Lai Ching-te’s speech – which included a proposal to set up military courts – prompted an angry reaction from Beijing, which called him a ‘creator of crisis’

Taiwan’s new president has formally labelled China a “foreign hostile force” and ramped up national security measures in the face of growing threats and a string of spying cases.

The new measures announced on Thursday include a controversial proposal to restore a military court system in Taiwan, which was under martial law until the late 1980s.

Threat after Taipei announces bigger military drills appears to mirror a line from children’s film Ne Zha 2

China’s defence ministry spokesperson has warned Taiwan “we will come and get you, sooner or later”, after Taipei announced an expansion of military exercises.

The threat was delivered in a press conference on Thursday, but grabbed attention inside China for its apparent mirroring of a line from the record-breaking children’s movie Ne Zha 2.

Taiwan’s coastguard says it ‘cannot be ruled out that it was a grey-zone intrusion by China’

Taiwan’s coastguard has detained a cargo ship and its Chinese crew after an undersea cable in the Taiwan Strait was damaged on Tuesday, saying it cannot rule out the possibility it was a deliberate “grey zone” act.

“Whether the cause of the undersea cable breakage was intentional sabotage or a simple accident remains to be clarified by further investigation,” the coastguard said in a statement. “It cannot be ruled out that it was a grey-zone intrusion by China.”

Shunxing 39 was briefly detained by coastguard on Friday on suspicion of dragging anchor over cable running to US

Taiwanese authorities are investigating a Chinese-owned vessel that is suspected of damaging an undersea internet cable, causing limited disruption.

The Cameroon-registered vessel Shunxing 39 was briefly detained by Taiwan’s coastguard on Friday on suspicion of dragging its anchor over an international subsea cable north-east of the island. The cable runs to the US and is co-owned by several international companies.

Image dispersed during Monday’s military drills likened to sexual harassment or abusive partner

A Chinese propaganda image dispersed during Monday’s military drills around Taiwan was supposed to send a positive message to the island’s people, but instead has been decried as weird, creepy, and akin to “sexual harassment”.

On Monday China targeted Taiwan with major military exercises, surrounding its main island and outer territories with planes and ships to practise a blockade and attack. Alongside a record number of warplanes, dozens of navy and coastguard vessels, and cyber-attacks, China also launched a torrent of propaganda.