Analysis

Speculation surrounding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) potential expansion in the United States should not be overinterpreted, as structural and economic constraints mean such moves are unlikely to weaken Taiwan's central role in advanced chipmaking in the near future, experts said.

China highlighted the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) Taiwan purchased from the United States during a recent large-scale military exercise, citing the precision weapons as a major threat because of their ability to conduct "deep counterstrikes" against PLA rocket units and logistics, military experts said.

The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China's recent large-scale military exercises was no accident but rather the result of a "quasi-blockade" used to simulate creating air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said.

The military exercises launched Monday by China have many purposes, including cognitive warfare against Taiwan, an effort to counter United States-Japan military cooperation, and the showcasing of coordination with Russia, a scholar said Monday.

When 27-year-old Chang Wen (張文) set off smoke grenades and stabbed bystanders inside the Taipei Main Station's MRT station and near MRT's Zhongshan Station, police were slow to respond, raising questions about the Taipei MRT system's security.

A fintech expert in Taiwan has called for the issuance of a New Taiwan dollar (NTD) stablecoin, saying it is vital for safeguarding Taiwan's monetary sovereignty and reinforcing the country's industrial competitiveness.

Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has faced rising friction with China during her first month in office, with Taiwan unexpectedly pulled into the fray.

China's recent use of local public security bureaus to issue bounty notices against specific Taiwanese individuals reflects a new tactic of "judicial intimidation" aimed at Taiwan that also gives Beijing room for flexibility, scholars told CNA.

China's rapid expansion and diversification of its nuclear arsenal has raised the sobering prospect that Beijing could resort to "nuclear blackmail" or even nuclear warfare against Western nations should they intervene in a conflict over Taiwan -- much like the Kremlin's warnings during its invasion of Ukraine, according to defense experts.

President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) National Day address on Friday softened the tone toward China compared with his major speeches last year, while putting defense front and center to signal Taiwan's resolve to defend itself and to win support from democratic partners, experts told CNA.