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NBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Taiwan looks to U.S. for military support as it builds up defenses against China
PINGTUNG COUNTY, Taiwan — Below a windy lookout, three U.S.-made mobile rocket launchers lurched forward at a military base in Taiwan, preparing for their first live-fire test on the Beijing-claimed island. '3, 2, 1... launch,' a Taiwan military officer counted down over a loudspeaker. A total of 33 rockets were then fired toward the Pacific Ocean, in the opposite direction from the Chinese mainland. Making a thunderous sound, each erupted in bursts of flame and trailed white smoke that arced high into the air. The historic test of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, took place this month at an undisclosed location in Pingtung County, on the southern tip of Taiwan, as Taipei scrambles to overhaul its military and get President Donald Trump 's backing amid growing military threats from China. The rocket system could be crucial if Taiwan ever came under attack from Beijing, which has not ruled out the use of force in annexing the self-governing democracy. Manufactured by U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin, HIMARS mobile launchers are equipped with guided rockets that have a range of about 185 miles — far enough to reach coastal targets in the southern Chinese province of Fujian on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. It is the same rocket system that Ukrainian forces have been using to target Russian positions — though unlike Ukraine, Taiwan paid the United States more than $1 billion for the weaponry. The island has received 11 of the 29 HIMARS launchers it has purchased, with the rest expected to arrive ahead of schedule next year. Though the U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, it is the island's biggest weapons supplier. Billions of dollars in arms deals with the U.S. have helped Taiwan build up asymmetric tools such as drones, missiles and upgraded fighter jets. As China ramps up military and other pressure, Taiwan has also extended compulsory military service to one year from four months, doubled mandatory annual refresher training for reservists to two weeks, and pledged to increase its defense budget to more than 3% of GDP. While the U.S. remains a 'very important' strategic partner, Taipei 'fully recognizes' the need to strengthen its own defense capabilities, said Sun Li-fang, a spokesperson for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense. 'Ensuring Taiwan's security is our responsibility and our top priority,' he said. 'We take this matter very seriously.' But it is difficult for Taiwan to build a modern fighting force, Sun said, in the face of 'inherently disproportionate' threats from China, whose 2.8-million-strong military is more than 18 times larger than Taiwan's number of active-duty personnel. In the year since Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office, China has held several rounds of large-scale military exercises that Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned this month are not drills but 'rehearsals.' The Chinese military also sends warplanes and ships toward Taiwan on near-daily sorties and in recent days held an amphibious landing drill in the Taiwan Strait. To deal with such 'tangible and real' threats, it is 'crucial' that the U.S. and Taiwan continue their military cooperation, Sun said. In addition to HIMARS, the U.S. and Taiwan have advanced their cooperation with an intelligence sharing deal that Sun called a 'game-changer.' 'We typically don't go into detail because intelligence and information sharing are sensitive,' Sun said in his government's first public comments on the subject. 'That said, this kind of intelligence exchange is extremely helpful for us in understanding threats from the enemy and making appropriate defensive deployments.' In congressional testimony this month, a retired U.S. Navy admiral also publicly acknowledged for the first time that there are about 500 U.S. military personnel stationed in Taiwan, more than 10 times the number previously disclosed. Even as it works with the U.S., Taiwan is unsure about the extent of the security commitment from Washington, which has long maintained a policy of 'strategic ambiguity' when it comes to whether U.S. forces would defend the island against a Chinese attack. Further muddling the picture are comments Trump has made about Taiwan, the global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, 'stealing' chip business from the U.S. and not paying enough for its own defense. Officials in Taipei have also been rattled by the collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine as well as the threat of steep tariffs on Taiwan's exports, which Trump has set at 32% in addition to a 10% baseline. 'You have different voices emerging from the United States, so that creates more uncertainties for Taiwanese,' said Andrew Yang, Taiwan's former minister of national defense. 'Which voices or narratives should we listen to?' Reservist Jason Chu, 30, said that among those around him, there was a 'growing' sense of responsibility to defend Taiwan. 'The biggest difference lies in our mindset,' said Chu, an engineer. He said that while many people in Taiwan most likely think of their training as a duty at first, often they later begin to think of it as protecting their country. People in Taiwan have watched with concern as war drags on Ukraine, another democracy targeted by a larger, autocratic neighbor — and some have even gone to join the fight against Russia. Tony Lu went to Ukraine in 2022 first as a volunteer, then as a fighter. He said he thinks people in Taiwan need to be ready. 'No one wants war — I don't want it either,' he said. 'But we don't have a choice.'
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
China removes remaining buoy from Japan's exclusive economic zone
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- China has removed a buoy it had installed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone off a remote southwestern island, the Japan Coast Guard said Wednesday, meaning all such objects that had irked Tokyo have been cleared from its EEZ. The Japanese government said in December that it spotted a new buoy south of Yonaguni Island, which is located about 100 kilometers from Taiwan. But on its website on Wednesday, the coast guard referred to the buoy east of Taiwan as "nonexistent." According to a Japanese government source, Chinese ships began work to remove the buoy on Tuesday and it was no longer there on Wednesday. In an apparent gesture to improve strained ties with the neighboring country, China said in February it had moved a buoy placed inside Japan's EEZ near the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The Japanese government has repeatedly called for the removal of the buoys. The EEZ extends some 370 kilometers from Japanese shores.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
China Unveils Game-Changing First Drone ‘Mothership'
China's new drone "mothership" is set to take flight, according to the country's state broadcaster, which touted the aircraft as a game changer in drone warfare. Observers, however, have noted key vulnerabilities and said the behemoth, teased at China's flagship air show in November, amounts to "propaganda." Newsweek contacted the Pentagon for comment by email. The People's Liberation Army continues its rapid buildup, with an eye to supplanting the U.S. as the leading military power in the Asia-Pacific. Its warship count now exceeds the U.S. Navy's, and it possesses growing anti-access/area-denial capabilities, such as its vast missile fleet. China has also been investing heavily in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and swarm technologies in a bid to achieve air superiority in a wartime scenario-for instance, an invasion of Beijing-claimed Taiwan. Built by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the Jiu Tian drone has a wingspan of 82 feet and runs on a turbofan engine, China Central Television said in a Saturday broadcast. It has a maximum range of 4,350 miles and a 15-kilometer (9.3 miles) ceiling, and it can exceed 435 miles per hour. What sets the aircraft apart is its ability to launch smaller drones mid-flight from both sides of its fuselage. With a maximum payload of six tons, it can carry up to 100 small UAVs, including loitering drones-shown in a computer-animated promotional video pouring out of the plane like bees from a hive. In addition to swarm-launching, the drone can be armed with a mix of air-to-air, anti-ship and air-to-ground missiles, as well as 1,000-kilogram (about 2,200-pound) guided bombs. The Jiu Tian is also built for modularity. Its payloads can be swapped out in under two hours, depending on the mission-electronic warfare, strike and support, emergency rescue-making it suitable for a range of civilian and military roles. It can also serve as a communications relay for the smaller drones it launches, allowing remote operators to control them from behind the front lines using a man-in-the-loop system. That could let short-range drones operate well beyond their typical limits. Still, the drone carrier's size presents a tempting target for modern air defense systems, meaning it would likely need to rely on air suppression support. Additionally, even at its stated maximum altitude, the drone would be well within the range of several modern air-defense systems, including the U.S.'s THAAD and Patriot PAC-3, Taiwan's Sky Bow III, Japan's Aegis BMD, and South Korea's KM-SAM Block II. User @MCCCANM, a self-described former U.S. Air Force instructor with 30,000 followers, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I'm not a fighter pilot, but this is like trying to sneak into near-peer enemy airspace with a formation of KC-10s [retired tanker and cargo aircraft]. It's not remotely survivable...a gigantic missile magnet. This is just classic propaganda." The "mothership" will conduct its first test flight at the end of June, CCTV reported. Related Articles New Microbe Discovered Aboard Chinese Space StationMap Shows US Command Ship in Pacific Amid China Navy ChallengeFirst Cracks Emerge in US-China Trade TruceFrontline US Aircraft Carrier Near China Prepares for Military Action 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Newsweek
China Unveils Game-Changing First Drone 'Mothership'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China's new drone "mothership" is set to take flight, according to the country's state broadcaster, which touted the aircraft as a game changer in drone warfare. Observers, however, have noted key vulnerabilities and said the behemoth, teased at China's flagship air show in November, amounts to "propaganda." Newsweek contacted the Pentagon for comment by email. Why It Matters The People's Liberation Army continues its rapid buildup, with an eye to supplanting the U.S. as the leading military power in the Asia-Pacific. Its warship count now exceeds the U.S. Navy's, and it possesses growing anti-access/area-denial capabilities, such as its vast missile fleet. China has also been investing heavily in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and swarm technologies in a bid to achieve air superiority in a wartime scenario—for instance, an invasion of Beijing-claimed Taiwan. This image, shared by Chinese state media on May 17, shows the Jiu Tian unmanned drone carrier, which is set to take flight in late June. This image, shared by Chinese state media on May 17, shows the Jiu Tian unmanned drone carrier, which is set to take flight in late June. China Central Television What To Know Built by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the Jiu Tian drone has a wingspan of 82 feet and runs on a turbofan engine, China Central Television said in a Saturday broadcast. It has a maximum range of 4,350 miles and a 15-kilometer (9.3 miles) ceiling, and it can exceed 435 miles per hour. What sets the aircraft apart is its ability to launch smaller drones mid-flight from both sides of its fuselage. With a maximum payload of six tons, it can carry up to 100 small UAVs, including loitering drones—shown in a computer-animated promotional video pouring out of the plane like bees from a hive. China's Jiutian SS-UAV: Game-Changing 'Drone Mothership' Set for Maiden Flight China is preparing to test its next-generation unmanned aerial system, the Jiutian SS-UAV, a massive high-altitude 'mothership' designed to deploy swarms of attack drones and precision-guided… — Indo-Pacific News - Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) May 19, 2025 In addition to swarm-launching, the drone can be armed with a mix of air-to-air, anti-ship and air-to-ground missiles, as well as 1,000-kilogram (about 2,200-pound) guided bombs. The Jiu Tian is also built for modularity. Its payloads can be swapped out in under two hours, depending on the mission—electronic warfare, strike and support, emergency rescue—making it suitable for a range of civilian and military roles. It can also serve as a communications relay for the smaller drones it launches, allowing remote operators to control them from behind the front lines using a man-in-the-loop system. That could let short-range drones operate well beyond their typical limits. Still, the drone carrier's size presents a tempting target for modern air defense systems, meaning it would likely need to rely on air suppression support. Additionally, even at its stated maximum altitude, the drone would be well within the range of several modern air-defense systems, including the U.S.'s THAAD and Patriot PAC-3, Taiwan's Sky Bow III, Japan's Aegis BMD, and South Korea's KM-SAM Block II. What People Have Said User @MCCCANM, a self-described former U.S. Air Force instructor with 30,000 followers, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I'm not a fighter pilot, but this is like trying to sneak into near-peer enemy airspace with a formation of KC-10s [retired tanker and cargo aircraft]. It's not remotely survivable...a gigantic missile magnet. This is just classic propaganda." What Happens Next The "mothership" will conduct its first test flight at the end of June, CCTV reported.
NBC News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Caught between the U.S. and China, young people in Taiwan just want things to stay the same
Young people in Taiwan are used to living with uncertainty when it comes to China — a situation they generally say is for the best for the time being, particularly when recent actions by the Trump administration have some of them asking a question. 'Can Taiwan continue to view the U.S. as an ally?' said Chan Yu-hsiang, 25, a graduate student at National Taiwan University. Chan's question reflects growing concern in Taiwan over the reliability of the U.S. as a security partner under President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for the Beijing-claimed island in the face of Chinese military threats but also made critical remarks and upended trade relations. In a Taiwan government poll released in March, the percentage of respondents who said the U.S. military would 'definitely' intervene in the event of a Chinese invasion dropped to 14% from 19% a year earlier. Almost half of respondents said the U.S. military was unlikely to intervene, the same as a poll by the Brookings Institution conducted the same month. According to the same Taiwan government poll, 36% of respondents said U.S.-Taiwan relations would get worse under Trump, a 12% increase since January. Taiwan's rising wariness toward the U.S. comes amid growing pressure from China, which claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force in achieving its unification goal. Beijing sends warplanes and ships toward the island on near-daily sorties. Last month, the Chinese military conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan in what it said was a warning to 'separatist' forces. The Taiwan government has warned that Beijing could hold more drills in the coming days as the island marks one year under President Lai Ching-te, whom China describes as a 'separatist' and 'troublemaker.' China has rebuffed multiple offers of talks from Lai, who says only Taiwan's 23 million people can decide its future. Beijing insists the island's future is 'by no means an 'internal affair of Taiwan,'' warning that Taiwanese authorities would 'suffer an apocalypse' if they sought formal independence. Strategic ambiguity The U.S. has no formal relations with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer, bound by law to provide it with defensive weapons. On Monday, Taiwan test-fired for the first time a new rocket system provided by the U.S. that Ukraine has also used against Russia. Washington has long maintained a policy of 'strategic ambiguity' when it comes to whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, not giving a definitive answer either way. Trump has not given any indication of a change in that policy. But he has unnerved Taiwan with comments accusing it of stealing semiconductor business from the U.S. and calling for Taiwan to pay more for its own defense, which it has pledged to do. Last month, he also slapped Taiwan with a 32% tariff on its goods, with an exemption for the chip industry, which makes up a big part of the Taiwan economy and which the U.S. relies on heavily. Taiwan has said it will not retaliate against the U.S. and that it is ready for trade talks 'at any time,' offering a package of zero tariffs on American goods and increased U.S. investment. The duties came as a surprise to Taiwan after state-backed chipmaker TSMC announced a plan in March to invest an additional $100 million in the U.S., where it is already building multiple factories. For Chan, this suggested that even Taiwan's 'silicon shield' — the semiconductor industry that makes the island so indispensable to the global economy — is not enough to guarantee U.S. support. 'If you keep giving away Taiwan's last line of defense, the U.S. will take advantage of it, but they won't necessarily treat you well,' he said. 'Why would Taiwan still believe that Trump would definitely deploy troops if it was to fall?' Maintaining the status quo Though some U.S. officials and Taiwan's military point to 2027 — the 100th anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army — as a possible timeline for China to attack, polls show that most Taiwanese believe an invasion is unlikely in the next five years. A survey last year by National Chengchi University in Taipei showed that over 88% of people in Taiwan support maintaining the status quo, in which Taiwan operates as a de facto independent country without formally declaring independence, a move that would risk all-out war with China. That's especially true for Taiwan's youngest voters, said Lev Nachman, a political scientist and assistant professor at National Taiwan University who has studied their views. Taiwan's Gen Z 'are by no means pro-China relative to other generations, but they don't have the same attitude towards Taiwan independence' as millennials do, he said. 'Instead, we see younger generations having a much more sort of pro-status-quo approach to politics,' Nachman said. Young people in Taiwan were too young to be radicalized in political upheavals such as the island's Sunflower Movement in 2014 and the martial law era, he said. They don't want to 'rock any major boat' with any 'radical change' in the Taiwan Strait, Nachman added, though the desire for unification with mainland China is still 'incredibly low.' The Taiwan government poll found that over a third of respondents ages 18 to 29 viewed China as the island's 'primary threat' despite efforts by Beijing to win them over with preferential policies for studying and working in the mainland, as well as various activities including sponsored trips, internships and cultural events. Last year, over 4 million people from Taiwan visited mainland China for tourism, study or work, a year-on-year increase of 54.3%, according to official data released by Chinese authorities. According to China's Taiwan Affairs Office, young people were the 'most active' group. 'You are also Chinese. You are our family,' Chan said he and other students from Taiwan were told by a tour guide last year on a Beijing-sponsored trip to the Chinese province of Henan. While some accuse Beijing of using such efforts to strengthen its sovereignty claims, these measures are 'quite good' and enable young people in Taiwan to visit and explore different places, said Chen Pin-yin, a student at the National Taiwan University of Arts. Chen, 21, who is also pro status quo, said not everything is about politics. Young people in Taiwan are mainly concerned about practical issues such as the cost of living and their job prospects, she said. Chen did a one-month internship last summer for a variety show in the southern Chinese province of Hunan that was partly funded byChinese organizers. The experience was 'a dream come true' for Chen, who said the Chinese TV industry is 'highly developed.' She said she plans to pursue a master's degree in mainland China next year and that she would also consider working there. The most important thing 'is to avoid wars for now,' Chen said. 'I hope the U.S. can play the role of a mediator when tensions are high.'
