Taiwan country profile
Taiwan is an island that has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950, but which China regards as a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary.
Asian news from Beijing
Flush With Investment, New U.S. Factories Face a Familiar Challenge
The Biden administration has begun pumping more than $2 trillion into U.S. factories and infrastructure, investing huge sums to try to strengthen American industry and fight climate change.
Taiwan Loses Ally to China After Electing President Loathed by Beijing
Just two days after Taiwan elected as its next leader Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing sees as a staunch separatist, it lost a diplomatic ally in its rivalry with China. Nauru, a tiny freckle of land in the Pacific Ocean, announced that it would be severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan, effective immediately.
Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China
Nauru has become Taiwan's first ally to make a diplomatic switch to Beijing, just days after the island's presidential election.
Maldives ultimatum on troops deepens row with India
Bilateral ties between the Maldives and India - that have hit rock-bottom in recent weeks - have taken another tumble after Male formally asked Delhi to withdraw its troops from the island nation by 15 March.
Death toll rises to 13 in a coal mine accident in central China
BEIJING (AP) — The death toll has risen to 13 in a coal mine accident in central China, state media said Sunday.
Who Is Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s Next President?
In 2014, when Lai Ching-te was a rising political star in Taiwan, he visited China and was quizzed in public about the most incendiary issue for leaders in Beijing: his party’s stance on the island’s independence.
Taiwan election: China criticises US for congratulating new leader
China has accused the US of sending "a gravely wrong signal" to those pushing for Taiwan's independence after Saturday's election result.