Tracey Payne
traceypayneasi.bsky.social
Tracey Payne
@traceypayneasi.bsky.social
-Observer on East Asia
-Armchair expert on chairs
-差不多
Looking through the sale itself though is interesting, 82 HIMARS is quite a huge jump in Taiwan's rocket artillery force.

420 ATACMS means the US is giving out it's entire production run of them to Taiwan bc they're scheduled to stop making them soon.

apnews.com/article/trum...
US announces massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion
The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that is sure to infuriat...
apnews.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Despite the AI boom for Taiwan's exports: "exports to China and Hong Kong accounted for 26.8% of total shipments, the lowest share in 24 years"

Big jumps in exports to US and also notably ASEAN.

www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6261926
Taiwan's exports to US jump 180% in November setting monthly records | Taiwan News | Dec. 10, 2025 12:53
38.1% of Taiwan's exports went to US in November, highest share since 2009 | Dec. 10, 2025 12:53
www.taiwannews.com.tw
December 10, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Taiwan's former EU envoy Roy Lee: "There is literally no trade agenda" between the two sides

"People don't want to talk about it, to get serious about how to engage with Taiwan, in a structural way so that it'll promote the interests of all sides"
EU missing Taiwan opportunity to avoid irking 'big friend' China: ex-envoy
Taipei's former representative in Brussels, Roy Lee, says US is 'investment black hole'
asia.nikkei.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
SCOOP: China's top 2 gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, became unavailable on app stores over the weekend. Apple confirmed to WIRED that it removed the two apps following "an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China."

latest with @lmatsakis.bsky.social
Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order
The removal of Blued and Finka marks another setback for China’s marginalized LGBTQ+ community.
www.wired.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Outgoing KMT party chair Eric Chu has congratulated Cheng Li-wun on her expected victory in the KMF chair race, so looks like it’ll be Cheng as new party chair

udn.com/news/story/1...
影/朱立倫已致電恭喜鄭麗文 「盼團結讓國民黨更強」 | 聯合新聞網
國民黨主席選舉結果即將出爐,候選人鄭麗文持續領先。黨主席朱立倫今晚表示,稍早他已分別致電六位候選人,並對鄭麗文表達恭喜;...
udn.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Suzuki eyed for LDP secretary-general, reflecting Aso’s growing influence www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10...
Suzuki eyed for LDP secretary-general, reflecting Aso’s growing influence
Former Prime Minister Taro Aso's influence in the Liberal Democratic Party under the newly elected Sanae Takaichi is becoming increasingly more evident.
www.japantimes.co.jp
October 6, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
TAKAICHI WINS
October 4, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Super Typhoon #Ragasa 's inner core is coming into radar range of Taiwan... long updating loop available at bmcnoldy.earth.miami.edu/tropics/radar/
#NandoPH
September 21, 2025 at 10:47 PM
China throwing a fit about the US statement that Taiwan's status is unresolved.

The Treaty of San Francisco in 1952 was arranged this way because the US didn't trust the KMT.

www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/22/...
Taiwan's return part of post-WWII order
The American Institute in Taiwan has ignited controversy with a statement that dismisses the binding force of wartime documents signed by the United States — including the Cairo Declaration and the Po...
www.chinadaily.com.cn
September 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Taiwan debuts hypersonic missile that could kill China’s ballistic threats at 230,000 feet - Interesting Engineering interestingengineering.com/military/tai...
Taiwan debuts hypersonic missile to kill ballistics at 230,000 feet
Taiwan unveiled a new hypersonic missile system designed to intercept ballistic weapons in near space on Wednesday.
interestingengineering.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Stitching the Liberal Democratic Party back together again will be no easy task, no matter who wins the presidential race on Oct. 4.
After seven decades, is it finally time for the LDP to split up?
With the LDP fraying at the seams, some wonder if the patchwork party will split along ideological lines instead of stitching itself back together.
ebx.sh
September 18, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
US and Taiwanese defence officials held secret talks in Alaska on.ft.com/3VzGyfE
US and Taiwanese defence officials held secret talks in Alaska
Talks came after a higher-level meeting with island’s defence minister was cancelled by the Trump administration
on.ft.com
September 4, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Taiwan is spending $10 billion on missiles to defend itself against China, and getting very good value for money. Meanwhile, Australia is spending $350 billion on submarines whose only possible use is ... to defend Taiwan against China #auspol
Taiwan’s Missile Production Program: A Success Two Years Ahead of Schedule | Global Taiwan Institute
In response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP, 中國共產黨) increased aggression and rhetoric towards Taiwan, the Taiwanese government passed a separate special military budget in 2021 to improve its defense industrial base, giving particular attention to its domestic missile production. Two years after implementing this budget, Taiwan’s missile production program has seen great success, with Taiwan meeting its missile production goals two years ahead of schedule. Producing missile platforms domestically yields several advantages for Taiwan—chiefly, faster delivery times and lower costs for weapons with comparable performance to American weapons systems. Because of this, Taiwan is working to replace some US missile systems with its own indigenous weapons. However, while many of its indigenous missile platforms are comparable to American weapons, some systems need to be improved to provide more credible deterrence against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA, 人民解放軍).
globaltaiwan.org
September 1, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Heroic effort by @heldavidson.bsky.social to push back against the tidal wave of historical revisionism coming from Beijing and being channeled by enablers in Australia.
September 3, 2025 at 2:59 AM
But has it kept up with inflation?

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...
Average income rises 2.5 percent, hits record high - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
The guy obviously has even less experience dealing with India than with China.
WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER NAVARRO SAYS THAT "IF INDIA WANTS TO BE TREATED AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER OF THE US, IT NEEDS TO START ACTING LIKE ONE." - FT
August 18, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
In his remarks at the ceremony marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, Ishiba used the word "reflect" [反省] which had been standard until 2012 for the first time since 2012.

mainichi.jp/articles/202...
「宿命、次の世代に…」 戦後80年の“石破色”に保守派は警戒感 | 毎日新聞
石破茂首相は終戦の日の15日、戦後80年の首相談話を出さなかった一方、政府主催の全国戦没者追悼式の式辞で「あの戦争の反省と教訓」を胸に刻まなければならないと述べて「反省」の語句を13年ぶりに復活させるなど、「石破カラー」をにじませた。
mainichi.jp
August 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
A Boeing 747's wing struck the runway while landing during strong winds brought by Typhoon Podul in Taiwan on Wednesday.

The UPS cargo jet made three approaches to the runway before successfully landing in the gusty conditions.
August 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Ah good, glad the KIMT and the Cabinet have agreed to waste money on a pointless stimulus that does nothing but bump prices up.

Handout is temporary but the price increases will remain forever.

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
Taiwan's Cabinet agrees to distribute NT$10,000 cash handouts - Focus Taiwan
The Executive Yuan said Thursday it would distribute cash handouts to Taiwanese citizens, reversing its earlier opposition to measures proposed and adopted by opposition lawmakers.
focustaiwan.tw
August 15, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Looks like a possible typhoon next week for #Taiwan, but could change. Feels like a busy season so far.
August 8, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Taiwan arrests six in probe of TSMC chip technology leak
Taiwan arrests six in probe of TSMC chip technology leak
The chipmaker had reported a number of former and current staff to authorities on suspicion they illegally obtained core technology.
www.japantimes.co.jp
August 6, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Bit of a review of the new Taiwanese show Zero Day Attack (零日攻擊), it's interesting so far.

First episode is free on Hamivideo and you can watch it with English subtitles on LINE TV. /1
August 3, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Beginning in 2028, Taiwan is looking to purchase 500 Clouded Leopard family armored vehicles armed with a 105mm gun.
August 3, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Reposted by Tracey Payne
Beijing’s tendency to view Starlink as tool of U.S. military power v. Tesla's operations in China - Musk will have to choose sides apnews.com/article/spac...
Chinese researchers suggest lasers and sabotage to counter Musk’s Starlink satellites
Chinese scientists have been developing strategies to counter Elon Musk's Starlink satellites, which they see as a threat.
apnews.com
August 1, 2025 at 1:08 AM