Tracey Payne

Taiwan says defense budget delay jeopardizes collective deterrence against China Officials in Taipei say a failure to pass the government’s nearly $40 billion defense budget would “seriously weaken” the island’s defense buildup.

Taiwan says defense budget delay jeopardizes collective deterrence against China www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02...

NHK confirms supermajority for LDP and Ishin.

The last time the LDP gained 300 seats or more was in the 1986 Lower House election under Yasuhiro Nakasone, when the Upper House election was held on the same day.

【速報】自民・圧勝 与党で3分の2上回る勢い　中道は公示前の半数を下回る見通し【JNN冒頭議席予測 衆議院選挙2026】 | TBS NEWS DIG きょう、投票が行われた第51回衆院選、出口調査などをもとにJNNがまとめた午後8時時点の予測議席数です。▼自民党　　　　　　　　321▼日本維新の会　　　　　 35▼中道改革連合　　　　　 50▼国民民主党　　　…

Takachi's snap election gamble pays off. Exit poll has the LDP in Japan getting around 321 seats alone. Probably will have supermajority in it's coalition with JIP or close to it:

newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2...

Japan PM Takaichi poised for landslide election win: poll - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Not a big surprise, Takaichi's snap election decision will pay off.
www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...

Taiwan's trade surplus reached new crazy heights in 2025 thanks to the AI boom and TSMC.

Chinese ambassador to Australia calling Taiwanese "terrorists". So much for the whole "both sides are one family" thing.

Taipei Metro installs memorial plaque in honor of Taipei attack victim - Focus Taiwan Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) said Tuesday it has installed a permanent memorial plaque to honor a man who was killed while trying to stop an attacker at Taipei Main Station last month.

Memorial plaque to the man who died trying to stop the metro attacker unveiled in Taipei Main Station

focustaiwan.tw/society/2026...

Taiwan also seems to have decided to get 60 Paladins rather than the original number of 168 and replaced them instead with a larger order of HIMARS.

US announces massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that is sure to infuriat...

Looking through the sale itself though is interesting, 82 HIMARS is quite a huge jump in Taiwan's rocket artillery force.

420 ATACMS means the US is giving out it's entire production run of them to Taiwan bc they're scheduled to stop making them soon.

apnews.com/article/trum...

Taiwan's exports to US jump 180% in November setting monthly records | Taiwan News | Dec. 10, 2025 12:53 38.1% of Taiwan's exports went to US in November, highest share since 2009 | Dec. 10, 2025 12:53

Despite the AI boom for Taiwan's exports: "exports to China and Hong Kong accounted for 26.8% of total shipments, the lowest share in 24 years"

Big jumps in exports to US and also notably ASEAN.

www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6261926

EU missing Taiwan opportunity to avoid irking 'big friend' China: ex-envoy Taipei's former representative in Brussels, Roy Lee, says US is 'investment black hole'

Taiwan's former EU envoy Roy Lee: "There is literally no trade agenda" between the two sides

"People don't want to talk about it, to get serious about how to engage with Taiwan, in a structural way so that it'll promote the interests of all sides"

Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order The removal of Blued and Finka marks another setback for China’s marginalized LGBTQ+ community.

SCOOP: China's top 2 gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, became unavailable on app stores over the weekend. Apple confirmed to WIRED that it removed the two apps following "an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China."

latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social

影／朱立倫已致電恭喜鄭麗文 「盼團結讓國民黨更強」 | 聯合新聞網 國民黨主席選舉結果即將出爐，候選人鄭麗文持續領先。黨主席朱立倫今晚表示，稍早他已分別致電六位候選人，並對鄭麗文表達恭喜；...

Outgoing KMT party chair Eric Chu has congratulated Cheng Li-wun on her expected victory in the KMF chair race, so looks like it’ll be Cheng as new party chair

udn.com/news/story/1...

Suzuki eyed for LDP secretary-general, reflecting Aso’s growing influence Former Prime Minister Taro Aso's influence in the Liberal Democratic Party under the newly elected Sanae Takaichi is becoming increasingly more evident.

Suzuki eyed for LDP secretary-general, reflecting Aso’s growing influence www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10...

TAKAICHI WINS

Super Typhoon #Ragasa 's inner core is coming into radar range of Taiwan... long updating loop available at bmcnoldy.earth.miami.edu/tropics/radar/
#NandoPH

Taiwan's return part of post-WWII order The American Institute in Taiwan has ignited controversy with a statement that dismisses the binding force of wartime documents signed by the United States — including the Cairo Declaration and the Po...

China throwing a fit about the US statement that Taiwan's status is unresolved.

The Treaty of San Francisco in 1952 was arranged this way because the US didn't trust the KMT.

www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/22/...

Taiwan debuts hypersonic missile to kill ballistics at 230,000 feet Taiwan unveiled a new hypersonic missile system designed to intercept ballistic weapons in near space on Wednesday.

Taiwan debuts hypersonic missile that could kill China’s ballistic threats at 230,000 feet - Interesting Engineering interestingengineering.com/military/tai...

After seven decades, is it finally time for the LDP to split up? With the LDP fraying at the seams, some wonder if the patchwork party will split along ideological lines instead of stitching itself back together.

Stitching the Liberal Democratic Party back together again will be no easy task, no matter who wins the presidential race on Oct. 4.

US and Taiwanese defence officials held secret talks in Alaska Talks came after a higher-level meeting with island’s defence minister was cancelled by the Trump administration

US and Taiwanese defence officials held secret talks in Alaska on.ft.com/3VzGyfE

Taiwan’s Missile Production Program: A Success Two Years Ahead of Schedule | Global Taiwan Institute In response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP, 中國共產黨) increased aggression and rhetoric towards Taiwan, the Taiwanese government passed a separate special military budget in 2021 to improve its defense industrial base, giving particular attention to its domestic missile production. Two years after implementing this budget, Taiwan’s missile production program has seen great success, with Taiwan meeting its missile production goals two years ahead of schedule. Producing missile platforms domestically yields several advantages for Taiwan—chiefly, faster delivery times and lower costs for weapons with comparable performance to American weapons systems. Because of this, Taiwan is working to replace some US missile systems with its own indigenous weapons. However, while many of its indigenous missile platforms are comparable to American weapons, some systems need to be improved to provide more credible deterrence against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA, 人民解放軍).

Taiwan is spending $10 billion on missiles to defend itself against China, and getting very good value for money. Meanwhile, Australia is spending $350 billion on submarines whose only possible use is ... to defend Taiwan against China #auspol

Heroic effort by @heldavidson.bsky.social to push back against the tidal wave of historical revisionism coming from Beijing and being channeled by enablers in Australia.

Average income rises 2.5 percent, hits record high - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

But has it kept up with inflation?

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...

The guy obviously has even less experience dealing with India than with China.

「宿命、次の世代に…」　戦後80年の“石破色”に保守派は警戒感 | 毎日新聞 石破茂首相は終戦の日の15日、戦後80年の首相談話を出さなかった一方、政府主催の全国戦没者追悼式の式辞で「あの戦争の反省と教訓」を胸に刻まなければならないと述べて「反省」の語句を13年ぶりに復活させるなど、「石破カラー」をにじませた。

In his remarks at the ceremony marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, Ishiba used the word "reflect" [反省] which had been standard until 2012 for the first time since 2012.

mainichi.jp/articles/202...

A Boeing 747's wing struck the runway while landing during strong winds brought by Typhoon Podul in Taiwan on Wednesday.

The UPS cargo jet made three approaches to the runway before successfully landing in the gusty conditions.

Taiwan's Cabinet agrees to distribute NT$10,000 cash handouts - Focus Taiwan The Executive Yuan said Thursday it would distribute cash handouts to Taiwanese citizens, reversing its earlier opposition to measures proposed and adopted by opposition lawmakers.

Ah good, glad the KIMT and the Cabinet have agreed to waste money on a pointless stimulus that does nothing but bump prices up.

Handout is temporary but the price increases will remain forever.

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...

Looks like a possible typhoon next week for #Taiwan, but could change. Feels like a busy season so far.

Taiwan arrests six in probe of TSMC chip technology leak The chipmaker had reported a number of former and current staff to authorities on suspicion they illegally obtained core technology.

Taiwan arrests six in probe of TSMC chip technology leak