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Taiwan

Taiwan
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Taiwan, covering politics, economy, society and the island's relationship with mainland China.
Alliance for coming local elections marks a further effort by the KMT and TPP to challenge the ruling DPP and avoid splitting the vote. Photo: Elson Li
Taiwan election 2024

Taiwan opposition parties join forces for local polls with eye on 2028 race

Main opposition Kuomintang and smaller Taiwan People’s Party approve cooperation agreement to contest local elections in November.

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China-Japan relations

Trump to praise Japan in China, Xi summit delayed, PLA-Nato talks

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Open Questions | US ex-diplomat’s inside view on Trump-Xi summits

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Hong Kong economy

Letters | Hong Kong has a chance to lead the world in marine underwriting

Readers discuss developments in shipping, and the implications for Taiwan of US actions in the Iran war.

The Kwai Chung Container Terminal. 04MAR26 SCMP / Elson Li
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks mark third weekly loss as oil volatility pressures sentiment

Hang Seng Index falls for a third week as investors weigh the US-Israel war on Iran, oil swings and corporate earnings.

Hong Kong property

Office vacancy rate in Hong Kong’s Central drops to single digits after 2 years

Wan Chai-Causeway Bay area also improves, reducing citywide vacancy rate even though most areas remain under pressure, JLL says.

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China-Japan relations

‘Uncompromising’: Takaichi’s meeting with Trump seen as key to China-Japan ties

Neither Tokyo nor Beijing has enough incentive to compromise, observers say, signalling a new reality between Asian giants.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, pictured soon after being re-elected in February, has sought to cultivate a close relationship with US President Donald Trump amid Japan-China tension. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters
Mainland China

Taiwan leader ‘glorifying Japanese colonial rule’, Beijing says

Backlash was prompted by a speech that said the early days of the KMT’s rule over island were ‘worse than the colonial regime’.

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The Philippines

Beyond ‘lip service’: Philippines urged to act on air defence gaps

The Iran war has underscored the need for robust air systems and Manila should look to build a layered defence architecture, experts say.

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SCMP Highlights

Jean-Claude Van Damme talks art; a chemist’s soy empire: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a mother’s 22kg weight loss to a Taiwanese chemist’s soy empire in Australia, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Van Damme with his artwork “Hong Kong”, an impressionistic reproduction of a scene from his 1988 film Bloodsport, at the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li
Animal welfare in Hong Kong

Call for review over how Hong Kong manages wild boars and buffaloes

Activists say city must take different approach to minimising conflict between people and wild animals after two incidents over consecutive days.

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A wild boar is seen at Fei Ngo Shan Road. The number of wild pigs fell from about 1,830 in 2022 to around 900 in 2024. Photo: Sam Tsang
China-Japan relations

Why Beijing has struggled to rally Asia against Japan over PM’s Taiwan remarks

Many in the region harbour security concerns similar to Tokyo’s and prefer to stay neutral between the Asian heavyweights, analysts say.

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US-China relations

US says mainland China has no plans to attack Taiwan in 2027

Beijing seeks to control the island without the use of force, the US intelligence community confirms in its annual report on global threats.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Chinese analysts draw lessons from military decapitations in Iran, Venezuela

Beijing would not overestimate impact of decapitation strike on Taiwan, seeing it just as part of amphibious landing operation, analyst says.

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The Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the first in a string of top officials killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Taiwan can ease Iran energy anxiety with peaceful reunification, Beijing says

Comments build on Beijing’s recent tendency towards detailing economic and lifestyle benefits for island from reunification.

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A petrol station worker refuels a car in Taipei on March 9. Photo: AFP
Semiconductors

Korea, Taiwan chip sectors most exposed to helium shortage amid Middle East war

South Korea and Taiwan face the highest risk as they source most of their helium from Qatar, while Japan is seen as relatively stable, Fitch says.

US-China relations

Why delayed US-China summit raises stakes for Takaichi ahead of White House visit

Analysts say the combination of the Iran war and the new date for Trump’s trip to Beijing could put Japan’s leader on the defensive.

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US-China relations

Editorial | China policy to stay on course despite delay to Xi-Trump summit

Although Trump is on the back foot and China may have the advantage, this will not affect Beijing’s consistent approach in dealing with the US.

Talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing had been scheduled for March 31 to April 2.
Singapore

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Why Trump’s China trip delay could open the door for ‘more substantive’ results

Analysts say postponement of US president’s trip to Beijing is a strategic opportunity and unlikely to derail momentum in stabilising ties.

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Semiconductors

Can Nvidia’s inference push at GTC help or hinder China’s catch-up efforts?

Nvidia’s Groq 3 LPU chip widens the AI gap with China, but offers Chinese firms niche inference market opportunities, analysts say.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the company’s annual GTC conference in San Jose on Monday. Photo: Bay Area News Group via AP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Will delay in Trump-Xi summit affect US arms sales to Taiwan?

Possible US$14 billion package said to be on track but broader concerns loom as US depletes ammunition stockpiles in war on Iran.

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Taiwanese military personnel line up before the activation of a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile launcher during a drill in Taichung, Taiwan, in January 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Trending in China

Debate as Taiwan singer shows popular ‘vacuum belly’ method to lose weight

Onstage protruding ribs routine provokes roars of appreciation from audience; doctors warn it could damage people’s health.

Japan

Japan identifies 1,500 new missile shelters as ‘front line’ fears grow

Underground car parks and subways are being repurposed as Tokyo warns of the most severe security threat since the second world war.

2026 Trump-Xi summit

China under pressure as Trump ties high-stakes summit to Strait of Hormuz crisis

Beijing is being forced to weigh its reliance on stable energy routes against its tradition of non-interference, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump (left), pictured here with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has threatened to postpone his trip to Beijing unless China helps break Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Beijing on Iran war, Trump trade plan, new AI arena: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new US maritime strategy to the Iran crisis, here are highlights from SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of March 2026.

Plumes of smoke rise over Tehran, Iran, on March 1. Photo: Mowj/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images/TNS
US, Israel war on Iran

What lessons does Taiwan see from Iran and Ukraine for its air-defence strategy?

Expensive missiles cannot stop large waves of rockets and drones in an armed conflict, officials on the self-ruled island warn.

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United States

PLA ramps up Taiwan patrols after lull as Beijing slams William Lai’s speech

Beijing sends 26 sorties over the weekend, coinciding with comments by Taiwanese leader claiming the island is ‘sovereign’.

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