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July 24, 2026
 

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Yian Lee
A tactical short-range unmanned aerial vehicle during a military exercise at a military facility in Taichung, Taiwan, on Saturday. Taiwan¡¯s debate over drone procurement is being closely watched because the successful use of unmanned systems by Ukraine and Iran have underscored the ways in which the technology can be used to defend territory against larger adversaries.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Taiwan opposition pitches $7.5 billion drone plan after stalling government bid
The debate is being closely watched because use of unmanned systems elsewhere has shown how the technology can be leveraged to defend against larger adversaries.
The semiconductor industry and related electronics sector together account for around 17% of Taiwan¡¯s economy.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
May 7, 2026
Hormuz crisis shows gaps in Taiwan¡¯s high-tech ¡®silicon shield¡¯
The factors that make Taiwan an economic powerhouse ¡ª its successful technology industry and artificial intelligence-driven chipmaking ¡ª are also the ones making it vulnerable.
Taiwan's legislature called on parties to meet on Wednesday to discuss the general budget and a draft special defense bill, both of which are stalled.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 15, 2026
Taiwan resumes defense debate after opposition outreach to Xi
Taiwan¡¯s legislature called on parties to meet to discuss the general budget and a draft special defense bill, but the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang may be unwilling to compromise.
The Yehliu headland in northern Taiwan has long served as both a fishing ground and a strategically defended area, with natural rock formations and coastal cliffs historically used to monitor maritime routes approaching Taipei.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 13, 2026
Taiwan plans drills to break potential Chinese energy blockade
A blockage would not be just Taiwan¡¯s problem but that of the entire region, the island¡¯s deputy interior minister says.
Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun (center), who heads the Kuomintang, is surrounded by security as she leaves a news conference in Beijing on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 13, 2026
China unveils Taiwan goodwill steps after opposition talks
Taiwan¡¯s government agency in charge of relations with China warns that Beijing¡¯s concessions can be withdrawn at any time and are, in essence, a form of coercion.
An F-35C Lightning II is staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in support of Operation Epic Fury, on March 2.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 13, 2026
U.S. allies near China on edge as weapons shift from Asia to Iran
Even if fighting wraps up soon, there is concern that depleted stockpiles of munitions could take years to replace, leaving Taiwan and other places vulnerable.
Xian H-6N jet bombers fly in a formation past a Chinese national flag during a flyover rehearsal ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing on Aug. 24, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 12, 2026
China sends more warplanes toward Taiwan after mystery lull
Five PLA aircraft were detected in Taiwan¡¯s air defense identification zone, and three crossed the strait¡¯s median line, an unofficial boundary between Taiwan and China.
A People's Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-20S stealth fighter jet. China sent an average of 5.4 aircraft per day across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in January, the lowest number since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
China sends fewer flights near Taiwan in sign of training shift
Beijing sent an average of 5.4 aircraft per day across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in January, the fewest since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks at a news conference on defense spending in Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 26, 2025
Taiwan¡¯s Lai vows extra $40 billion for defense against China
The money would be spent over 2026 to 2033, though Lai Ching-te, the island¡¯s President, avoided going into detail on where the money would come from.
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim at a foreign media briefing in Taipei
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 11, 2025
Taiwan appeals to Europe in bid to secure friends beyond Trump
Taiwan¡¯s vice president became the since 2002 to visit a European country Taipei doesn¡¯t have diplomatic ties with, excluding brief transits.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 23, 2025
Taiwan is courting MAGA influencers to get Trump¡¯s attention
Officials have grown worried that Trump could undermine the self-ruled democracy¡¯s interests during talks with China.
Taiwan has pushed back against a U.S. proposal to move chip production stateside to cover half of America¡¯s demand.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 1, 2025
Taiwan rejects U.S. demand for half of its chips to be made in America
Taiwanese Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun said Taipei has never made such a commitment.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has publicly demanded Taiwan to move more investment and chip production to the U.S. so half of American demand is manufactured locally.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 30, 2025
Taiwan holds investment talks as U.S. demands more chip factories
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick earlier this week publicly demanded Taiwan to move more investment and chip production to the U.S.
Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz speaks after signing a contract for the delivery of mobile communication centers in Zegrze, Poland, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 25, 2025
Poland becomes top importer of Taiwanese drones, skirting China
From almost nothing in the previous years, Poland is now absorbing almost 60% of Taiwan¡¯s drone exports, which expanded this year to about $32 million through August.
A silicon wafer. Taipei for the first time has unilaterally imposed semiconductor export controls on a country.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 25, 2025
Taiwan weaponizes chip sector to deter China on world stage
Taipei¡¯s chip curbs reflect its strategy to increasingly use economic and trade policy for diplomatic goals, according to a Taiwanese official.
People walk along a beach near the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on whether to restart the closed facility, in Pingtung, Taiwan, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 25, 2025
Failed nuclear power vote adds to Taiwan¡¯s energy conundrum
Nuclear power¡¯s future in Taiwan has been an ongoing struggle for President Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te attends an annual coast guard drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on June 8.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 30, 2025
Taiwan president¡¯s bad week hangs on U.S. trade deal outcome
Whether Washington uses Taipei as a bargaining chip in its trade talks with China is the biggest issue facing Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has called off a trip to Central and South America that would have included stopovers in the U.S.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 29, 2025
Taiwan¡¯s Lai calls off trip with U.S. transit as Trump seeks Xi summit
The Taiwanese president had intended to stop in New York and then Dallas as part of a trip to diplomatic allies in Central and South America.
A supporter of Taiwan's main opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT), waves the country's national flag during a rally against the recall election in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 28, 2025
Failed bid to oust Taiwan opposition gives China new leverage
All 24 Kuomintang lawmakers survived recall votes over the weekend, dealing a blow to Lai¡¯s Democratic Progressive Party and its hopes of regaining a parliamentary majority.
An Iranian military ship takes part in an annual drill in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this picture obtained in December 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 23, 2025
China criticizes attack on Iran as U.S. asks Beijing for trade route help
Beijing ¡°strongly¡± condemns the attacks on Iran, according to a four-sentence statement from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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