OpenAI has announced a partnership with Taiwan's Foxconn to design and make equipment for AI data centers in the U.S. Foxconn, known for making assembling iPhones and other Apple products and making servers for Nvidia, said it will co-design artificial intelligence data center racks with OpenAI under the agreement.

Nvidia has become the first $5 trillion company, just three months after the Silicon Valley chipmaker was first to break through the $4 trillion barrier.

The Right Livelihood Award has been given to activists from Sudan, Myanmar, the Pacific Islands, and Taiwan.

Prosecutors in Taiwan indicted former presidential candidate and Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je on corruption charges, accusing him of taking bribes during his time as mayor of Taiwan’s capital.

Lawmakers have clashed in Taiwan’s legislature after members of a leading political party broke into the building overnight to occupy the speaker’s chair.

Just over a month after Ernst & Young resigned as its public accounting firm, Super Micro Computer says a review committee has found no evidence of fraud or misconduct among the server maker’s leadership.

A ride-hailing driver has recounted how he had narrow escape when a huge tree smashed onto his vehicle as Typhoon Kong-rey swept over Taiwan, also sweeping away metal roofs and sending landslides onto roads and into houses.

The United States has approved $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, including the delivery for the first time to the island of an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system.

Taiwan's defense ministry says China used 125 military aircraft in exercises aimed at Taiwan, a record for a single day.

Former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen is to visit Czech Republic, and other European destinations, drawing China’s ire.

Typhoon Krathon has made landfall in the major Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung.

Nikki Haley says she's launching a weekly talk show on SiriusXM satellite radio starting next week.

With politics set aside, well-wishers have gathered to wish Taipei zoo’s oldest giant panda a happy 20th birthday.

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says an isolationist policy isn’t “healthy” as she called on the Republican party to stand with her country’s allies during a visit to Taiwan.

The United States’ new top envoy to Taiwan has promised Washington will help the self-ruled island defend itself as China ramps up its military threats against Taipei.

A cybersecurity intelligence company says a suspected Chinese state-sponsored hacking group has intensified attacks on Taiwanese organizations, particularly those in sectors such as the government, education and technology.

The Biden administration has approved a new $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material.

Nvidia’s startling ascent in the stock market reached another milestone Tuesday as the chipmaker rose to become the most valuable company in the S&P 500.

Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature has passed changes that are seen as favoring China and diminishing the power of the island’s president.

Russia and China helped each other expand their territorial reach, and democracies must push back against authoritarian states that threaten their rights and sovereignty, Taiwan’s outgoing foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Biden administration says the White House is sending an unofficial delegation to Taiwan this weekend for the inauguration of the island’s democratically elected president.

With fireworks, feasts and red envelopes stuffed with cash for the kids, numerous Asian nations and overseas communities have welcomed the arrival of the Lunar New Year.

A war of words has erupted the day after Taiwan’s presidential election.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has mistranslated an alert into English, saying China had launched a missile instead of a satellite and urging caution days before the island’s elections.

Chinese state media report that Foxconn, a Fortune 500 company known globally for making Apple iPhones, was recently subjected to searches by Chinese tax authorities.

A typhoon is heading toward southern China and Hong Kong after bringing record-breaking winds and leaving one dead in Taiwan.

Typhoon Koinu is sweeping southern Taiwan.

Taiwan has suspended flights, rail transport and ferry services along with classes and outdoor events and it is urging workers to stay home as Typhoon Haikui churns across the southern part of the island.

A typhoon that damaged homes and knocked out power on Okinawa and other southern Japanese islands this week is slowly moving west but is forecast to make a U-turn and dump even more rain on the archipelago.

A delegation of United States defense contractors and a former senior leader of the U.S. Marine Corps are pledging the beginning of deeper cooperation with Taiwan.

A former U.S. national security adviser has called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China.

The president of Guatemala has appealed to other governments to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty during an official visit at a time when China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up efforts to isolate the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

The Biden administration is stressing to China unofficial stopovers to the U.S. by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen should not be used as pretext by Beijing to increase aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait.

The founder of the processor chip industry's biggest manufacturer is warning that U.S. government efforts to move production from Asia to the United States will as much as double their cost.

Three years into the global pandemic, Taiwan says people no longer have to wear masks at all times indoors though it is still keeping some restrictions in place.

A delegation of U.S. lawmakers has met with the head of Taiwan’s legislature as part of a five-day visit to the self-ruled island that comes as U.S.-China relations remain tense after weeks of trading accusations over a spy balloon.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has welcomed the former head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command who warned in 2021 that the island could face an invasion from China this decade.

The company that assembles Apple Inc.’s iPhones says it will ease COVID-19 restrictions at its largest factory in China that led thousands of workers to quit.

Tuan Tuan, one of two giant pandas gifted to Taiwan from China as a symbol of hoped-for reunion between the sides, has died.

Taiwan has welcomed a pair of experts from China to help with an ailing panda in a rare opportunity for contact between the sides.

Some 120,000 people paraded in the streets of Taipei despite the rainy weather in the city’s 20th annual Pride event celebrating the LGBTQ community Saturday.

The Taiwanese company that assembles smartphones for Apple Inc. and other global brands has unveiled an electric SUV that will be produced for a Taiwan automaker under a similar contract model.

China’s Foreign Ministry is accusing the United States of violating its commitment to the “One China” principle and interfering in internal Chinese affairs.

A strong typhoon has made landfall on a group of Chinese islands as it heads toward the metropolis of Shanghai.

Palau’s vice president and her eight-member delegation have been quarantined in Taiwan after two of them tested positive for the coronavirus.

Taiwan's leader says China and Russia are “disrupting and threatening the world order" with Beijing's recent large-scale military exercises near the island and Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Taiwan has warned that Chinese military drills aren’t just a rehearsal for an invasion of the self-governing island but also reflect ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there.

After weeks of threatening rhetoric, China stopped short of any direct military confrontation with the U.S. over the visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

U_S_ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere “remains ironclad.”.

A French parliamentary delegation has pledged support for Taiwan during a meeting with the president of the self-governing island democracy that China claims as its own territory.

On a visit to Taiwan, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is reiterating support for the island amid rising Chinese threats.

A strong earthquake has struck off the east coast of Taiwan, shaking buildings in the capital, Taipei.

Taiwan had been living mostly free of COVID-19 until this month.

A delegation of six U.S. lawmakers has arrived in Taiwan on a visit that has already been denounced by China.

Former Chairman of the U_S_ Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen says maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is “not just a U_S_ interest, but also a global one."

The Biden administration has approved a $100 million missile support contract with Taiwan.

GlobalWafers Co., which supplies silicon wafers to semiconductor manufacturers, says it will invest $3.6 billion in facilities in Asia, the United States and Europe after its attempt to acquire Germany’s Siltronic AG failed.

Human rights activists have issued a call to action against the Beijing Olympics, imploring athletes and sponsors to speak out against what they call the “genocide games.”.

Renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is promising a simpler opening ceremony for next month’s Beijing Winter Games with a bold and unprecedented way of lighting the Olympic flame.

Health officials say Taiwan has recorded its first case of the omicron variant in a passenger who recently traveled to the southern African country of Eswatini.

Taiwan’s annual Golden Horse Awards kicked off Saturday with a Hong Kong drama receiving the most nominations for the Asian equivalent of the Academy Awards.

The task force in charge of Taiwan’s COVID-19 response has acknowledged that the island could have done better in fighting the disease, after 12 families who lost relatives to the pandemic filed a claim seeking financial compensation from the government.

Taiwan says China is seeking to take control of the island by wearing down its military capabilities and influencing public opinion.

The head of a European Parliament delegation on its first official visit to Taiwan says it’s “high time” for the European Union to step up cooperation with the self-ruled island, which is also claimed by China.

European lawmakers are meeting with Taiwan’s premier in the first official visit of a European Parliament delegation to the self-ruled island, which is also claimed by China.

The Taiwanese company that manufactures smartphones for Apple Inc. and other global brands says it plans to make electric cars for auto brands under a similar contract model.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. says it plans to build a computer chip factory in Japan.

Taiwan’s legislature descended into a rowdy brawl after opposition lawmakers interrupted an important policy address and rushed the podium.

Taiwan’s economic growth slowed to 7.5% over a year earlier in the latest quarter as anti-coronavirus controls depressed consumer spending.

TSMC, the biggest contract manufacturer of processor chips for Apple Inc. and other global brands, says its latest quarterly profit rose 11.2% over a year earlier to $4.8 billion as demand for smartphones and consumer electronics increased.

Two Taiwanese high-tech companies have announced a donation of 10 million doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine made by Germany’s BioNTech to the island’s government, which faces political obstacles in fighting the pandemic.

A longtime American servant, Donald Rumsfeld died on Wednesday.

After a year of success, Taiwan is struggling with its largest outbreak since the pandemic began.

Taiwan’s president has sought to reassure the public that the government is capable of withstanding a further outbreak of COVID -19 after 16 local cases were detected.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s biggest contract producer of processor chips, says its revenue rose 16.7% in the latest quarter over a year earlier as the global economy rebounded from the coronavirus pandemic and demand surged.

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2005, file photo the logo of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is displayed during a third quarter press conference in Taipei, Taiwan. Major Taiwan computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the next three years in expanding its manufacturing capacity and supporting research and development, the company said Thursday. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI – Major Taiwan computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the next three years in expanding its manufacturing capacity and supporting research and development, the company said Thursday. Last week, Intel announced plans to pour $20 billion into expanding production, building two new factories in Arizona. TSMC operates a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility in Camas, Washington, and design centers in San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas.

In this photo released by Executive Yuan, Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang receives a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, March 22, 2021. Health care workers received the first shots in Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccination drive Monday, beginning a campaign that won't use supplies from China amid uneven distribution of the vaccines globally. Taiwan has on hand 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which it is distributing to healthcare workers across 57 hospitals. Last week, more than a dozen nations suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a few dozen people among the millions who've received the vaccine developed blood clots. AdTaiwan has signed contracts securing 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 5.05 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, and 4.76 million doses of vaccines through COVAX.

Foxconn Chairman Young Liu speaks in a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Foxconn Technology Group, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, is looking at making electric vehicles in its highly anticipated and controversial Wisconsin plant that has been scaled back since its announcement in 2017, the company's chairman said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)TAIPEI – Foxconn Technology Group, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, is considering making electric vehicles at its highly anticipated Wisconsin plant that has been scaled back since its announcement in 2017, the company's chairman said Tuesday. The decision will be between whether to go to Mexico or the U.S. for manufacturing electric vehicles, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan's capital. The Wisconsin project was scaled back after Foxconn initially signed a contract with the state of Wisconsin under then-Gov.

Chef Hung shows pineapple beef noodle outside of his restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Hung Ching Lung, a Taipei chef, has created a pineapple beef noodle soup at his eponymous restaurant Chef Hung, in what he says is a modest attempt to support Taiwanese pineapple farmers. Taipei chef Hung Ching Lung created a pineapple beef noodle soup at his eponymous restaurant Chef Hung, in what he says is a modest attempt to support Taiwanese pineapple farmers. The spiky fruit became a politically charged symbol after China banned the import of Taiwan's pineapples on March 1, citing pests. China denies its move to ban Taiwanese pineapples was politically motivated, with a spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office saying that the decision was a “normal biosafety measure, and entirely reasonable and necessary."

This combination photo shows, from left, Janet Jackson performing at the Essence Festival in New Orleans on July 8, 2018, from left, Justin Timberlake performing during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018 and Britney Spears performing during her concert in Taipei, Taiwan on June 13, 2017. (AP Photo)NEW YORK – In a lengthy social media post, Justin Timberlake says that he wants to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson “because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. AdFans called out Timberlake for contributing to Spears' very public breakdown and controlling the narrative about the end of their relationship. More backlash hit Timberlake as social media began to recall the wardrobe malfunction with Jackson that caused a national controversy at the 2004 Super Bowl. I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be part of a world that uplifts and supports,” Timberlake wrote.

(AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI – Health authorities in Taiwan are quarantining 5,000 people while looking for the source of two new coronavirus cases linked to a hospital. The man had stayed at the hospital for three days for health problems unrelated to COVID-19, while his wife looked after him. Those asked to quarantine include patients who were discharged from the hospital from Jan. 6 to 19, and their caregivers. Taiwan is on higher alert after the latest domestic cluster, which has now seen 15 cases from the hospital in Taoyuan. The National Health Commission on Tuesday reported 53 new cases in Heilongjiang province, with another seven in Jilin province just to the south.

Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft speaks during a news conference at the U.S. State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)TAIPEI – Taiwan said Friday it welcomed the visit of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the closing days of the Trump administration, in a move that brought China's renewed condemnation of Washington. Kelly Craft will visit Taipei, the island's capital, on Jan. 13-15, a week before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. In defiance of China's warnings, Congress and the Trump administration have pushed for more visits by sitting government officials, along with arms sales and political support. ___Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Street cats "Flower," left, and "Pipi" wait to be fed a Midnight Cafeteria in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. The plump, black-and-white street cat lives near a night market in a neighborhood of Taiwan's capital where volunteers have fed and taken care of strays for years. But Pipi and his fellow street cats got an upgrade of their dining situation recently with the “Midnight Cafeteria” project. It began in math teacher Hung Pei-ling’s neighborhood, where about 20 neighbors are helping stray cats in addition to their full-time jobs. They also raise awareness about the spaying program and the condition of stray cats.

In this image from video, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech at the Office of the President in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Tsai hailed the island's progress in containing the coronavirus pandemic and growing the economy while facing military threats from China. (AP Photo/Wu Taijing)TAIPEI – Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday hailed the island’s progress in containing the coronavirus pandemic and growing the economy while facing military threats from China. In her annual New Year’s Day address, Tsai said Taiwan had effectively conquered the virus through “believing in professionalism, trusting one another and unifying as a society,” without lockdowns or serious disruptions to business and education. China cut links with Tsai's government shortly after her 2016 inauguration to a first term and demands she recognize Taiwan as a part of China.

People hold a pig model with a slogan "Betraying pig farmers" during a protest in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, Nov. 22. Thousands of people marched in streets on Sunday demanding the reversal of a decision to allow U.S. pork imports into Taiwan, alleging food safety issues. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI – Thousands of people marched in Taipei's streets on Sunday demanding the reversal of a decision to allow U.S. pork imports into Taiwan, alleging food safety issues. The new policy allows imports of pork with acceptable residues of ractopamine, a drug added into animal feed that promotes the growth of lean meat that some farmers use in pigs. If they mix the U.S. pork with Taiwan pork and then sell it to us average consumers, we as individuals have no way to know the source of the pork.”“I have a child and when we eat things with ractopamine, it's not good for our bodies,” said Jacky Tsui, a 37-year-old factory worker.

Taiwanese actress Chen Shu-fang holds her awards for Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the 57th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Billy Dai)TAIPEI – The Taiwanese film “My Missing Valentine” won big Saturday night at the annual Golden Horse Awards, taking five honors, including best feature film. Overall, Taiwanese talent enjoyed a big night at the Golden Horse Awards, considered Asia's equivalent of the Academy Awards for Chinese-language films. Mo Tzu-yi won best actor for his role in “Dear Tenant," while Chen Shu-fang won best actress for "Little Big Women." Those tensions have played out at the Golden Horse Awards.

Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, second right, reacts as he is greeted after disembarking from a plane upon arrival at the airport in Taipei. Krach is in Taiwan on Thursday for the second visit by a high-level American official in two months, prompting a stern warning and threat of possible retaliation from China. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for the second visit by a high-level American official in two months, prompting a stern warning and threat of possible retaliation from China. Beijing considers Taiwan its own and opposes all official contacts between other countries and the self-governing island. Cabinet official to visit since the U.S. switched formal relations from Taiwan to China in 1979.

The comments came a day after Azar accused China of failing to warn the rest of the world about the coronavirus. He abandoned the millions of people who are struggling with illness and visited Taiwan instead to stage a political show, Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused China of withholding information from the World Health Organization and the international community as the virus began to take hold. Azar's trip to Taiwan angered China because it considers the self-governing island part of its territory. On Wednesday, Azar visited a face mask factory and paid respect to the recently deceased former Taiwanese president, Lee Teng-hui, before leaving Taiwan.

(AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI Taiwan sent COVID-19 assistance to foreign countries surreptitiously to avoid protests from China, its foreign minister said Tuesday during a meeting with the highest-level American official to visit the island in four decades. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has sought to isolate it diplomatically, including barring its participation in forums such as the World Health Assembly. Just 15 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has sought to peel away its remaining allies. While the U.S. maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, it remains the island's most important ally and provider of defensive arms. Thus, Azar is the highest-level American official to visit Taiwan since their break in formal diplomatic ties in 1979.

TAIPEI U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday during the highest-level visit by an American Cabinet official since the break in formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei in 1979. Azar is due to hold consultations with health officials and deliver a speech later in the day. Azars visit was facilitated by the 2018 passage of the Taiwan Travel Act, which encouraged Washington to send higher-level officials to Taiwan after decades during which such contacts were rare. That, in turn, has increased already considerable bipartisan sympathy for Taipei in Washington and prompted new measures to strengthen governmental and military ties. Taiwan, an island of 23 million people, moved swiftly and aggressively to contain COVID-19 and has recorded just 277 cases and seven deaths from the illness.

TAIPEI U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday in the highest-level visit by an American Cabinet official since the break in formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei in 1979. Beijing has already protested Azars visit as a betrayal of U.S. commitments not to have official contact with the island. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by military force if necessary. Azar is the first health secretary to visit Taiwan and the first Cabinet member to visit in six years. That, in turn, has increased already considerable bipartisan sympathy for Taipei in Washington and prompted new measures to strengthen governmental and military ties.

The team of movie "Detention" pose on the red carpet at the 2020 Taipei Film Festival in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, July 11, 2020. The 2020 Taipei Film Festival is the world's first large-scale film festival held by an entity after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI Taiwan wrapped up an annual film festival with an awards ceremony Saturday night as it holds more public events after keeping its coronavirus outbreak to a few hundred cases. Actors and others lined up for photo shoots with no social distancing, and participants didnt wear masks in historic Zhongshan Hall in Taipei. Health authorities said last week that fans would be allowed to sit in alternate seats and no longer would have to wear masks, except when leaving their seats.

Participants take selfies in the cabin during a mock trip abroad at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Dozens of would-be travelers acted as passengers in an activity organized by Taiwans Civil Aviation Administration to raise awareness of procedures to follow when passing through customs and boarding their plane at Taipei International Airport. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI Like almost every region, Taiwan has been hit hard by restrictions on international travel imposed because of the coronavirus. The event and the publicity generated will help future travelers better prepare for when international flights resume in earnest, Wang said. I had to cancel all my international travel plans, she said.

Participants march during the "Taiwan Pride March for the World!" at Liberty Square at the CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, June 28, 2020. This year marks the first Gay Pride march in Chicago 1970, and due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Taiwan is one of the very few countries to host the world's only physical Gay Pride. New York was among the cities compelled to cancel its gay pride parade this year to comply with social distancing measures. Taiwan has largely dropped such restrictions after quarantines and case tracing helped bring the coronavirus infection rate down radically.

Crew leaders prepare to grab finish line flags during the traditional Chinese dragon boat race in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, June 25, 2020. Dragon boat races are in remembrance of Chu Yuan, an ancient Chinese scholar-statesman, who drowned in 277 B.C. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)TAIPEI Taiwan on Thursday became one of the few places to hold a boat race, thanks to no local transmissions of the coronavirus being reported on the island in over two months. The pandemic led to the cancellation of traditional dragon boat races in Hong Kong and of holiday activities in Beijing, which is battling a fresh outbreak. Apart from dragon boat races, Taipei is also holding a Gay Pride parade on Sunday.

China had 57 confirmed cases in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday, the National Health Commission reported. The world is seeing more than 100,000 newly confirmed cases every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. China, where the pandemic began in December, and other countries that suffered early on including South Korea, Italy and Spain have seen numbers of new infections decline. Doug Ducey is not requiring Arizona residents to wear masks in public despite warnings by public health experts outside the government. ___Associated Press writer Hyung-Jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and AP journalists worldwide contributed to this report.

Peellden via Wikimedia CommonsTAIPEI - Kiribati has become the second nation in a week to drop Taiwan as a diplomatic ally and move towards Beijing, Taipei's foreign ministry announced Friday. It comes just four days after the Solomon Islands' government voted unanimously to recognize mainland China over Taiwan, a move which was condemned in Taipei and welcomed in Beijing. The loss of the Solomon Islands and Kiribati has left Taiwan with just 15 diplomatic allies. Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the end of a bloody civil war in 1949. After the Solomon Islands cut relations this week, Tsai denounced Beijing for using "financial and political pressure" to suppress Taiwan's international relations.

CNN(CNN) - Thirty-two people have died and 16 more are missing after Typhoon Lekima made landfall in east China's Zhejiang Province, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency. The typhoon, the ninth to hit China this year, made landfall at 1:45 a.m. Saturday (1:45 p.m. Earlier this week, Lekima was briefly classified as a "super" typhoon, before weakening somewhat. Typhoon Wipha brought intense gales and rain to China last weekend, Typhoon Francisco made landfall in Japan on Tuesday, and Typhoon Krosa has now formed in the Pacific. Asia last saw a super typhoon in September, when Super Typhoon Mangkhut wreaked havoc across China, Hong Kong and the Philippines.