Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

{{ subpage.title }}

A giant screen in Beijing shows news footage about the People's Liberation Army (PLA) joint army, navy, air and rocket forces drills around Taiwan on April 1, 2025.

REUTERS/Florence Lo

China conducts massive military drills around Taiwan.

China on Tuesday conducted one of the largest military drills to date in the waters and skies around Taiwan.

Beijing said the operation — in which dozens of aircraft and warships breached Taiwan’s de facto boundaries — was a dry run for “seizing comprehensive control” of the self-governing island.

The backstory: The island has ruled itself for decades, but Beijing views it as part of China, and President Xi Jinping has promised to reintegrate it — by force if need be. The US nominally recognizes China’s claims but, in practice, provides substantial security support to the island.

Read moreShow less

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Trump's China policy risks allies

What is President Donald Trump’s strategy on China? On the one hand, he slapped additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods and is considering$1 million fees on Chinese-built vessels entering US ports. On the other, Washington and Beijing are reportedly discussing a cozy-sounding“birthday summit” between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to talk trade in June. It’s enough to give investors whiplash – and make neighboring nations nervous.

And they may have good reason. Last week, Trump issued an“advance warning” to long-time allies Japan and South Korea that he is not prepared to defend them against Chinese aggression unless they make economic concessions. He complained that the American security treaty with Japanis nonreciprocal and claimed that “South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher” than that of the US.

Read moreShow less

Taiwan's flag with a semiconductor.

Paige Fusco

Has US opened the door to Taiwanese independence?

The US State Department last week scrubbed a statement from its website that said it doesn’t support Taiwan’s independence, sparking fury in China, which called on the United States to reinstate the message. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lungappreciated the removal.

Read moreShow less

Marco Rubio speaks after he is sworn in as Secretary of State by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Jan. 21, 2025.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Tough talk on Taiwan

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their first phone call on Friday over the independence of Taiwan, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. During the conversation, Wang reaffirmed China’s position that the island nation is part of China and reportedly told Rubio “I hope you will act accordingly,” a Chinese phrase usually employed by a superior warning a student or employee to behave and act responsibly. Rubio has previously called Beijing the top US threat and was twice sanctioned by China in 2020.

Read moreShow less

Photo illustration of TSMC logos.

Illustration by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Reuters

Hard Numbers: TSMC’s boom, Gemini’s ambitions, Anduril takes Ohio, Synthesia’s ambitions, TSMC evacuates after earthquake

38.8: On Jan. 16, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported that its fourth-quarter revenue rose 38.8% from the same period a year ago. Driven by insatiable demand for AI, TSMC has cemented itself as one of the most pivotal companies in the AI supply chain.
Read moreShow less
Jess Frampton

Assad’s fall, Romania’s canceled election, Trump’s Taiwan approach, and more: Your questions, answered

How did Bashar Assad get driven out of Syria after more than 20 years in power? What are your thoughts on his replacements?

I was surprised that Assad fell. He’s been such an important client for both Iran and Russia for decades and received their immediate support when the rebels began their offensive. But this was a particularly opportune time for the rebels to strike. Assad’s powerful friends were both distracted in other arenas: Iran with Israel (in both Gaza and, more importantly for Iran, Lebanon) and Russia with Ukraine. Interestingly, there is one key throughline connecting the fall of Mosul (Iraq), Kabul (Afghanistan), and Damascus (Syria) — all three were held by conscript armies that were fed, equipped, and trained by corrupt regimes … and when attacked by fierce radical groups fled as quickly as they could.

Read moreShow less

Flags of Taiwan and the US.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters

The US tells TSMC to cut off China

The US Department of Commerce ordered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to stop shipping advanced chips to Chinese customers starting yesterday, Monday, Nov. 11. The government sent a letter to TSMC specifying that this restriction applies to all chips that are seven nanometers or smaller, which can be used to power artificial intelligence models.

Read moreShow less

Taiwan's then-Vice President William Lai at a news conference in Taipei, in January 2023.

Jameson Wu/EYEPRESS via Reuters

Taiwan signals arms buildup in attempt to impress Trump

Taiwan’s leaders know that President-elect Donald Trump expects US allies to act as clients, not dependents. Why, Trump has frequently argued, should US taxpayers bankroll another country’s defense if its own government, and its neighboring allies, aren’t paying their fair share? For Taiwan’s government, that means making clear to Trump as early as possible that it intends to invest heavily in the country’s security.
Read moreShow less

Subscribe to our free newsletter, GZERO Daily

Latest