Taiwan Says Chinese Planes Crossed Median Line, China Carries Out Landing Drills

 Members of Taiwan's Navy and media onboard a special operation boat navigate near a Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat, during a drill part of a demonstration for the media, to show combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, on the waters near a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan January 31, 2024. (Reuters)
Members of Taiwan's Navy and media onboard a special operation boat navigate near a Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat, during a drill part of a demonstration for the media, to show combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, on the waters near a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan January 31, 2024. (Reuters)
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Taiwan Says Chinese Planes Crossed Median Line, China Carries Out Landing Drills

 Members of Taiwan's Navy and media onboard a special operation boat navigate near a Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat, during a drill part of a demonstration for the media, to show combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, on the waters near a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan January 31, 2024. (Reuters)
Members of Taiwan's Navy and media onboard a special operation boat navigate near a Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat, during a drill part of a demonstration for the media, to show combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, on the waters near a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan January 31, 2024. (Reuters)

Taiwan's defense ministry said on Friday it had detected a renewed incursion by Chinese military aircraft across the sensitive Taiwan Strait, as China reported its navy had carried out combat drills with landing craft.

Over the past four years, China's military has significantly ramped up its activities around democratically-governed Taiwan. Beijing views the island as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei strongly rejects.

The defense ministry, in its daily morning update on Chinese activities in the previous 24 hours, said 14 Chinese military aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, getting as close as 41 nautical miles (76 km) to the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung, home to a major navy base.

The median line previously served as an unofficial border between the two sides, but Chinese military aircraft now regularly cross it. China says it does not recognize the line's existence.

Taiwan said on Thursday that China had carried out a "joint combat readiness patrol" near the island for the second time in a week.

China's defense ministry did not answer calls seeking comment on Friday, the country being in the middle of its Labour Day holiday.

On Thursday, the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army, which is responsible for the area around Taiwan, showed pictures on its WeChat social media account of ships carrying out what it called live combat landing drills.

It did not say when or where exactly the exercises took place, but showed images of ship-mounted guns opening fire and operating in formation.

"The vanguard of the landing team are always ready to fight," it said in text to accompany the pictures.

The island's top security official said on Wednesday that Taiwan is on alert for China to carry out military exercises following the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te later this month.

Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said China had begun using unusual new tactics, including staging nighttime combat patrols and using landing ships and minesweepers in those patrols.

China's coast guard this week has also been carrying out more patrols around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands which sit next to the Chinese coast. The patrols began in February following a dispute about the death of two Chinese nationals who tried fleeing Taiwan's coast guard upon entering prohibited waters.

Chinese state media said Friday's "normal law enforcement inspection" by its coast guard near Kinmen was to help protect fishermen. Taiwan has decried the patrols as an intimidation tactic.

Lai, who is inaugurated on May 20 after winning election in January, is strongly disliked by China which believes him to be a dangerous separatist. China's government has rejected his repeated offers of talks, including one made last week.

Lai, like current President Tsai Ing-wen, rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims; both say only the island's people can decide their future.

Lai has been Taiwan's vice president for the past four years.



WHO Pandemic Agreement Talks Face Deadline Crunch

Participants in the talks are trying to improve their response to the next pandemic. Thomas Lohnes / AFP
Participants in the talks are trying to improve their response to the next pandemic. Thomas Lohnes / AFP
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WHO Pandemic Agreement Talks Face Deadline Crunch

Participants in the talks are trying to improve their response to the next pandemic. Thomas Lohnes / AFP
Participants in the talks are trying to improve their response to the next pandemic. Thomas Lohnes / AFP

The outcome of years-long negotiations on a global agreement on tackling future pandemics remained in doubt ahead of a final deadline Friday.

Five years after Covid-19 killed millions -- and with new health threats lurking, from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola -- pressure is mounting for a landmark deal on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

"Having a framework that brings nations together and plans for the next pandemic will save thousands if not millions of lives," insisted WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan.

But President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization and his large-scale dismantling of US health institutes is a new threat to the global health risk surveillance system, experts warn.

"It's now or never," said Sueri Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

In December 2021, WHO member states resolved to seek a deal aimed at preventing and preparing for future pandemics, to avoid the mistakes made during Covid.

Major disputes have slowed negotiations, including on how to share data on dangerous pathogens, and whether the transfer of the technology and know-how to produce vaccines, tests and treatments should be mandatory or voluntary.

'Unpredictable'

After 13 rounds of discussions, countries have been meeting at the WHO headquarters in Geneva for final negotiations this week, with a Friday night deadline to iron out remaining problems.

The aim is to have a text ready for final approval during the WHO's annual assembly next month.

"The member states are working very hard," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday, adding: "I hope they will reach a deal."

Ryan added that the negotiators were "making steady progress. But there are difficult issues on the table."

The number of disputed issues have steadily shrunk in recent months, with observers saying the main sticking point now is "political will".

The outcome is "unpredictable", a diplomatic source told AFP.

"Substantial progress" has been made on the draft text, "but differences remain on some key articles", China's mission in Geneva told AFP, calling on all parties to "display mutual understanding" to secure an agreement that is "meaningful, equitable and actionable".

'Very important'

A new extension of the talks until May is possible, with NGOs and experts urging countries to compromise.

"It's very important to reach this agreement, even with a sub-optimal text," said Ellen 't Hoen, director of the Medicines Law and Policy NGO.

"That is much more preferable than having to negotiate such an agreement from scratch, because that will likely only happen after the next pandemic hits, and that would be an unacceptable situation."

Among the remaining sticking points are a so-called Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS) proposed in the text.

The proposal calls for participating companies to provide the WHO with "rapid access" to 20 percent of their production of pandemic-related health products, including "at least 10 percent of their real time production" in the form of donations.

Some countries, especially producer states, have meanwhile balked at what they consider high thresholds.

While the talks could in theory continue even after next month's assembly, there is widespread concern that if the process drags on, the political will to conclude a deal would dissipate.

If that happens, "it will probably be too late", Moon said.

"The wind will go out of the sails."