The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene looks on during a press conference in Berlin on Jan. 29. Since the establishment of the office, Taiwan and Lithuania have continued working together to promote substantive cooperation in fields such as lasers, semiconductors and finance, strengthening democratic economic resilience, it said. Taiwan would continue to maintain close communication with Lithuania to jointly deepen bilateral relations, it added. In late 2021, China downgraded relations with Lithuania after Taiwan opened the office.

Australia, Indonesia hedge against China with a security dealCONTRIBUTION: Canberra has signed deals across the Pacific region and boosted efforts to increase influence as Washington leans on allies to help deter BeijingBloombergAustralia and Indonesia’s leaders yesterday signed a security deal, one of a series of agreements that Canberra has secured with neighboring countries to reinforce ties and limit China’s influence in the region. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, left, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk together during a meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta yesterday. Late last year, Australia concluded a security deal with Papua New Guinea, which sits north of Australia and east of Indonesia. “The government can be very pleased with the agreements it signed across the Pacific,” Lowy Institute security program director Sam Roggeveen said. The deal is largely based on an agreement signed by then-Australian prime minister Paul Keating and then-Indonesian president Suharto 30 years ago that Jakarta abrogated following East Timor’s vote for independence from Indonesia.

US tariff deal should be finalized this month: AIT headBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan should be able to approve the Taiwan-US tariff agreement this month, providing certainty for businesses, Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday. While touring a production line at Victor Taichung Machinery Works yesterday with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene, Chiang said he had confirmed with Greene that the agreement should be finalized by the middle of this month. Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang, front left, and American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene, center, tour a company in Taichung yesterday. The Taiwan-US Reciprocal Trade Agreement awaits signing. Meanwhile, Greene said Taiwan is a dependable partner and plays a critical role in global supply chains.

Han Kuang drill to maintain 10-day scheduleREADINESS: The exercises would follow ‘real troops, real locations, real equipment and real-time’ scenarios to train for modern combat, Koo saidBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThis year’s Han Kuang military drills would maintain last year’s 10-day, nine-night schedule, focusing on decentralized command and control, operations in designated “kill” zones, and urban resilience, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said. Tanks are pictured in Taichung during the Han Kuang exercises in July last year. From April to November, the military plans to conduct immediate readiness drills, joint defense exercises, the Han Kuang exercises and joint resistance drills to further improve key combat capabilities, he said. The 42nd Han Kuang drills would emphasize decentralized operations, battlefield management, anti-drone measures and personnel mobilization, while incorporating urban resilience drill modules in coordination with local governments, he said. The drills would adhere to “real troops, real locations, real equipment and real-time” scenarios to meet the requirements of modern combat, Koo said.

Oman mediates talks between Tehran and WashingtonAFP, MUSCATIran and the US were yesterday holding talks in Oman that were seen as a critical chance to avert any new escalation between the foes, after US President Donald Trump threatened military action. The talks come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead according to rights groups. Photo: Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFPUS Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi are leading their delegations at the talks. Iranian state media described the talks as indirect and as of press time last night, there was no indication yet of the Iranian and US officials meeting directly. Images published by Oman showed both sides meeting separately with Oman Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.

The first installment must be paid by March 31, but the legislature has not yet sent the government’s defense spending proposal to the committee for review, it said. Over the past year, China has used more complex and precise military pressure, cyberattacks and psychological warfare against Taiwan, Koo said. The Consolidated Appropriations Act bundles five bills, and includes measures covering defense spending and national security. The act allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) under the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide program, with funding available through Sept. 30 next year. At least US$4 million in funding under the National Security Investment Programs is to be allocated for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which is administered by the AIT.

Prosecutors indict man over online threats against president LaiBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today indicted a man for allegedly posting social media threats calling for the decapitation of President William Lai (賴清德). The 42-year-old man, surnamed Hsu (許), is facing charges of endangering public safety and threatening the public under the Criminal Code after posts he made on Threads in March last year, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is pictured in an undated photograph. The first, posted on March 4, read: “Kill the Green bird toads first, then behead President Lai and there will be peace in East Asia,” the indictment said. The second, posted on March 14, said: “Decapitate President Lai, save Taiwan!

Military police deploy tactical vehicles in Taipei key facility drillStaff Writer, with CNAVarious types of wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) cruised through the streets of Taipei Thursday as the military police conducted a drill to protect key facilities in Taiwan’s capital, the Military News Agency reported. The "combat reconnaissance patrol drill," conducted by the 239th Military Police Mechanized Infantry Battalion, included CM33 and CM34 IFVs, which rapidly maneuvered to tactical positions, according to the report. An infantry fighting vehicle is pictured during the military police conduct exercise in Taipei yesterday. The capture of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January by the United States has sparked discussions in Taiwan over whether China’s People’s Liberation Army has the capacity to carry out a similar "decapitation strike" on Taiwan’s president. Asked about the issue, Vice Defense Minister Hsu Szu- chien (徐斯儉) told reporters last month that the defense ministry has established rules of engagement regarding contingencies, and Taiwan’s armed forces are prepared for "all kinds of scenarios."

Final batch of M1A2T tanks to be delivered soon, source saysThe manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion

Trump’s actions during his first term as president included abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, reimposing sweeping sanctions and the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani in 2020, and foreshadowed a new approach toward a longstanding adversary. Since Oct. 7 last year, Israel’s systematic campaign against Iran’s so-called axis of resistance has steadily eroded Tehran’s sense of security. The US would coordinate strikes against the Iranian leadership, missile forces, air defenses and remaining nuclear infrastructure, seeking to cripple the regime. Under combined external pressure and internal unrest, the regime fractures, producing not liberal transition, but a power vacuum. Whether through forced compromise, limited war or regime collapse, none of the likely paths ahead point toward immediate stability or democratic transition.

“The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence,” Xi was quoted as saying. President William Lai speaks during a news conference on the Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership in Taipei on Tuesday. All cooperation programs will continue and will not change,” Lai said, adding that US commitments to Taiwan also remain unchanged. “The only concern that is going to impact the future of arms sales is our opposition parties’ attitude ... toward the defense budget,” Chen said. As the department and AIT have repeatedly stated, the US welcomes Taiwan’s announcement of the US$40 billion special defense budget, the official said.

Passports are not proof of loyaltyBy Liu Che-ting 劉哲廷On a political figure’s first day in office, they are expected to lay out their governing direction, institutional responsibilities and public commitments. However, when the conversation immediately revolves around passports, the issue is less about the law and more about managing anxiety. The crux of Li’s gesture lies not in whether she does or does not possess a particular passport. It lies in her deliberate attempt to make a passport possess functions it was never meant to carry — a symbol of loyalty, proof of political identity and a moral shield against scrutiny. The country does not need to see the color of its cover, nor does it wish to participate in your identity performance.

What do new files reveal about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein? Blanche’s interview underscored the administration’s aggressive efforts to downplay Trump’s links to Epstein and get ahead of any potential negative exposure for the president. Then-US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene last year said Trump told her that his friends would get hurt if the files were released. Indeed, the files released last week do connect people close to Trump to Epstein for the first time. Steve Bannon, a top Trump strategist, also corresponded extensively with Epstein and conducted an extensive video interview with Epstein, the files show.

Federal law permits ICE to make warrantless arrests under only two circumstances. That brings us to the new memo, which addresses whether ICE agents can then arrest the person who has been stopped. In practice, that made it relatively unusual for ICE agents to carry out a warrantless arrest. The total package amounts to a sweeping authorization for ICE agents to roam the streets, grab just about anyone they want, arrest and detain them. The warrant requirement for an ICE arrest, established by statute, is meant to function as a protection against exactly the kind of massive, non-specific sweeps ICE is now performing.

ASE increases capital spending to record US$7bnBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterASE Technology Holding Co (ASE, 日月光投控), the world’s biggest chip packaging and testing service provider, yesterday said it was increasing capital expenditure to a record US$7 billion this year to meet demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and a broader recovery in non-AI sectors. ASE Technology Holding Co chief financial officer Joseph Tung, left, and chief operating officer Tien Wu attend an earnings conference in Taipei yesterday. The Kaohsiung-based company expects leading-edge advanced packaging (LEAP) services revenue to at least double to US$3.2 billion this year, from US$1.6 billion last year, ASE said. Gross margin for its chip packaging and testing services is expected to improve to 24 to 25 percent this quarter, compared with 23.5 percent last quarter. Net profit for the full year expanded 25 percent to NT$40.66 billion from NT$332.48 billion in 2024, hitting a three-year high.