Taiwan
Taiwan is an island in the Pacific Ocean, 150 km from the eastern coast of mainland China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan Strait.
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Main article: Countries of the world
President
2024: Lye Tsinde elected president in defiance of China's warnings of possible conflict
In January 2024, Taiwan elected a representative of the ruling Lye Tsinde party as president, contrary to Beijing's warnings that the victory of this opponent of China could lead to war. Lye 's victory casts doubt on the recent stabilization of relations between Beijing and Washington.
Three candidates fought for the presidency - Lye Tsinde from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ho Yu from the Kuomintang and Ke Wenzhe from the Taiwan People's Party.
The winner was Lye Tsinde, who led in social polls throughout almost the entire election race. It is characteristic that it was during the reign of his party colleague Tsai Ing-wen that relations PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA with greatly deteriorated, and military activity PLA around the island grew.
"Taiwan will continue to go side by side with democratic countries around the world," Lye said, making it clear that he will maintain close ties with Washington. He also pledged to maintain peace throughout the Taiwan Strait.
Armed Forces
2024: Map of Taiwan's military installations
2023
Taiwan unveils its first self-designed submarine
In September 2023, Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine. It is expected to enter service with the island's Navy in 2025.
The Taiwanese Navy plans to obtain eight submarines, which the authorities say will help counter the naval blockade, which will be organized by China in the event of an open conflict.
The construction of the submarine was an important domestic political event. The Democratic Progressive Party is touting the project as its credit for the upcoming 2024 election.
The same information channel is used to denigrate the opposition. Thus, a representative of the Kuomintang party was accused of leaking and transferring data about the submarine to China, which reduces the likelihood of the party winning the elections.
It is not yet clear whether the submarine will perform the functions necessary for long-term work, wrote "Rybar." According to expert comments, the submarine lacks an air-independent power plant that allows you to be underwater for a long time. And although the island's Navy said the construction process was smooth, it is still unclear whether such a problem was relevant and whether it was possible to solve it.
The American and British military-industrial complex won the most from the implementation of the project. According to official sources, the submarine is 60% composed of imported technologies and mechanisms - for example, in the first nine months of 2022, Britain approved the export of parts to Taiwan in the amount of $202 million. And the missiles that the submarine will be equipped with, worth $180 million, were purchased by the island authorities from the United States.
Urgent arms supply from the United States for $345 million
In July 2023, representatives of the US government announced a new tranche of military assistance to the island of Taiwan in the amount of $345 million. For the first time, it will be delivered through the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) mechanism, which is used to urgently send American weapons to Ukraine.
U.S. officials have not disclosed what specifically will be in that package. However, in some media, citing anonymous sources in Washington , they write that portable anti-aircraft missile systems, reconnaissance and surveillance equipment, firearms and missiles will arrive in Taiwan as part of the tranche.
One of the features of the PDA is the quick dispatch of military assistance to the addressee, since weapons are taken from American stocks. Prior to that, as part of support for Taiwan, American politicians allocated money for the production of new equipment and weapons, which should arrive on the island in a few years.
A possible reason for using the PDA is Taiwan's slow receipt of military aid. Military aid for about $19 billion at this time is actually hanging in the air due to the load on the US military-industrial complex. [1] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen also expressed her concern about this during a visit to Washington.
2022: $1.6 billion earmarked for drones to defend against China
On November 9, 2022, it became known about the decision of the Taiwanese authorities to allocate NT $50 billion (about $1.6 billion) for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles in order to protect the island from a possible invasion by China.
According to the Financial Times, citing its sources, several private companies will be engaged in the production of drones, including intelligence ones. Manufacturers are expected to receive the first orders no later than July 2023.
 | The conflict in Ukraine emphasized the decisive role of drones, - the newspaper quotes the words of an expert, whose name is not called. |  |
By November 2022, the Taiwan Army is purchasing drones from the United States. For example, the amount of the contract concluded in September 2022 amounted to $555 million. At the same time, there are also local samples, for example, the Chien Hsiang attack drone.
Earlier, Wang Dingyu, a member of the legislative yuan (parliament) from the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, said that the Taiwanese military should have the means of combating drones of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) in order to protect the airspace of the territories.
At the end of August 2022, The Straits Times, citing a statement from the country's Ministry of Defense, reported that in 2023 Taiwan would begin deploying drone defense systems on coastal islands. It was clarified that the first elements of the system will be deployed on the Jinmen Islands, controlled by Taiwan, located opposite the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.
On November 8, 2022, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said in an interview with the American magazine The Atlantic that China's invasion of Taiwan could happen soon. According to the president, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA the authorities are gradually taking control of the Taiwan Strait, which in the future could lead to a blockade of the island.[1]
2021
Defense spending - 1.74% of GDP
US vows to protect Taiwan from China
On October 22, 2021 USA Joe Biden China , the president said that if he attacked Taiwan, the United States would defend him. He stated that citizens should not worry about Washington's military might, as "China and the Russia rest of the world know that we have the most powerful military in history."
"China claims Taiwan belongs to it. Taiwan, on the other hand, claims to be an independent country that will defend its freedoms and democracy. "
Biden said the Cold War with China is not what he wants. However, he said the US wants the country to "understand that we are not going to back down" and change our views.
The law governs U.S. defense relations with Taiwan, and the country's policy on the territory has not changed.
Population
Birth rate
2024: Record low birth rate of 134,856
The birth rate in Taiwan at the end of 2024 decreased to a record low, amounting to 134,856 births. The birth rate has been declining for 9 years in a row. This is evidenced by the data of the local statistical department, published in January 2025.
According to the Taipei Times, the total number of inhabitants of the island in 2024 decreased by 20,222 people and amounted to 23.4 million. In 2024, the Taiwanese population decreased by more than 55 people per day, the newspaper adds.
Son
2018: Average sleep duration 6 hours 49 minutes
Economy
Main article: Economy of Taiwan
Education
2019: Number of years of education by citizens over 25
History
2024: Worst earthquake in 25 years
Taiwan's worst earthquake in 25 years on April 2, 2024, destroyed dozens of buildings on the east side of the island, killing at least four people and disrupting semiconductor manufacturing at the world's leading chip manufacturing facilities.
2022
Ban on civil servants using TikTok
On December 6, 2022, it became known that Taiwan had banned civil servants from using the popular service to create and watch short TikTok videos. The decision was made for the reason that this application is said to pose a threat to national information security. Read more here.
Dynamics of Chinese aircraft entering the air defense zone of Taiwan
Countries supporting diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Card
In Taiwan, they began to imprison for 12 years for industrial espionage. This is necessary to protect the production of chips
On May 20, 2022, in Taiwan, the government adopted amendments imposing a punishment for economic espionage in the form of imprisonment for up to 12 years or a fine of $3.37 million. Additionally, employees of key industries are prohibited from traveling to China without permission from the Taiwanese government. Tougher penalties are aimed primarily at protecting the Taiwanese semiconductor industry from leaks of trade secrets.
Taiwan's first set of amendments to the National Security Act toughens penalties for aiding China, Hong Kong, Macau, foreign nations or hostile foreign forces in obtaining, using or leaking trade secrets related to key technologies by stealing, cheating, coercing or replicating without permission.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chao Tien-Lin said that the amendments will make Taiwan an exemplary student in the clean supply chain system. As an advanced country capable of protecting trade secrets, Taiwan should be included in mechanisms such as the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Chao added.
According to the amendments, violators face from 5 to 12 years in prison or a fine of $1 million to $3.37 million. Meanwhile, theft of confidential business information will be punishable by a fine of two to ten times the amount of economic benefit received, the law says, noting that such profits can be huge.
Penalties also apply to three other forms of espionage:
- Reproduction, use or leakage of trade secrets of basic technologies without permission or outside the permitted scope of application;
- Failure to remove, destroy or conceal trade secrets after being reported by their owners;
- Obtaining, using or leaking trade secrets, despite the fact that they were obtained criminally.
If active or retired military personnel, civil servants or civil servants are found guilty of such a crime, they will lose the right to receive a pension and will be forced to return the amounts already received, the amendments say.
Economic espionage cases will be heard in Taiwan's first instance by the Intellectual Property Court and the Commercial Court, and cases not involving trade secrets or assistance to hostile foreign forces will be heard in Taiwan's first instance by the High Court. The court may also establish a special tribunal or special division to hear cases under this law.[2]
2021
Nicaragua breaks diplomatic ties with Taiwan
In December 2021, Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognizes it only as part of the PRC.
"The government of the Republic of Nicaragua recognizes that there is only one, the only China in the world," Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said. "The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China and Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory."
At this time, Taipei has full official diplomatic relations with 14 countries, mainly from the Caribbean.
China strikes Lithuania off its customs register for cooperating with Taiwan
In early December 2021, China deleted Lithuania from the customs register, Lithuania will no longer be able to issue its goods through Chinese customs.
Vilnius requested help from the European Union, consultations are underway with the European Commission on the EU's reaction to the decision of the Chinese authorities.
"Lithuania is excluded from the customs system, it seems that there is no such country in the Chinese customs system. This creates additional problems for exporters because they cannot send the remaining amount of cargo, "said the President of the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists Vidmantas Janulevicius.
Relations between the two countries are in crisis due to the opening of Taiwan's representative office in Vilnius on November 18.
Notes
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