A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits off Taiwan's east coast, causing tsunami warnings in Taiwan and neighbouring nations. The quake's epicentre is near Hualien city, leading to building collapses and landslides. TSMC evacuates factories for safety. Japan and the Philippines issue tsunami warnings. The quake, Taiwan's strongest in 25 years, causes power cuts, internet outages, and aftershocks.
Taiwan experienced a powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.7, leaving one person dead, over 50 injured, and many trapped in collapsed buildings. Coastal areas in Japan were urged to evacuate due to tsunami warnings. The quake damaged buildings, caused power outages for over 87,000 households, and disrupted train and metro services in Taiwan. Aftershocks were felt, and tsunami advisories were lifted. The earthquake was felt as far as Shanghai in China.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country in East Asia. The island of Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territories under ROC control. The main island is 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi) and lies some 180 kilometres (112 mi) across the Taiwan Strait from the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The East China Sea lies to the north of the island, the Philippine Sea to its east, the Luzon Strait directly to its south and the South China Sea to its southwest. The ROC also controls a number of smaller islands, including the Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, the Kinmen and Matsu Islands in Fuchien near the PRC's coast, and some of the South China Sea Islands.Geologically, the main island comprises a tilted fault block, characterized by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting mostly of five rugged mountain ranges running parallel to the east coast, and the flat to gently rolling plains of the western third, where the majority of the population resides. Several peaks exceed 3,500 m in height - the highest, Yu Shan at 3,952 m (12,966 ft), makes Taiwan the world's fourth-highest island. The tectonic boundary that formed these ranges remains active, and the island experiences many earthquakes, some of them highly destructive. There are also many active submarine volcanoes in the Taiwan Straits.The climate ranges from tropical in the south to subtropical in the north, and is governed by the East Asian Monsoon. On average, four typhoons strike the main island each year. The heavily forested eastern mountains provide a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, while human land use in the western and northern lowlands is intensive.
Two crew members have been confirmed dead and two rescued after a fishing boat carrying six people sank near Taiwan's Kinmen islands. The joint rescue mission involves six Chinese rescue ships and comes a month after a previous incident between Taiwanese and Chinese vessels in the same area, adding to tensions between Taipei and Beijing. The waters around Kinmen are narrow, leading to frequent cooperation between Taiwan and China in rescue efforts. Taipei claims Kinmen, which is located close to China's eastern coast, while Beijing regards Taiwan as its own territory.
A bipartisan US congressional delegation, led by Rep Jack Bergman, pledged continued support for Taiwan in March 2024. This support comes days after Congress approved $300 million in military aid for the self-governed island that is claimed by China. The delegation's visit to Taiwan reinforces the longstanding relationship between the US and Taiwan in the face of regional tensions.
Experts suggest that Taiwan should consider using sea mines as a vital component of its defense strategy against China's aggressive stance. Naval mines could disrupt amphibious assaults and challenge China's navy. While effective, the deployment of mines poses challenges and environmental risks. Minesweepers could be used to clear the mines, causing delays for China's assault plans. Taiwan's acquisition and deployment of mines require significant effort and preparation. Investing in naval mine capabilities is seen as a crucial priority for Taiwan's defense preparedness.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a country in East Asia.Taiwan or Tai Wan may also refer to:
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia.It is located at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands with a combined area of 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles). The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung the largest metropolitan area. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under a Dutch colony and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945. Japan renounced sovereignty over Taiwan in 1952. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, who established the People's Republic of China, and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, and smaller islands.In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization called the "Taiwan Miracle". In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents since 1996. Taiwan's export-oriented industrial economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country. It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties, healthcare, and human development.The political status of Taiwan is contentious. The ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead. The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the CCP as a rebellious group and recognized its control over mainland China. Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See. Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity; into the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal.
Hualien County (Mandarin Wade–Giles: Hua¹-lien² Hsien⁴; Pīnyīn: Huālián Xiàn; Hokkien POJ: Hoa-lian-koān or Hoa-liân-koān; Hakka PFS: Fâ-lièn-yen; Amis: Kalingko) is a county on the east coast of Taiwan. It is Taiwan's largest county by area, yet due to its mountainous terrain, has one of the lowest populations in the country. The county seat and largest city is Hualien City. Hualien County is located in the eastern part of Taiwan, east of the Pacific Ocean and west of the Central Mountain Range. Hualien is the largest county in Taiwan in terms of area, with a long, narrow and mountainous terrain.Most of the population resides in the Huadong Valley, which runs north to south, sandwiched between the Central and Hai'an mountain ranges. Due to the rural nature of the county, Hualien attracts many visitors for its natural environment, which includes Taroko Gorge, Qingshui Cliff and Qixingtan Beach.Much of the modern day Hualien County was populated by the Sakizaya people prior to the arrival of the Spanish, Dutch and Han Chinese who later joined the Qing and the region was renamed to Karenkō Prefecture in 1895 during Japanese colonial rule. After the end of the World War II, the Republic of China, established in 1911 after the fall of the Qing, took control of Taiwan and reorganized the former Karenkō Prefecture as Hualien County of Taiwan Province in 1945. Taiwan Province would later be downsized in 1998 and Hualien County became directly governed by the Executive Yuan.Hualien's beautiful environment with the mountains and the sea has created countless beautiful landscapes. The whole county is almost located in scenic areas, with the high mountains and valleys of Taroko National Park, the majestic Yushan National Park, the beautiful natural scenery of the East Coast Scenic Area, and the idyllic scenery of the East Rift Valley Scenic Area. Hualien's breathtaking natural scenery has made the county an internationally attractive tourist destination and one of Taiwan's most renowned and popular travel destination. Its known as "No.2 Most Welcoming City on Earth" released by Booking.com in 2023, which is the only Asian city on the list.The fresh air and clean water have given birth to rich and beautiful agricultural products, including rice, honey-scented black tea, coffee, watermelon, Pomelo, and organic agricultural products with good qualities. Hualien's environment is extremely suitable for the development of organic agriculture. As of February 2023, Hualien's organic cultivation area has reached 3,175 hectares, and the organic cultivation area is the largest in the country, accounting for 23% of the total area. Because of the clean environment, sustainable environmental policies, and hardworking farmers, Hualien has become the largest organic agricultural production base in Taiwan.
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