Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen convened a meeting of top defense officials Friday following a helicopter crash that killed the island’s top military officer and other prominent personnel.

In a tweet, Tsai said the morning conference focused on ensuring military morale, security in and around the Taiwan Strait and the importance of “complete equipment inspections.”

That followed the grounding for inspection of Taiwan’s 52 UH-60M Black Hawk choppers belonging to the air force, army and National Airborne Service Corps.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s top military official was killed in an air force helicopter crash Thursday morning that killed seven other people, the defense ministry said.

Five people survived the crash in mountains outside the capital.

As chief of the general staff, Gen. Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the island’s defense against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers it own territory.

The helicopter was flying from Taipei to the northeastern city of Ilan for a new year’s activity when it crashed.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has been relentless in its attempts to influence and infiltrate Taiwan’s politics and society but the island’s new ban on political interference should have no effect on normal exchanges between the sides, Taiwan’s president said in her New Year’s address.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s legislature on Tuesday passed a law aimed at blocking political interference from China, less than two weeks before presidential and legislative elections.

The approval of the the Anti-Infiltration Law follows accusations that China is strongly backing candidates from the main opposition Nationalist Party, including providing campaign funds and mobilizing support on social media.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan needs to have legal means to prevent China interfering in its politics, a government spokesman said on Thursday about a anti-infiltration law that is being drafted, as the main opposition said it feared being “painted red” by the law.

The legislation is part of a years-long effort to combat what many in Taiwan see as Chinese efforts to influence politics and the democratic process on the island. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be brought under Beijing’s control by force if necessary.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The Chinese government warned self-ruled Taiwan on Thursday that it was courting “disaster”, after the running mate for President Tsai Ing-wen in January elections said he was working toward the island’s independence, a red line for Beijing.

Tsai chose former premier William Lai as her vice-presidential candidate on Sunday, the same day China sailed an aircraft carrier group through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a move Taipei denounced as attempted intimidation.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A bridge collapsed into a harbor in northeastern Taiwan on Tuesday, injuring ten people as it crushed several fishing boats, with six crew feared trapped, authorities said.

Hundreds of rescuers scrambled to use cranes, an excavator and other equipment to free the boats, while divers scoured the waters for those trapped.

“The bridge collapsed at around 9:30 a.m. while an oil tanker vehicle was on it, setting the vehicle on fire,” said Shih I-chun, the secretary to the mayor of the port town of Suao, the site of the collapse.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan’s ruling party on Wednesday urged citizens to avoid visiting Hong Kong after a person from Taiwan was detained in China on state security charges, as Hong Kong’s protests add to already tense relations between Taiwan and Beijing.

China said Lee Meng-chu, an adviser from a small township in Taiwan, who had been missing since Aug. 19 after traveling to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, was suspected of “engaging in criminal acts that endanger state security”.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan says the U.S. Navy is free to sail through its strait after an American warship did so shortly following warnings from Beijing against foreign interference in its relationship with the island.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Thursday the warship sailed northward through the Taiwan Strait. It said joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance task force was monitoring surrounding waters from start to finish and nothing “unusual” took place.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s main opposition party on Monday picked a populist, pro-China mayor as its candidate for the 2020 presidential race against an incumbent who often bashes Beijing.

The Nationalist Party chose Han Kuo-yu to run against incumbent Tsai Ing-wen in the January election. He defeated former Foxconn Technology chairman Terry Gou in a party primary.