Taiwan

"The Taiwanese people can rest assured that we are working to ensure our nation's security," President Tsai Ing-wen said of Russia's war on Ukraine. (Source photos by AFP/Jiji and Reuters) 
Ukraine war

Taipei plays down fears of 'Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow'

Island rattled by Putin's war, but steels resolve against possible China attack

1 March 2022
Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Taipei, Taiwan.
International relations

Biden sends former top defense officials to Taiwan

U.S. shows 'robust support' for Taipei amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

1 March 2022
A nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy during an April 2018 military display in the South China Sea.
Politics

Ukraine conflict: 77% in Japan fear Taiwan spillover

61% want Tokyo to keep in step with West on Russia sanctions, Nikkei poll shows

28 February 2022
Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the U.S. should abandon its ambiguous stance on how it would react to an attack on Taiwan.
Politics

U.S. should abandon ambiguity on Taiwan defense: Japan's Abe

Former prime minister floats possibility of hosting American nuclear weapons

27 February 2022
Taiwan expects its economy to grow 4.42% in 2022. 
Economy

Taiwan revises up 2022 GDP to 4.42% on strong tech exports

Statistics office sees rising global demand for 5G, automotive electronics

24 February 2022
Taiwanese chipmaker UMC is expanding its production capacity in Singapore to serve existing clients.  
Semiconductors

Taiwan's UMC to build $5bn chip plant in Singapore

Plan comes as industry rushes to expand production amid supply crunch

24 February 2022
The production line of silicon wafer at a factory in Jiaxing, China, pictured in May 2021: manufacturing capacity for less advanced semiconductors will grow rapidly.
Opinion

Global chip shortage may soon turn into an oversupply crisis

Only companies investing in advanced semiconductors will see their margins increase

24 February 2022
Southeast Asia's biggest banks, all based in Singapore, are hoping the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic are behind them.
Finance

From ASEAN to Taiwan, Singapore banks tap Asia growth post-COVID

Southeast Asia's largest lenders snapping up Citi's assets as profits surge

23 February 2022
Asia's military expenditure has surged more than 50% in the last decade, with China leading the pack. But will that spending result in actual conflict? 
The Big Story

Asia's arms race: China spurs military spending spree

The region's biggest players are shelling out on defense at an alarming rate. Is war on the horizon?

23 February 2022
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaks in Paris on Jan. 28.
Interview

France slams China's attempts to 'break the status quo' on Taiwan

Foreign minister Le Drian keen to deepen trade ties with Taipei

20 February 2022
A Chinese bomber flies near the Taiwan air defense identification zone in September 2020: China seeks to establish a new normal for Taiwan. (Handout photo from Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)
Opinion

Why China is intensifying its military flights against Taiwan

Main goal is to convince Taipei to quit defending itself

20 February 2022
Tai Jeng-wu will leave the CEO post at Sharp at the end of March but stay on as chairman. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Electronics

Sharp CEO Tai steps down after 6-year turnaround under Foxconn

New boss Wu tasked with boosting growth and deciding fate of LCD unit

19 February 2022
(Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) 
Business Spotlight

Chip talent war: Taiwan faces critical staffing shortage

Semiconductor giants hike salaries to lure island's dwindling number of graduates

18 February 2022
Taiwan has accused Chinese companies of "infiltrating" the island's chip supply chain, a cornerstone of its economy.  
Semiconductors

Taiwan takes aim at China with draft laws on chip sector espionage

'Economic espionage' would carry up to 12-year prison sentence

17 February 2022
Gogoro of Taiwan has developed battery-swapping technology to power its electric scooters. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang)
Technology

Taiwan e-scooter maker Gogoro taps local suppliers to go global

Company aims for U.S. listing via SPAC by end of first quarter

16 February 2022
Moderna, which developed one of the main COVID-19 vaccines used worldwide, is looking to begin production in Asia. (Source photo by Akira Kodaka and Reuters)
Interview

Moderna taps Singapore, Hong Kong for COVID era expansion

Taiwan, Malaysia also picked; CEO Bancel eyes vaccine plants in Asia

16 February 2022
Auto parts maker Denso is expected to contribute tens of billions of yen to the construction of TSMC's new plant in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. (Source photos by Kai Fujii, Reuters and Kyodo) 
Semiconductors

TSMC lifts Japan chip plant investment, with Denso following Sony

Additional funding will help pay for 12-to-16-nm semiconductor line

15 February 2022
TSMC's construction delay in Arizona does not necessarily mean the schedule for mass production will be delayed, as the company intentionally gave itself a buffer, sources with knowledge of the matter said. 
Semiconductors

Construction of TSMC's U.S. chip plant delayed by labor crunch, COVID

Taiwan chip titan faces fight for workers as Intel also builds in Arizona

15 February 2022
Visitors stand in front of exhibits showing U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China at an exhibition in Beijing in 2019.
International relations

China plans events with U.S. to mark 50th anniversary of Nixon visit

Beijing seeks to ease tensions but also takes swipe at Biden's involvement with Taiwan

11 February 2022
The island has seen a shortage of eggs in recent months. (Source photo by Lauly Li and Reuters)
Economy

Taiwan consumers scramble to find eggs as commodity prices surge

Farmers can no longer afford now-expensive grains and rising logistics costs

9 February 2022
Patriot surface-to-air missile launchers are used during a drill at an air base in Taiwan.
International relations

U.S. approves $100m deal for Taiwan missile defense upgrades

Second planned sale under Biden comes amid cross-strait tensions

9 February 2022
A Taipei official checks Japanese apples for radiation in 2011, shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Over a decade later, Taiwan is removing a blanket ban on food imports from five Japanese prefectures.
International relations

Taiwan to lift blanket ban on Fukushima food amid CPTPP push

Tsai removes thorny issue with Japan as she seeks support for joining trade pact

8 February 2022
Taiwan's GlobalWafers says cross-border acquisitions could become more difficult as governments grow more cautious over such deals. (Photo courtesy of GlobalWafers)
Semiconductors

GlobalWafers plans $3.6bn expansion after Siltronic bid fails

Taiwanese wafer maker activates Plan B as it foresees healthy chip demand

7 February 2022
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot in Phnom Penh last August. Cambodia's inoculation campaign has progressed rapidly.
COVID-19 Recovery Index

'Living with COVID' Cambodia jumps to 2nd in Nikkei Recovery Index

Omicron-hit Philippines down 45 places as ASEAN members diverge

4 February 2022
Philippine consumers might wait up to 63 days if they ordered a space gray, 256 GB iPad on Jan. 28. In Malaysia, the lag is about 54 days. (Source photos by Getty Images)
Supply Chain

iPad deliveries remain squeezed as Apple prioritizes iPhones

Buyers endure nine-week waits as even procurement champ suffers constraints

2 February 2022