Tag - lai ching-te

 
 

LAI CHING TE

A soldier speaks to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on July 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 24, 2025
Taiwan voters reject lawmaker recalls, clouding defense budget
None of the seven opposition Kuomintang legislators targeted in Saturday’s second round of recall elections by the Democratic Progressive Party were removed.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has been weakened by domestic setbacks and uncertain U.S. support as he tries to balance pressure from Beijing and political opposition at home.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 31, 2025
Taiwan’s president is running out of options
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is battling internal strife while navigating an unpredictable trade war with Washington.
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.
Kuomintang lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin celebrates after the results of the recall election in Taipei on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 27, 2025
Taiwan opposition defeats recall and keeps legislative control
Voters overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to recall 24 Kuomintang lawmakers.
Members of the Taiwanese military take part in the annual Han Kuang exercises in Taoyuan, Taiwan, in July 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 1, 2025
Taiwan to simulate Chinese invasion in major drill
The annual Han Kuang exercises will last for 10 days and mobilize more than 22,000 reservists, both unprecedented in length and scale.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly said only Taiwan's people can decide their future as the island faces stepped-up military and political pressure from China, including war games.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
China says Taiwan president spreading 'heresy' with sovereignty speech
China's Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had intentionally distorted history to promote his Taiwan independence agenda.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te finishes delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of Computex in Taipei on May 20.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 22, 2025
Taiwan is 'of course' a country, President Lai says in rebuke to China
China says the 1971 United Nations resolution, which took away Taipei's seat in the body and gave it to Beijing, is one of the legal bases of its claims.
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 23, 2025
As Taiwan looks to boost ‘unofficial ties,’ Paraguay’s leader offers facilitator role
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena stressed his government is “more than willing to support and be a strong ally” to Taiwan.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivers an address to mark the first anniversary of his inauguration at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2025
Taiwan willing to talk to China, Lai says, as island boosts defenses
Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, delivered wide-ranging remarks on the need "to prepare for war to avoid war."
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (center) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (right) take part in a flag-raising ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei, on Jan. 1.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 19, 2025
Taiwan's Lai Ching-te tied up by political chaos after year in office
Analysts say the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence — to the benefit of Beijing.
Despite China’s 30-year propaganda campaign that peace would be ensured if cross-strait disputes were settled internally, Beijing’s actual behaviors suggest otherwise.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2025
Placating China won't prevent it from invading Taiwan
Many Taiwanese misperceive China’s rational logic behind potential invasion risks, influenced by Beijing’s propaganda and exacerbated by Taiwan's current political landscape.
The trade war is ratcheting up tensions between Beijing and Washington. Taipei needs to be more prepared. 
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2025
Taiwan is under siege with or without tariffs
Taiwan must urgently strengthen defenses and unite politically to counter rising threats from China, despite Trump’s trade war.
A man walks past a board displaying average stock prices at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 8, 2025
Taiwan says China using AI to 'divide' the island with disinformation
In a report to parliament, the security bureau said it had detected more than half a million pieces of "controversial messages" so far this year.
Kids view the area from a lookout point over cranes and containers at the Port of Keelung, Taiwan, on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2025
Taiwan eyes zero tariffs with U.S. and pledges more investment
The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international backer and main source of arms, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.
Yuichiro Tamaki, chief of Democratic Party for the People (left), meets with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the presidential office in Taipei on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 25, 2025
DPP's Tamaki meets Taiwanese President Lai
Both leaders underlined the importance of cooperation among democracies for regional and global stability.
Akie Abe meets with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (left) at the Taiwan Presidential Office in Taipei on Friday.
JAPAN
Feb 22, 2025
Taiwan President Lai meets with Akie Abe, widow of slain prime minister
Lai told Akie at the meeting that Taiwan aims to protect the values of freedom and democracy, and deepen its friendship with Japan.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te holds a news conference in Taipei on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 14, 2025
Taiwan’s Lai vows to lift military funding after Trump complaint
Lai said Taiwan would boost expenditure to 3% of GDP, though he didn’t indicate when that would start.
Lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang try to break into parliament, where Democratic Progressive Party members spent the night to avoid the passing of the third reading of controversial bills, in Taipei on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 21, 2024
Clashes between Taiwan lawmakers and legal changes test President Lai
The political wrangling comes as U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to defend the island from any Chinese invasion, prepares to leave the White House.

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