Yesterday
Trump’s new security strategy demands Australia step up or step aside
There is something for Australians to work with even if the new security strategy states that “the days of America propping up the world like Atlas are over”.
This Month
Trump sees China more as an economic rival than a military threat
The US is more inward-looking, more disdainful of multiculturalism and no longer a defender of democratic values. But it still has its eye on China.
China massing military ships across region as tensions rise
Beijing’s reported deployment of some 100 vessels reflects a confident, increasingly global People’s Liberation Army, a defence expert said.
‘Years in the making’: Why Chinese warships will keep heading our way
Another Chinese flotilla is moving south, underlining that Beijing’s presence near Australia is no longer an anomaly, but a strategic warning Canberra can’t ignore.
TV series highlights the deep divisions inside Taiwan
Even imagining a potential Chinese invasion has become a political act, where increasingly febrile discourse pits “warmongers” against “traitors”.
November
Trump urged Japan to avoid escalation in China dispute, sources say
In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, US president Donald Trump has reportedly said he did not want to see further escalation with China.
Taiwan vows extra $60b for defence against China as tensions rise
President Lai Ching-te announced the security build up that includes a Taiwan Dome, as Beijing ramps up military and economic pressure, amid a spat with Japan.
Trump calls Xi, Takaichi amid simmering China-Japan feud
The conversations, just weeks after the US president met the two leaders, come as tensions between Asia’s two biggest powers over Taiwan reach boiling point.
The one question that makes Trump squirm more than most
The US president made no mention of Taiwan in a call with Xi Jinping. The US has a policy of strategic ambiguity, but Donald Trump takes it to the next level.
DroneShield soars; Bendigo Bank’s ‘risk’; Goldman’s ASX bargains
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Taiwan asks to join AUKUS, warns on China coercion
The de facto ambassador to Australia has warned that China’s coercive behaviour and military activity in the Pacific should ring alarm bells.
Trump and Xi’s silence on Taiwan is not golden
There should be no let up in considering the risks of outright Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The threat is real, and the vagaries of Trump’s public utterances should not convince anyone to the contrary.
October
China vows to become high-tech superpower as trade tensions simmer
Leaders mapped out a new five-year plan focused on tech resilience and industrial upgrading to weather deepening geopolitical tensions.
Macquarie cuts funds; ASX’s blue chips broken; NBA gambling scandal
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
How Trump meeting with Albanese turned the tables on Taiwan
The President’s statement that China has no appetite to invade Taiwan could be the beginning of a shift from a posture based on the inevitability of conflict to one of superpower accommodation.
The one word Albanese hopes Trump won’t utter in the Oval Office
Taiwan. The US sees Australia as a central base in any war against China, yet no political party in Australia has committed to participate in a war over Taiwan.
Silent siege: how Beijing is coercing Taipei without firing a shot
As Taiwan prepares to celebrate its National Day, China is tightening the screws through military pressure, trade bans, cyberattacks and diplomatic isolation.
The ‘White Wolf’ working for China inside Taiwan
The murky activities of Chang An-lo’s Chinese Unification Promotion Party show how Beijing is using organised crime to extend its reach in the island nation.
Questions over Glencore’s tax bill; Optus’ email error; Tycoon’s plan to cut airfares
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Australian support for US over Taiwan not guaranteed, Congress warned
Foreign policy experts told the US Senate Australia would likely join military efforts to defend Taiwan, but this wasn’t a given under Donald Trump’s watch.