… parting for the United States, Cheng said she hopes her party can play a key role in regional peace efforts and "gain deeper trust from the US"."Only the KMT is truly serious and responsible in taking on the most important role of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan …
… It came as Donald Trump struggles to resolve the Middle East war -- which has caused oil prices to soar, hurting major Asian economies -- and after the US president met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping against the perennial background of tensions over Taiwan. …
… engaged in repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea in recent years, as Beijing continues to press expansive claims - largely discredited by a 2016 arbitration ruling - over waters that overlap with rival claimants that also include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan …
Why China might react badly to any call between Trump and Taiwan's president By Reuters May 23, 2026 01:32 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump (L) poses for photos with China …
NAIROBI, Kenya May 18 – Kenya has reaffirmed its adherence to the One China Policy following the decision by the 79th World Health Assembly to reject a proposal seeking Taiwan’s participation as an observer for the 10th consecutive year. …
… At the centre of the talks were the most sensitive and consequential issues shaping the future of global stability: the proper way for China and the United States to interact, the Taiwan question, trade tensions and broader regional crises, including the worsening Middle East con …
… "Shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible in response to the calls of the international community," it added. - Taiwan policy 'unchanged' - The warm handshakes and pomp on Thursday were somewhat overshadowed by a blunt warning from Xi on a much longer standing geopol …
… For its part, the White House statement did not mention any discussions between the two leaders on Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing and a sensitive subject in US-China diplomacy. …
At least 172 vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Iran signed a deal aimed at ending the war, including 42 ships on Saturday alone, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler. The crossings remain below the pre-conflict average of 138 per day, though more than 200 tankers are waiting inside the strait, with at least 30 tankers departing from the Gulf laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals since the deal was agreed.
At least 172 vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Iran signed a deal aimed at ending the war, including 42 ships on Saturday alone, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler. The crossings remain below the pre-conflict average of 138 per day, though more than 200 tankers are waiting inside the strait, with at least 30 tankers departing from the Gulf laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals since the deal was agreed.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Kenya of detaining two delegates from its Ocean Affairs Council for 20 hours, confiscating their passports and mobile phones, and deporting them while scheduled to attend the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties. Taiwan said Kenya acted under pressure from China; Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified the decision citing "one China" policy.
Taiwan's government said Kenya barred delegates from attending an international ocean conference under pressure from China. According to Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, visas issued to Taiwanese scientists were revoked at the last minute, and some participants had their passports and phones confiscated for more than 20 hours.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau has launched a website inviting Chinese citizens who share democratic values to report intelligence on Beijing. The platform, modeled on practices of intelligence agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel, was introduced as Taipei accuses Beijing of using espionage and infiltration to weaken its defences.
Somaliland has opened a new office in Taiwan and says it has the right to choose its own relationships, rejecting pressure from Beijing and Mogadishu to sever ties with the island. Somaliland and Taiwan established representative offices in each other's capitals in 2020.
China's President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday, hailing an "invincible friendship" with Pyongyang. The visit comes after Xi hosted summits in Beijing with US President Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, while North Korea's nuclear talks with Washington remain deadlocked.
A nationwide wastewater analysis by NACADA covering 8 regions and 12 hotspot counties detected cannabis, heroin, and cocaine as Kenya's top three illicit drugs, along with New Psychoactive Substances and chemical markers indicating small-scale clandestine laboratory activity for methamphetamine, MDMA, and synthetic cathinones production within Kenya.
China has imposed a travel ban on four New Zealand MPs who visited Taiwan in May as part of a cross-party delegation. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was "surprised" by the move and has asked New Zealand diplomats to raise the issue with Chinese officials.
Chinese and American officials, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, called for a stable and sustainable military-to-military relationship between the two countries, citing the need to address global security risks from hegemonism, governance disorder, and emerging technologies.
An editorial argues that President Ruto's stated goal to make Kenya the next Singapore is achievable, but requires steely leadership, a war on graft, and strong institutions—not speeches. It credits Lee Kuan Yew and late President Kibaki as examples of leaders who delivered through fiscal discipline and accountability.
Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun said she hopes to "gain deeper trust" from the United States before departing for the country, weeks after the KMT blocked a Taiwanese government plan to spend nearly $40 billion on critical weapons. Cheng's trip follows her recent "peace" visit to Beijing where she met Chinese President Xi Jinping and comes as she draws criticism for being too pro-China.
US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue that Washington seeks a "stable equilibrium" with China in Asia, while acknowledging "rightful alarm" over Beijing's military build-up and regional expansion.
The Philippines defence secretary said the country remains under "severe threat" from China despite a recent thaw in U.S.-China tensions following a Trump-Xi summit, stating that smaller nations like the Philippines have no choice but to resist Chinese aggression.
According to a Capital News opinion piece, Eswatini's diplomatic recognition of Taiwan instead of the People's Republic of China limits the kingdom's access to Chinese trade partnerships and investment that other African nations benefit from, particularly in textiles, sugar, and wood pulp sectors.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would speak with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, a move he reiterated twice and that could strain U.S.-China relations and prompt Chinese military exercises around Taiwan. China's foreign ministry urged the U.S. to handle the Taiwan issue carefully and stop sending signals to Taiwan independence forces.
Kenya has reaffirmed its adherence to the One China Policy after the 79th World Health Assembly rejected Taiwan's proposal to participate as an observer for the tenth consecutive year. Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei said Kenya "associates itself unequivocally with the One China Policy," while China's Foreign Ministry said the repeated rejection reflected broad international support for the One China principle.
An opinion piece argues that China has become indispensable to global stability and that the Trump-Xi discussions during the US president's Beijing visit demonstrated how China-US relations are now the single most consequential relationship shaping global diplomacy, trade, and regional conflicts.
During a summit in Beijing, President Trump said he had made "fantastic trade deals" with China's Xi Jinping in sectors including agriculture, aviation, and artificial intelligence. Trump also stated that China has offered to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
At a Beijing summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Trump that mishandling the Taiwan question could push the two nations into conflict, while Trump called Xi a "great leader" and a "friend."
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting on Thursday in which they agreed that the Strait of Hormuz "must remain open to support the free flow of energy," according to the White House. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the vital waterway since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28.
US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he would press Xi to "open up" China to American firms. The visit brings several top CEOs including Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Tesla's Elon Musk, and Apple's Tim Cook, though political frictions over Taiwan and the Iran war complicate the agenda.
Oil prices rallied and stock markets fell as talks stalled on ending the Middle East war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Rising crude futures pushed up government bond rates globally, including in Britain where political uncertainty also weighed on markets.
US President Donald Trump is set to visit Beijing for his first state visit to China since his re-election, with Chinese President Xi Jinping hosting him for the second time in the country. The meeting comes amid trade and Taiwan tensions, with both leaders seeking to navigate their countries' most consequential bilateral relationship.
President Donald Trump will visit China from May 13 to 15 to discuss Iran and trade with President Xi Jinping, according to Beijing's confirmation on Monday. The visit was originally scheduled for late March or early April but was postponed to focus on the Iran war.
World oil prices dived on Wednesday and stock markets rallied after Washington reportedly moved closer to an agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict. Brent North Sea crude dropped below $100 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate fell more than 12 percent before paring losses, while European equities gained as optimism about global energy markets drove a broad risk-on move.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe told AFP that the IOC's decision to introduce testing to determine eligibility to compete in the female category—limiting Olympic women's sports from the 2028 Los Angeles Games to biological females and excluding those with differences in sexual development—is a "very important development for the Olympic movement."
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking in Hanoi, has renewed Japan's commitment to building an international order based on freedom, openness, rule of law, and inclusiveness, calling for Asian countries to develop resilience amid geopolitical competition. The speech reflects a Japanese regional strategy that has concerned China, made possible because Japan and Vietnam share common concerns about China's territorial claims in the East and South China Seas.
China will scrap tariffs for all African countries from Friday except Eswatini, which maintains ties with Taiwan. The zero-tariff policy now covers 53 countries and will remain in place until 30 April 2028, though analysts note that tariff barriers are rarely the main obstacle for African exporters given the region's large trade deficit with China.
An opinion piece argues that the one-China principle—asserting there is only one China, Taiwan is part of it, and the People's Republic of China is its sole legal representative—is grounded in international law, particularly UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971. The author notes that 183 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on this basis, and 53 of 54 African countries recognise the PRC as the sole legitimate government of China.