Taiwan Strait

A senior U.S. military official warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing's "dangerous" moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders.

Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan and China's increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions.

A senior Chinese military official warned the United States to stop "collusion" with Taiwan while top White House aide Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the tense Strait in a rare one-on-one meeting Thursday, both sides said.

A Chinese nuclear submarine has been spotted surfacing in the Taiwan Strait, according to reports from Taipei. Taiwan's defense minister confirmed today that authorities are closely monitoring the situation after images of a surfaced Chinese nuclear-powered submarine near Taiwanese fishing vessels circulated online, as reported by Reuters.

The U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held rare direct talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for more military dialogue that could help prevent disputes over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues from spinning out of control.

Taiwan raised alarms as it identified six Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels in the vicinity between 6 am on January 14 and 6 am on January 15, according to reports from Taiwan News.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked Beijing to maintain cross-strait stability on Friday during a meeting with a senior Chinese official, hours before voters in Taiwan headed to polls to choose a new president.

Four Chinese balloons were detected moving across the median line separating Taiwan from China, with three flying directly above the island, Taiwan's defence ministry said Wednesday.

China simulated "sealing off" Taiwan during a third day of wargames around the self-ruled island on Monday, as the United States deployed a naval destroyer into Beijing-claimed waters in a show of force.

"The Kinmen Defense Command announced that three series and three drone strikes were detected over Dadan, Erdan and Shiyu islet as of 4:23 p.m. today," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Two United States Navy warships have entered the Taiwan Strait in the first such transit since China staged unprecedented military drills around the island post US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit.