Taiwan

Beijing has announced that the United States and China will pursue a military crisis-communication pact, according to the South China Morning Post. The reported agreement would aim to keep open channels between the two militaries and reduce the risk of escalation during incidents at sea or in the air. The announcement comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, Taiwan and regional security.

Attention is turning to whether South Korea could avoid being drawn into a military conflict over Taiwan. The question reflects growing concern that a cross-strait clash would entangle US allies in the region, given South Korea's alliance commitments and proximity to the flashpoint. Debate focuses on Seoul's options for staying out of a war that many analysts fear could erupt with little warning.

A Taipei official said the United States 'very much' understands Taiwan's defence needs, signalling confidence in American support amid ongoing tensions with China. The statement, reported by US media, comes as Taiwan continues to seek stronger security cooperation and arms support from Washington. The remark underscores the close, if unofficial, relationship between the two sides.

Taiwan's foreign minister has departed for Belize and Guatemala, accompanied by a business delegation. The visit underscores Taipei's efforts to maintain ties with two of its remaining diplomatic allies in Central America and to promote trade and investment opportunities. Details about the delegation's agenda or the officials involved were not immediately available.

The political blog Frozen Garlic has covered the campaign launches of the two leading candidates for mayor of New Taipei City in Taiwan. The KMT has fielded former Taipei deputy mayor Hammer Lee (李四川), while the DPP is backing Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧). New Taipei City is widely seen as a barometer of how Taiwan's local elections will go overall.

The trending item is Episode 304 of a YouTube finance show called 'Finance Horn' discussing Taiwan's central bank keeping interest rates unchanged for a tenth consecutive meeting. The visible title frames it as a question about why the Central Bank of Taiwan is not moving on rates, suggesting the episode analyzes the reasoning behind the prolonged freeze. The evidence consists only of the video title and engagement count, so specific viewer reactions or detailed arguments made in the episode are not clear from the posts.