Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan places military on high alert

Taipei Times

The Taiwanese military is on high alert and is closely monitoring the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) air and naval deployments after Beijing yesterday reserved seven airspace areas east of its Zhejiang and Fujian provinces through Wednesday.

Beijing’s action was perceived as a precursor to a potential third “Joint Sword” military exercise, which national security experts said the PLA could launch following President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visits to the nation’s three Pacific allies and stopovers in Hawaii and Guam last week.

Unlike the Joint Sword military exercises in May and October, when Beijing provided detailed information about the affected areas, it has yet to formally announce any planned military drills.

China warships near Taiwan nearly doubles

Taipei Times

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said China had nearly doubled the number of its warships operating around the nation in the previous 24 hours, ahead of what security sources expect would be a new round of war games.

China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organize military drills around the nation in response to President William Lai’s (賴清德) recent visit to Pacific allies, including stops in Hawaii and Guam, a US territory. Lai returned from the week-long trip on Friday night.

Beijing has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan this year, and sends ships and military planes near the nation almost daily.

YouTuber reveals how CCP buys ‘influencers’

Taipei Times

Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) in a video showed how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) bribes Taiwanese online influencers in its “united front” efforts to shape Taiwanese opinions.

The video was made by YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” and published online on Friday.

Chen in the video said that China’s United Front Work Department provided him with several templates and materials — such as making news statements — with some mentioning Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politician Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and asking him to write a song criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party.

Lai garnering regional support

Taipei Times

President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday started his first overseas trip since taking office in May with a stopover in Hawaii on his way to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau. The president set off on a mission not only to shore up relations with the nation’s three Pacific allies, but also to highlight that Taiwan can be a “force for peace” and is willing to work with like-minded democratic nations against Chinese expansionism in the Asia-Pacific region.

Despite China ramping up efforts to gain influence across the Pacific and entice small nation-states to shift diplomatic allegiances in recent years, the three South Pacific nations recently held major parliamentary elections and retained pro-Taiwan governments. These allies have consistently backed Taiwan in international events, such as the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum, and are expected to continue voicing their support for the nation.

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