office, on Taipei's Facebook page, used the same hashtag on a picture of its chief, Jordan Reeves, posing with colleagues around a pineapple pizza.&nbsp;

"We in the Canadian Office like pineapple pizza, especially pineapples from Taiwan!" it wrote, adding that the idea to put pineapple on a pizza was invented by a Canadian in 1962.&nbsp;

The American Institute in Taiwan, under the hashtags #realfriendsrealprogress and #pineapplesolidarity, posted Facebook pictures of pineapples on their Taipei premises, including of its director Brent Christensen with three on his desk.&nbsp;

"Have you bought your pineapples? We have!" it wrote.&nbsp;

Local politicians have, meanwhile, posted pictures of themselves in fields with farmers and tucking into the fruit on their social media pages, encouraging domestic consumers as well as other countries to pick up the slack left by China.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The de facto US and Canadian embassies in Taiwan on Tuesday praised the quality of pineapples grown on the island, depicting photographs of their top diplomats in Taipei with the fruit after an import ban by China.

The de facto US and Canadian embassies in Taiwan on Tuesday praised the quality of pineapples grown on the island, depicting photographs of their top diplomats in Taipei with the fruit after an import ban by China. China last week stopped the import of Taiwanese pineapples, citing 'harmful creatures' it said could come with the fruit. Infuriated Taiwanese authorities called the ban a political move to further pressure the island, a charge that China denied. While neither the United States nor Canada, like most countries, have formal diplomatic ties with the Chinese-claimed island, both have their own disputes with Beijing over human rights, trade and other issues. While Taiwan is best known internationally for its thriving tech companies, the sub-tropical island has a flourishing fruit industry. Last year, more than 90% of its exported pineapples went to China. Referencing a tweet by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu for people around the world to 'rally behind the #FreedomPineapple', the Canadian Trade Office, on Taipei's Facebook page, used the same hashtag on a picture of its chief, Jordan Reeves, posing with colleagues around a pineapple pizza. "We in the Canadian Office like pineapple pizza, especially pineapples from Taiwan!" it wrote, adding that the idea to put pineapple on a pizza was invented by a Canadian in 1962. The American Institute in Taiwan, under the hashtags #realfriendsrealprogress and #pineapplesolidarity, posted Facebook pictures of pineapples on their Taipei premises, including of its director Brent Christensen with three on his desk. "Have you bought your pineapples? We have!" it wrote. Local politicians have, meanwhile, posted pictures of themselves in fields with farmers and tucking into the fruit on their social media pages, encouraging domestic consumers as well as other countries to pick up the slack left by China.

After Chinese import ban, US, Canada hail Taiwan's 'freedom pineapples'

Firecrackers lit up the skies on Friday (February 9) night as Taiwanese celebrated a cacophonous traditional festival in the island's south, pared back this year due to the coronavirus pandemic but still allowed to go ahead due to Taiwan's low case numbers.

Firecrackers fly as Taiwanese celebrate pared back festival

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people to eat more pineapples to help farmers on Friday, saying Taiwan had been 'ambushed' by a ban on the fruit by neighbouring long-time rival China, which claims the island as its own.&nbsp;

China said on Friday that starting in March, it would suspend imports of pineapples from sub-tropical Taiwan, citing 'harmful creatures' it said could come with the fruit, threatening China's own agriculture.&nbsp;

The move prompted condemnation from Taiwan's ruling party and Tsai said in a Facebook post that the island's agricultural exports met international standards.&nbsp;

"China sent an ambush-like notice, unilaterally suspending the imports of Taiwan pineapples. This obviously was not a normal trade decision," Tsai wrote without elaboration.&nbsp;

"To support the farmers, let's eat pineapples all together!"&nbsp;

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said on top of ongoing 'military intimidation', Beijing is also using the import ban to exert economic pressure on Taiwan, which counts China among its top trading partners despite political tensions.&nbsp;

"This is not the first time China has used agricultural exports to other countries as political threats," the DPP said in a statement.&nbsp;

Beijing, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has carried out repeated air missions in the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defence identification zone in recent months.&nbsp;

Taiwan's air force scrambled for a second straight day last weekend after a dozen Chinese fighter aircraft and bombers carried out drills close to Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea.&nbsp;

Taiwan exported about 46,000 metric tonnes of pineapples last year, and more than 90% of them were sold to China, the DPP said.&nbsp;

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people to eat more pineapples to help farmers on Friday, saying Taiwan had been 'ambushed' by a ban on the fruit by neighbouring long-time rival China, which claims the island as its own.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people to eat more pineapples to help farmers on Friday, saying Taiwan had been 'ambushed' by a ban on the fruit by neighbouring long-time rival China, which claims the island as its own. China said on Friday that starting in March, it would suspend imports of pineapples from sub-tropical Taiwan, citing 'harmful creatures' it said could come with the fruit, threatening China's own agriculture. The move prompted condemnation from Taiwan's ruling party and Tsai said in a Facebook post that the island's agricultural exports met international standards. "China sent an ambush-like notice, unilaterally suspending the imports of Taiwan pineapples. This obviously was not a normal trade decision," Tsai wrote without elaboration. "To support the farmers, let's eat pineapples all together!" Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said on top of ongoing 'military intimidation', Beijing is also using the import ban to exert economic pressure on Taiwan, which counts China among its top trading partners despite political tensions. "This is not the first time China has used agricultural exports to other countries as political threats," the DPP said in a statement. Beijing, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has carried out repeated air missions in the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defence identification zone in recent months. Taiwan's air force scrambled for a second straight day last weekend after a dozen Chinese fighter aircraft and bombers carried out drills close to Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea. Taiwan exported about 46,000 metric tonnes of pineapples last year, and more than 90% of them were sold to China, the DPP said.

Taiwan urges people to eat more ‘forbidden fruit’ pineapples after China ban 

Taiwan's government said on Sunday that it had confirmed three cases of the COVID-19 variant first discovered in Brazil, and that all arrivals from that country would undergo centralised quarantine from this week.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the three people, whose initial infections officials announced last month and are being treated in the hospital, had been confirmed on Saturday to have what is known as the P1 Brazil variant.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-grants-emergency-use-authorisation-for-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-365057" hreflang="en">Taiwan grants emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine</a>

Chen added that starting at midnight on Wednesday, anyone arriving in&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;from Brazil or who had been in Brazil the previous 14 days must quarantine at a centralised facility for two weeks, as arrivals from Britain and South Africa also must to prevent the spread of separate variants found there.

Everyone else arriving in&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;must quarantine at home for 14 days, and those people are closely tracked by authorities to make sure they don't go out.

Brazil, the country with the second-highest coronavirus death toll, passed the 10-million mark for reported infections, amid a deadly second wave and problems with its vaccination campaign.

Over the same one-day period, 1,367 people died, bringing the total to over 243,400.

Brazil's figure of 10,030,626 came amid mounting criticism of how President Jair Bolsonaro's government has handled the epidemic and vaccination response.

As&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;battles a second infection wave, it also has to deal with a new virus&nbsp;variant, thought to be more contagious, rapidly spreading around the country.

Taiwan&nbsp;has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to early and effective prevention, including largely closing its borders. There are only 40 active cases being treated in hospitals.

Taiwan's government said on Sunday that it had confirmed three cases of the COVID-19 variant first discovered in Brazil, and that all arrivals from that country would undergo centralised quarantine from this week.

Taiwan's government said on Sunday that it had confirmed three cases of the COVID-19 variant first discovered in Brazil, and that all arrivals from that country would undergo centralised quarantine from this week. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the three people, whose initial infections officials announced last month and are being treated in the hospital, had been confirmed on Saturday to have what is known as the P1 Brazil variant. Also read: Taiwan grants emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine Chen added that starting at midnight on Wednesday, anyone arriving in Taiwan from Brazil or who had been in Brazil the previous 14 days must quarantine at a centralised facility for two weeks, as arrivals from Britain and South Africa also must to prevent the spread of separate variants found there. Everyone else arriving in Taiwan must quarantine at home for 14 days, and those people are closely tracked by authorities to make sure they don't go out. Brazil, the country with the second-highest coronavirus death toll, passed the 10-million mark for reported infections, amid a deadly second wave and problems with its vaccination campaign. Over the same one-day period, 1,367 people died, bringing the total to over 243,400. Brazil's figure of 10,030,626 came amid mounting criticism of how President Jair Bolsonaro's government has handled the epidemic and vaccination response. As Brazil battles a second infection wave, it also has to deal with a new virus variant, thought to be more contagious, rapidly spreading around the country. Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to early and effective prevention, including largely closing its borders. There are only 40 active cases being treated in hospitals.

Taiwan confirms three cases of Brazil coronavirus variant

Taiwan's government on Saturday granted emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine.

Jabs of the vaccine are&nbsp;expected to be administered at soon as within seven days of arrival.

Taiwan had agreed to buy almost 20 million vaccine doses in December,&nbsp;including 10 million from AstraZeneca and 4.76 million doses from the COVAX global vaccine programme.

The emergency-use authorisation was granted on Saturday morning, and assuming the paperwork is in order, the first shots can begin with a week of arrival, Food and Drug Administration Director-General Wu Shou-mei told reporters.

The first batch of 200,000 AstraZeneca vaccines provided by COVAX could begin arriving next week.

Taiwan is also getting five million doses from U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc. Wu said the process for granting it emergency-use approval was in full swing.

The government plans to vaccinate frontline health and quarantine workers first, and aims eventually to get 30 million vaccine doses to cover about 65% of the island's population.

Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to early and effective prevention, with fewer than 50 active cases being treated in hospital. It has not yet received any vaccines, though with such a low rate officials have said there is no urgency to getting the shots.

Germany's BioNTech SE said this week it plans to provide COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, after the island complained the firm pulled out of a deal to sell it 5 million doses at the last minute, possibly due to pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as its own.

Taiwan's government on Saturday granted emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. Jabs of the vaccine are expected to be administered at soon as within seven days of arrival.

Taiwan's government on Saturday granted emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. Jabs of the vaccine are expected to be administered at soon as within seven days of arrival. Taiwan had agreed to buy almost 20 million vaccine doses in December, including 10 million from AstraZeneca and 4.76 million doses from the COVAX global vaccine programme. The emergency-use authorisation was granted on Saturday morning, and assuming the paperwork is in order, the first shots can begin with a week of arrival, Food and Drug Administration Director-General Wu Shou-mei told reporters. The first batch of 200,000 AstraZeneca vaccines provided by COVAX could begin arriving next week. Taiwan is also getting five million doses from U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc. Wu said the process for granting it emergency-use approval was in full swing. The government plans to vaccinate frontline health and quarantine workers first, and aims eventually to get 30 million vaccine doses to cover about 65% of the island's population. Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to early and effective prevention, with fewer than 50 active cases being treated in hospital. It has not yet received any vaccines, though with such a low rate officials have said there is no urgency to getting the shots. Germany's BioNTech SE said this week it plans to provide COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, after the island complained the firm pulled out of a deal to sell it 5 million doses at the last minute, possibly due to pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as its own.

Taiwan grants emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

A deal for Taiwan for buying 5 million doses of a Coronavirus vaccination developed by Germany's Biontech is on hold and Taiwan's health minister has now hinted at potential Chinese pressure for the dealing.

Did China block Taiwan's vaccine deal? Govt hints at Chinese influence

The deal for Taiwan to buy 5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Germany's BioNTech is on hold. Taiwan's health minister has hinted at potential Chinese pressure for the delay.

Taiwan hints at Chinese pressure behind stalled vaccine deal

Taiwan’s main opposition party, once a widely feared political force, now parades through the streets in a pink pickup truck decked out with pig’s ears and a snout. It brings life-size pig models to rallies. On the floor of the island’s legislature, its members recently flung pig intestines at rival lawmakers.

The garishly porcine displays by the party, the Kuomintang, are meant to highlight one of its pet issues, the importation of American pork containing a controversial additive. But in the eyes of critics, the antics signal the identity crisis that the party, once Asia’s wealthiest, now faces.

Many see it as out of touch with modern Taiwanese life. Even worse, they see its traditional emphasis on smooth relations with mainland China as dangerously outdated, as the Communist Party under Xi Jinping takes a harder line against the island that Beijing claims as its own.

The Kuomintang has suffered lopsided electoral defeats at the hands of voters like Chen Yu-chieh, a 27-year-old website designer. “The Kuomintang’s mindset is more conservative,” Chen said. “I don’t think I’ll vote for the Kuomintang in the next few years, unless they make drastic changes.”

Party leaders have acknowledged the problem and vowed an overhaul. They have espoused democratic values and human rights, promised to recruit younger members and better engage the public, and sought to distance the party from Beijing.

“The Kuomintang needs to keep up with the times and needs to modernize,” said Johnny Chiang, who was elected as the party’s leader last March after pledging to rejuvenate it, in an interview in Taipei. At 48 years old, Chiang is one of the youngest leaders in the party’s history.

Whether the party succeeds could have profound implications for the future of Taiwan, as well as for Beijing and Washington.

Founded in 1894, the Kuomintang governed China for years before it was defeated by Mao’s communists, and it fled to Taiwan, where it ruled with an iron fist and came down hard against anyone suspected of being a communist. In recent decades, the party has emerged as a balancing force in the island’s delicate relationship with Beijing. Communist leaders until recently saw the Kuomintang as their preferred dialogue partner on the island, linked by their belief in a shared Chinese identity.

But the Kuomintang lost power in 2016 — for only the second time since direct presidential elections began in 1996 — as voters chose President Tsai Ing-wen, who is skeptical of closer ties with Beijing. The Kuomintang’s power has been eroding overall ever since.

In Washington, where attitudes have hardened against China’s Communist Party, Tsai has won strong support. In Beijing, the party is indicating that it is losing patience.

Xi has yet to send a congratulatory letter to Chiang, the Kuomintang’s new leader, after his election. The snub was a break with a practice that had been customary since 2005, and it suggested to some observers that the Communist Party was wary of Chiang’s coolness toward Beijing.

Dialogue between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang has also slowed. In September, a Chinese state broadcaster mocked a planned visit to the mainland by a delegation from the Kuomintang as a “petition for peace,” painting the party as conciliatory. The Kuomintang canceled the visit.

The chill between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party could inject further instability into already tense ties between Taipei and Beijing. Beijing’s threats to forcibly bring the island back into its fold have escalated since Tsai won reelection last year. Analysts in the mainland have warned that Beijing may resort to war if the Kuomintang is unable to reclaim power or if the Communist Party feels it no longer has a dialogue partner on the island.

The threat of war between the two sides has quickly become a flash point in relations between China and the United States. During the Trump administration, Washington drew Beijing’s anger by allowing high-profile visits and stepping up arms sales to Taiwan. The Biden administration has signaled its intent to continue showing support for the island, and Beijing has responded with fiery rhetoric and military activities.

In the longer term, the Kuomintang is at a crossroads. Looming over the party is the question of how it will navigate the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Most of the island’s 23 million people find the concept of unification with the mainland unappealing, and many are increasingly wary of Beijing’s intentions. The Kuomintang’s loss in last year’s presidential election was in part because its candidate had pushed to restore closer relations with the mainland.

Two months later, after Chiang was elected to lead the party, he sought to play down the importance of the so-called 1992 Consensus, an unwritten agreement that is the bedrock of ties between the Kuomintang and Beijing. That concept, in the view of the Kuomintang, holds that there is only one China, which includes Taiwan, but that each side may interpret it in its own way. But Chiang’s move quickly exposed a rift in the leadership as Kuomintang elders shot down his proposal, saying it would drastically hurt ties with Beijing.

Chiang now emphasizes that being a citizen of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is formally known, does not mean one may not also identify as being Taiwanese. Around two-thirds of Taiwanese — and 83% of Taiwanese between the ages of 18 and 29 — don’t identify as Chinese, according to a Pew Research survey released last year.

“We can’t deny where people are born,” Chiang said. “But just because you are ‘naturally Taiwanese’ doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be ‘naturally pro-independence.’”

To sell that message, the Kuomintang will need to win over its biggest skeptics: Taiwan’s youth.

Under Chiang, the Kuomintang in recent months has initiated a revamp. The party launched an online merchandise store and a new app, and it is ramping up its social media presence.

But it’s not clear whether the campaign will be enough to shift the popular perception of the party as a club of fusty, old-school elites.

On a recent morning in the southern city of Kaohsiung, around 50 college students gathered in a room at a lakeside resort for a three-day camp focused on recruiting younger members. Some participants were Kuomintang members and others had signed up to learn more about the party.

The students listened as a Kuomintang politician offered advice on social media strategy. “So you may have seen that on ‘IG’ there’s a marketing tool that’s pretty successful,” Lo Chih-chiang, the politician, said to the rapt audience, referring to Instagram. “You can write some great words on a photo and use that to tell a story.”

After the session, the students continued the conversation over a meal of sautéed vegetables, braised fish and yellow watermelon. Yang Tzung-fan, 24, a graduate student who joined the Kuomintang last year over the objections of her parents, said she was drawn to what she described as the party’s honest leadership as well as to its commitment to preserving Chinese culture.

Although many young Taiwanese, including some of the party’s supporters, are skeptical of unifying with China, Yang said that in her view, the prospect was not as scary as some made it out to be. “In a way, we are all one big family. There’s no need to distinguish from each other.”

But until the old guard of the Kuomintang agrees to move aside, Yang said, it will be difficult for the party to make any headway with the youth.

“They have to solve their internal problems, and then let young people participate in politics more,” she said. “They have to change the image that the Kuomintang is full of old male politicians.”

Taiwan’s main opposition party, once a widely feared political force, now parades through the streets in a pink pickup truck decked out with pig’s ears and a snout.

Taiwan’s main opposition party, once a widely feared political force, now parades through the streets in a pink pickup truck decked out with pig’s ears and a snout. It brings life-size pig models to rallies. On the floor of the island’s legislature, its members recently flung pig intestines at rival lawmakers. The garishly porcine displays by the party, the Kuomintang, are meant to highlight one of its pet issues, the importation of American pork containing a controversial additive. But in the eyes of critics, the antics signal the identity crisis that the party, once Asia’s wealthiest, now faces. Many see it as out of touch with modern Taiwanese life. Even worse, they see its traditional emphasis on smooth relations with mainland China as dangerously outdated, as the Communist Party under Xi Jinping takes a harder line against the island that Beijing claims as its own. The Kuomintang has suffered lopsided electoral defeats at the hands of voters like Chen Yu-chieh, a 27-year-old website designer. “The Kuomintang’s mindset is more conservative,” Chen said. “I don’t think I’ll vote for the Kuomintang in the next few years, unless they make drastic changes.” Party leaders have acknowledged the problem and vowed an overhaul. They have espoused democratic values and human rights, promised to recruit younger members and better engage the public, and sought to distance the party from Beijing. “The Kuomintang needs to keep up with the times and needs to modernize,” said Johnny Chiang, who was elected as the party’s leader last March after pledging to rejuvenate it, in an interview in Taipei. At 48 years old, Chiang is one of the youngest leaders in the party’s history. Whether the party succeeds could have profound implications for the future of Taiwan, as well as for Beijing and Washington. Founded in 1894, the Kuomintang governed China for years before it was defeated by Mao’s communists, and it fled to Taiwan, where it ruled with an iron fist and came down hard against anyone suspected of being a communist. In recent decades, the party has emerged as a balancing force in the island’s delicate relationship with Beijing. Communist leaders until recently saw the Kuomintang as their preferred dialogue partner on the island, linked by their belief in a shared Chinese identity. But the Kuomintang lost power in 2016 — for only the second time since direct presidential elections began in 1996 — as voters chose President Tsai Ing-wen, who is skeptical of closer ties with Beijing. The Kuomintang’s power has been eroding overall ever since. In Washington, where attitudes have hardened against China’s Communist Party, Tsai has won strong support. In Beijing, the party is indicating that it is losing patience. Xi has yet to send a congratulatory letter to Chiang, the Kuomintang’s new leader, after his election. The snub was a break with a practice that had been customary since 2005, and it suggested to some observers that the Communist Party was wary of Chiang’s coolness toward Beijing. Dialogue between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang has also slowed. In September, a Chinese state broadcaster mocked a planned visit to the mainland by a delegation from the Kuomintang as a “petition for peace,” painting the party as conciliatory. The Kuomintang canceled the visit. The chill between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party could inject further instability into already tense ties between Taipei and Beijing. Beijing’s threats to forcibly bring the island back into its fold have escalated since Tsai won reelection last year. Analysts in the mainland have warned that Beijing may resort to war if the Kuomintang is unable to reclaim power or if the Communist Party feels it no longer has a dialogue partner on the island. The threat of war between the two sides has quickly become a flash point in relations between China and the United States. During the Trump administration, Washington drew Beijing’s anger by allowing high-profile visits and stepping up arms sales to Taiwan. The Biden administration has signaled its intent to continue showing support for the island, and Beijing has responded with fiery rhetoric and military activities. In the longer term, the Kuomintang is at a crossroads. Looming over the party is the question of how it will navigate the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty. Most of the island’s 23 million people find the concept of unification with the mainland unappealing, and many are increasingly wary of Beijing’s intentions. The Kuomintang’s loss in last year’s presidential election was in part because its candidate had pushed to restore closer relations with the mainland. Two months later, after Chiang was elected to lead the party, he sought to play down the importance of the so-called 1992 Consensus, an unwritten agreement that is the bedrock of ties between the Kuomintang and Beijing. That concept, in the view of the Kuomintang, holds that there is only one China, which includes Taiwan, but that each side may interpret it in its own way. But Chiang’s move quickly exposed a rift in the leadership as Kuomintang elders shot down his proposal, saying it would drastically hurt ties with Beijing. Chiang now emphasizes that being a citizen of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is formally known, does not mean one may not also identify as being Taiwanese. Around two-thirds of Taiwanese — and 83% of Taiwanese between the ages of 18 and 29 — don’t identify as Chinese, according to a Pew Research survey released last year. “We can’t deny where people are born,” Chiang said. “But just because you are ‘naturally Taiwanese’ doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be ‘naturally pro-independence.’” To sell that message, the Kuomintang will need to win over its biggest skeptics: Taiwan’s youth. Under Chiang, the Kuomintang in recent months has initiated a revamp. The party launched an online merchandise store and a new app, and it is ramping up its social media presence. But it’s not clear whether the campaign will be enough to shift the popular perception of the party as a club of fusty, old-school elites. On a recent morning in the southern city of Kaohsiung, around 50 college students gathered in a room at a lakeside resort for a three-day camp focused on recruiting younger members. Some participants were Kuomintang members and others had signed up to learn more about the party. The students listened as a Kuomintang politician offered advice on social media strategy. “So you may have seen that on ‘IG’ there’s a marketing tool that’s pretty successful,” Lo Chih-chiang, the politician, said to the rapt audience, referring to Instagram. “You can write some great words on a photo and use that to tell a story.” After the session, the students continued the conversation over a meal of sautéed vegetables, braised fish and yellow watermelon. Yang Tzung-fan, 24, a graduate student who joined the Kuomintang last year over the objections of her parents, said she was drawn to what she described as the party’s honest leadership as well as to its commitment to preserving Chinese culture. Although many young Taiwanese, including some of the party’s supporters, are skeptical of unifying with China, Yang said that in her view, the prospect was not as scary as some made it out to be. “In a way, we are all one big family. There’s no need to distinguish from each other.” But until the old guard of the Kuomintang agrees to move aside, Yang said, it will be difficult for the party to make any headway with the youth. “They have to solve their internal problems, and then let young people participate in politics more,” she said. “They have to change the image that the Kuomintang is full of old male politicians.”

With pig parades and youth camps, Taiwan’s ailing Kuomintang tries a revamp

Less than a day after Taiwan announced that it was setting up trade office in Guyana, Guyana's foreign ministry said the agreement had been scrapped. Taiwan fumed as it blamed 'evil' China of pressuring Taiwan into scrapping the deal.

"We express strongest dissatisfaction and condemnation that the Chinese government has again bullied and suppressed Taiwan in the international space," Taipei's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The Chinese government says one thing but does another which will only highlight its evil nature and further distance the people on the two sides."

Taiwan enjoys recognition over China from only 15 countries. China considers Taiwan as its own territory.

Beijing has ramped up military pressure and snatched seven of Taiwan's diplomatic allies since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as she refused to acknowledge its stance that the island belongs to "one China".

Taiwan had said Thursday that its representative office in Guyana had started operations provisionally in January, a step the United States called a "milestone".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-conducts-mid-course-anti-ballistic-missile-test-report-361442">China conducts mid-course anti-ballistic missile test: Report</a>

But Guyana issued a statement the same day, saying it "wishes to clarify that it continues to adhere to the One China policy and its diplomatic relations remain intact with the People's Republic of China".

Taiwan's presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang described Guyana's decision as "unilateral".

China's foreign ministry spokesman had warned Thursday that any attempted by Taipei "to get foreign support and engage in separatist activities is doomed to fail".

(With AFP inputs)

Less than a day after Taiwan announced that it was setting up trade office in Guyana, Guyana's foreign ministry said the agreement had been scrapped. Taiwan fumed as it blamed 'evil' China of pressuring Taiwan into scrapping the deal.

Less than a day after Taiwan announced that it was setting up trade office in Guyana, Guyana's foreign ministry said the agreement had been scrapped. Taiwan fumed as it blamed 'evil' China of pressuring Taiwan into scrapping the deal. "We express strongest dissatisfaction and condemnation that the Chinese government has again bullied and suppressed Taiwan in the international space," Taipei's foreign ministry said in a statement. "The Chinese government says one thing but does another which will only highlight its evil nature and further distance the people on the two sides." Taiwan enjoys recognition over China from only 15 countries. China considers Taiwan as its own territory. Beijing has ramped up military pressure and snatched seven of Taiwan's diplomatic allies since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as she refused to acknowledge its stance that the island belongs to "one China". Taiwan had said Thursday that its representative office in Guyana had started operations provisionally in January, a step the United States called a "milestone". Also Read | China conducts mid-course anti-ballistic missile test: Report But Guyana issued a statement the same day, saying it "wishes to clarify that it continues to adhere to the One China policy and its diplomatic relations remain intact with the People's Republic of China". Taiwan's presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang described Guyana's decision as "unilateral". China's foreign ministry spokesman had warned Thursday that any attempted by Taipei "to get foreign support and engage in separatist activities is doomed to fail". (With AFP inputs)

Guyana scraps Taiwanese trade office, Taiwan blames 'evil' China

Taiwan has opened a representative office in Guyana, the island's foreign ministry said Thursday, praising the United States, concerned about deepening Chinese influence in Latin America and rebuke from Beijing.

Taiwan opens office in Guyana, pushes against China's influence

Nearly 11,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan in 2020 after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the city. The figure is almost double the number of a year earlier. &nbsp;

Hong Kong people seeking an alternative to the city's frenetic pace and sky-high rents have been attracted by democratic Taiwan for a long time. &nbsp;

The new security law has just accelerated an exodus. According to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency, the number of Hong Kongers granted short-term residency soared to 10,813 from 5,858 in 2019. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The previous record was 7,506 in 2014 during the financial hub's pro-democracy 'Umbrella Movement'. &nbsp;

The number of arrivals would have been higher if there wouldn’t have been border restrictions due to coronavirus scare, Taiwan's Liberty Times newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying. &nbsp;

Fearful of a potential influx from the authoritarian mainland, Taiwan does not have an asylum or refugee law, nor does it accept refugee applications. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hong Kongers can, however, apply to live on the island through other channels, including investment visas. &nbsp;&nbsp;

President Tsai Ing-wen's government has vowed support for Hong Kong's democracy movement and launched a new office last year to deal with Hong Kongers seeking to stay on the island. &nbsp;&nbsp;

An increasing number of Hong Kong people, including some prominent activists, have gone into exile after local authorities stepped up prosecutions based on the national security law. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A dozen activists were also arrested by the Chinese coast guard in late August when they tried to flee the city to Taiwan by boat. &nbsp;

Most of those aboard the vessel had been charged in Hong Kong for alleged offences linked to last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests. &nbsp;

Canada has also emerged as a favourite destination, aided by a network of activists, who have helped people escape Beijing ever since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Britain has also extended residency rights for nearly three million Hong Kongers eligible for British National (Overseas) passports, those born before the former colony's 1997 handover.&nbsp;

Nearly 11,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan in 2020 after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the city. The figure is almost double the number of a year earlier.

Nearly 11,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan in 2020 after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the city. The figure is almost double the number of a year earlier. Hong Kong people seeking an alternative to the city's frenetic pace and sky-high rents have been attracted by democratic Taiwan for a long time. The new security law has just accelerated an exodus. According to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency, the number of Hong Kongers granted short-term residency soared to 10,813 from 5,858 in 2019. The previous record was 7,506 in 2014 during the financial hub's pro-democracy 'Umbrella Movement'. The number of arrivals would have been higher if there wouldn’t have been border restrictions due to coronavirus scare, Taiwan's Liberty Times newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying. Fearful of a potential influx from the authoritarian mainland, Taiwan does not have an asylum or refugee law, nor does it accept refugee applications. Hong Kongers can, however, apply to live on the island through other channels, including investment visas. President Tsai Ing-wen's government has vowed support for Hong Kong's democracy movement and launched a new office last year to deal with Hong Kongers seeking to stay on the island. An increasing number of Hong Kong people, including some prominent activists, have gone into exile after local authorities stepped up prosecutions based on the national security law. A dozen activists were also arrested by the Chinese coast guard in late August when they tried to flee the city to Taiwan by boat. Most of those aboard the vessel had been charged in Hong Kong for alleged offences linked to last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests. Canada has also emerged as a favourite destination, aided by a network of activists, who have helped people escape Beijing ever since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Britain has also extended residency rights for nearly three million Hong Kongers eligible for British National (Overseas) passports, those born before the former colony's 1997 handover.

Around 11,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan in 2020

The Chinese government has said that Taiwan's opening its trade office in Guyana is a mistake they should earnestly take steps to correct their mistake.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. One China principle is a commonly recognized international norm, and a consensus reached by the international community. We hope the relevant parties can abide by the One-China principle, not have any official ties with Taiwan, not set up any official organisations with Taiwan, and earnestly take steps to correct their mistake, eliminating any negative impact. We urge the current leadership of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party that any kind of actions to separate Taiwan with foreign forces will be doomed to fail." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-milestone-move-taiwan-opens-trade-office-in-guyana-361290">Also read | In 'milestone' move, Taiwan opens trade office in Guyana</a> 
 
Meanwhile, Taiwan has opened a representative office in Guyana in South America, the island's foreign ministry said on February 4.

The announcement drew praise from the United States which has worried about deepening Chinese influence in Latin America.

The former British colony is strategically located next to strife-torn Venezuela, a major Chinese ally with which Guyana has a bitter territorial dispute.

"This milestone will benefit both partners and advance security, democratic values and prosperity in the region," Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary of the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said.

China does not consider Taiwan as an independent country and has vowed to annex it even as the US has backed Taiwan with military hardware in recent years. Taiwan is officially recognised by only 15 countries.

President Tsai Ing-wen has stridently opposed China's aggressive moves ever since she came to power in 2016. &nbsp;Last year, Taiwan had opened an office in Somaliland which attracted China ire.&nbsp;

Guyana is yet to open a reciprocal office in Taiwan even as the foreign ministry said it will enjoy similar conditions and privileges if it does. Guyana has close ties with China as foreign minister Hugh Todd said: "Guyana is not recognising Taiwan as an independent state. Guyana is not establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei."

(With inputs from agencies)

The Chinese government has said that Taiwan's opening its trade office in Guyana is a mistake they should earnestly take steps to correct their mistake. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.

The Chinese government has said that Taiwan's opening its trade office in Guyana is a mistake they should earnestly take steps to correct their mistake. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. One China principle is a commonly recognized international norm, and a consensus reached by the international community. We hope the relevant parties can abide by the One-China principle, not have any official ties with Taiwan, not set up any official organisations with Taiwan, and earnestly take steps to correct their mistake, eliminating any negative impact. We urge the current leadership of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party that any kind of actions to separate Taiwan with foreign forces will be doomed to fail." Also read | In 'milestone' move, Taiwan opens trade office in Guyana Meanwhile, Taiwan has opened a representative office in Guyana in South America, the island's foreign ministry said on February 4. The announcement drew praise from the United States which has worried about deepening Chinese influence in Latin America. The former British colony is strategically located next to strife-torn Venezuela, a major Chinese ally with which Guyana has a bitter territorial dispute. "This milestone will benefit both partners and advance security, democratic values and prosperity in the region," Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary of the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said. China does not consider Taiwan as an independent country and has vowed to annex it even as the US has backed Taiwan with military hardware in recent years. Taiwan is officially recognised by only 15 countries. President Tsai Ing-wen has stridently opposed China's aggressive moves ever since she came to power in 2016. Last year, Taiwan had opened an office in Somaliland which attracted China ire. Guyana is yet to open a reciprocal office in Taiwan even as the foreign ministry said it will enjoy similar conditions and privileges if it does. Guyana has close ties with China as foreign minister Hugh Todd said: "Guyana is not recognising Taiwan as an independent state. Guyana is not establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei." (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan setting up a diplomatic office in Guyana is a 'mistake': China

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