Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan on Saturday defended a proposal to purchase $2.2 billion in arms from the U.S., following a Chinese announcement that it would sanction any American companies involved in the deal.

U.S. weapons help strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense in the face of a growing military threat from China, the defense ministry said.

“The national army will continue to strengthen its key defense forces, ensure national security, protect its homeland and ensure that the fruits of freedom and democracy won’t be attacked,” the ministry said in a statement.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Sunday service this week at an unassuming church in Taiwan was especially moving for one man. It was the first time Liao Qiang had worshipped publicly since authorities shut down his church in China seven months ago.

6 June 2019; DW: The potential sale by the United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, includes more than a hundred tanks, along with anti-tank and Stinger missiles.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry confirmed the request on Thursday and in a speech, President Tsai Ing-wen said "We will keep on strengthening our self-defense capabilities (and) will also keep on being a contributor to regional peace."

The list of weaponry includes:

TAIPEI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) said Wednesday it would continue supplying products for mainland telecommunications company Huawei despite the U.S. government's ban on the latter.

Mark Liu, chairman of TSMC, told reporters that the company's delivery of products to Huawei in the second half of this year is expected to be better than the same period of last year.

The U.S. government last month announced restrictions on the sale and transfer of U.S. technologies to Huawei over what it claimed were technological threats.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — An artist has erected an inflatable display in Taiwan’s capital to mark an iconic moment in the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.

The larger-than-life balloon installation, which stands in front of Taipei’s famous Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, portrays a peaceful encounter between a Chinese civilian and the military tanks that contributed to a brutal shutdown of the demonstrations in Beijing on June 4, 1989.

02 Jan 2019; DW: Chinese President Xi says he will "leave no room" for separatist activities, and that Beijing "reserves the option of taking all necessary means," including the use of force, for the Taiwan "reunification."

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that the island's "unification" with China was not possible under the "one country, two systems" model. She, however, agreed to start a dialogue with Beijing as an exchange between two sovereign states.

Taipei, Nov 26; GANASHAKTI: A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the western coast of Taiwan Monday, the US Geological Survey said, and was felt hundreds of kilometres away in Hong Kong.

The quake hit around 100 kilometres (60 miles) off the island of Penghu in the Taiwan Strait on Monday morning, at a depth of 13 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which the USGS had initially reported at 5.6-magnitude.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Voters in Taiwan passed a referendum asking that marriage be restricted to one man and one woman, a setback to LGBT couples hoping their island will be the first place in Asia to let same-sex couples share child custody and insurance benefits.

BEIJING, 21. /TASS/. The death toll from the passenger train crash in Taiwan was risen to 18. As many as 160 people were injured, the Central News Agency said on Sunday citing a spokesman for the local emergencies agencies.

According to the spokesman, there are no foreign nationals from among those killed and injured.