Day: December 15, 2025

Taiwan has moved to tighten conscription rules after a string of high-profile cases involving celebrities and young men who falsified their medical records to evade mandatory military service. In addition, the proposed changes would also mandate alternative service for transgender and intersex people, a move that has sparked backlash from rights groups and other members of the public. The island’s defence ministry on Monday unveiled a draft amendment to its physical classification standards, overhauling eligibility for exemption, alternative service and regular service in what officials described as a bid to…

The reported US seizure of a ship allegedly carrying Chinese-made dual-use components to Iran might signal Washington was “testing the waters” on reviving an old tactic to pressure Beijing’s ties with its adversaries, but such moves risked breaching international law, analysts said. An American special operations team boarded a ship from China bound for Iran in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka last month, The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday. Citing sources, it said the operation aimed to block Tehran’s import of components for its military build-up. Operatives from…

Recent months have witnessed an important shift in the political landscape across the Taiwan Strait, one that deserves careful consideration from policymakers in Asia, Europe and the United States. Despite considerable global turbulence, years of rising tensions in Asia and external pressure, there are emerging signs of stabilisation and even fresh momentum for peaceful momentum towards unification between mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan’s political environment has evolved significantly since its elections in January 2024. Contrary to predictions of heightened confrontation, the island experienced no major unrest or instability. Instead, the…

Britain’s government on Monday summoned China’s ambassador to the UK to protest the conviction of British citizen Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on national security charges in Hong Kong, while US President Donald Trump said he urged leniency for Lai in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump told reporters, without specifying exactly when he spoke with Xi. “He’s an older man, and he’s not well. So I did put that request out.…

China has announced a new policy package to boost household spending by tightening coordination between commerce and financial regulators, expanding access to credit and promoting new forms of consumption. The move comes as soft retail sales and weak consumer confidence continued to weigh on economic growth last month, highlighting the urgency for policymakers to expand domestic demand. That priority has topped the agenda of the central economic work conference – an annual gathering of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party and the State Council, China’s cabinet – for…

Senior US officials on Monday pushed back against suggestions of American retreat from the Indo-Pacific, declaring that Washington is recalibrating its foreign assistance to more effectively outcompete China in the strategically vital region while maintaining support for allies through targeted aid and security cooperation. The focus, they said, is shifting away from broad assistance towards targeted partnerships that serve US interests and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, ranging from critical infrastructure to maritime security, critical minerals and military financing aimed at bolstering regional resilience and countering adversarial influence. Allison…