Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday defended a proposed controversial trade agreement with China, saying the self-ruled island faced isolation without it. Taiwan's China-friendly administration hopes the pact, the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, could spur growth and boost employment by easing barriers. But the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which favours independence from China, strongly opposes the deal, which it ...

Taiwan offered one million Taiwan dollars (31,250 US) Tuesday for a catchy slogan to help boost the island's dwindling birth rate, one of the world's lowest. "We are seeking a creative slogan that would appeal to the public and make everybody want to have children," an interior ministry statement said. Taiwan's authorities have been offering various ...

Taiwan's national museum on Monday said it would not lend its half of a famous ancient painting to China for an exhibition because it feared it would not be returned. The announcement came a day after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he hoped one day to visit Taiwan, amid warming relations between Beijing and the self-ruled island, which split ...

AU Optronics, a leading Taiwanese flat screen manufacturer, said Monday it plans to spend three billion US dollars building a new plant in China as it looks to tap into the huge mainland market. The announcement follows Taiwan's relaxation of restrictions on flat screen and microchip investment in China in February amid improving ties. AU Optronics is planning on ...