Taiwan will conduct new drills in coming weeks to ensure the island has access to critical supplies in the event of a Chinese blockade, a risk demonstrated by Iran’s closure of a global energy chokepoint.

Xi Jinping and the KMT's Cheng Li-wun agreed to pursue peace, but Taiwan's ruling party worries it will enable Beijing to undermine its democracy.

"China is continuously and persistently expanding its military capabilities, and the military threat it poses to us is becoming increasingly severe," Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers on Thursday.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping talked with Taiwan’s main opposition leader about shared culture and bloodlines, before declaring that unification is an "inevitability."

Defending Taiwan’s sovereignty and denouncing Chinese aggression has long been a priority for the Utah senator — and a personal one.

TAIPEI, April 12 (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan said China should abandon its threats and military pressure against Taiwan and talk to the island's leaders as that would avoid misunderstandings and stabilise relations.

The promises form part of a package of measures to boost cross-strait ties unveiled after KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s visit to Beijing.