ASEAN – According to her office, Ingrida Simonyte, who is the Lithuanian Prime Minister had a meeting with the Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday in order to have a dicussion on the topic of the United States’ assistance for Lithuania in the face of Chinese economic pressure. The Chinese government has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania last month …

Taiwan – Taiwan would develop economic relations with Lithuania in a “cycle of goodwill” despite pressure from Beijing, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US said on Wednesday. Following Taiwan’s establishment of a representative office in Lithuania’s capital in November, Beijing severed relations with the Baltic state, and according to diplomatic sources, 19 Lithuanian embassy workers and their dependents had …

Taiwan – Following a heated visit to the island by a delegation of American congressmen, the Chinese army conducted a navy and air force combat readiness patrol in the Taiwan Strait, a spokeswoman said. Tensions between Beijing and Washington have risen significantly over the destiny of democratic self-ruled Taiwan, which China has pledged to reclaim one day, by force if …

Taiwan – In an interview with CNN, the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen expressed confidence that the US would protect the island if China launched a military assault. “I have trust” that US soldiers would assist Taiwan protect itself, Tsai told the television network, adding that Washington’s commitment includes sending Americans to train Taiwan’s military, a program confirmed to the …

China – President Xi Jinping of China recently declared that “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan “would be and can be realized,” days after Chinese aircraft made unprecedented incursions into the democratically ruled island’s air defense zone. Taiwan, which has never officially proclaimed independence, is constantly threatened by China, which regards the island as its own and has promised to take it, …

The Chinese embassy in Australia denounced on Friday the “unfounded allegations” leveled against China by Australia’s defence and foreign ministers and their US counterparts after their annual meeting in Washington. In a statement released after the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, the two nations voiced worry over China’s “expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea that lack legal foundation” and declared …

The US welcomes competition and is not seeking confrontation with Beijing, but would speak out on matters such as maritime conflicts in the South China Sea, Vice President Kamala Harris said as she wrapped off a tour to Southeast Asia. Harris criticized China of pressuring its Southeast Asian neighbors during trips to Singapore and Vietnam, prompting strong rebukes from Beijing, which …

Taiwan, unlike Afghanistan, will not collapse in the case of an assault, Premier Su Tseng-chang said today, issuing an oblique warning to strong neighbor China not to be misguided into believing it could conquer the island. China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military and diplomatic pressure on Taipei to recognize Chinese sovereignty, prompting alarm in …

Quarantine protocols in Metro Manila and Bulacan will ease to general community quarantine (GCQ) with “some restrictions” starting June 16, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday. The quarantine level in the two areas will last until June 30. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the only difference in the GCQ with “some restrictions” classification in Metro Manila and Bulacan is that …

The Philippines on Tuesday denied that it wrote a letter to Taiwan seeking for COVID-19 vaccines. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told ABS-CBN News when asked to confirm the report and confirmed the country has denied that. Taiwanese media initially reported that an official from Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center confirmed that the Philippines “sent a letter to us” seeking to …