DefenceTalkChina has suspended imports of Lithuanian beef, the customs administration said, as tensions rise over trade following the Baltic nation’s stance on Taiwan. Lithuania, one of the smallest countries in the European Union, enraged China last year when it allowed Taipei to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan — a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-suspends-lithuanian-beef-imports-amid-row-over-taiwan-77891/

DefenceTalkTaiwan thanked the United States Tuesday for selling up to $100 million worth of equipment and services to support its air and missile defence systems, as China ramps up incursions of warplanes into the island’s air defence zone. Self-ruled democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-welcomes-arms-sale-worth-100mn-from-us-77853/

DefenceTalkChina’s deployment of J-16D fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defence zone this week marked the first sighting of the new high-tech warplanes, Taipei confirmed Tuesday, their electronic-jamming equipment posing a fresh threat to the island. Taiwan lives under the constant specter of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled, democratic island as part of its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-high-tech-warplanes-pose-big-new-threat-to-taiwan-77763/

DefenceTalkChina sent 39 warplanes — mostly fighter jets — into Taiwan’s air defence zone on Sunday, the island’s government said, in the second-largest daily incursion on record. Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled, democratic island as part of its territory to eventually be reclaimed, by force if […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-sends-second-largest-incursion-of-jets-into-taiwan-defence-zone-77737/

DefenceTalkAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s WeChat account has disappeared, prompting accusations of Chinese “interference” from senior members of his government Monday. But Tencent, the Chinese tech giant that owns WeChat, has denied that the prime minister’s account was hacked or removed from its platform. “Based on our information, this appears to be a dispute over […]https://www.defencetalk.com/wechat-denies-australia-pms-account-was-hacked-77733/

DefenceTalkChina and Russia on Thursday blocked a US push to impose United Nations sanctions on five North Koreans in response to recent missile launches by Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP. China’s block came before a new closed-door Security Council meeting on North Korea, also requested by Washington, and was followed by Russia’s decision to similarly oppose […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-russia-block-us-push-for-un-sanctions-on-n-koreans-diplomats-77706/

DefenceTalkTehran: Iran, Russia and China will begin on Friday joint naval drills for three days in the Indian Ocean, seeking to reinforce “common security”, an Iranian naval official said Thursday. The announcement of the manoeuvres coincides with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s official visit to Moscow, where he said Tehran has “no limits for expanding ties […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-russia-china-to-stage-indian-ocean-war-games-77703/

DefenceTalkTaiwan’s parliament on Tuesday passed an extra spending bill of nearly $8.6 billion in its latest bid to boost defence capabilities against an increasingly bellicose China. The government proposed a five-year special defence budget of around TW$237.3 billion from 2022 as Chinese warplanes breached its air defence zone at unprecedented levels last year. Democratic Taiwan […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-passes-extra-8-6-bln-defence-budget-as-china-threat-grows-77660/

DefenceTalkJapan moved ahead with an expansion of support to US troops as the allies held top-level talks on Friday over tensions with China and North Korea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the two nations were signing a five-year extension of the support package provided by Japan for the hosting of around 50,000 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-extends-us-military-support-amid-china-north-korea-challenges-77639/

DefenceTalkJapan and Australia on Thursday signed a “landmark” treaty to strengthen defence ties, saying the accord would contribute to regional stability, as China expands its military and economic clout. While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not mention Beijing directly in a statement released ahead of the signing, the agreement is seen as another step […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-australia-sign-defence-treaty-with-eyes-on-china-77634/