1998 , 1999 , Jan - Jun 2000 , Jul - Dec 2000 , 2001 ; 2002

China Launches Fourth Unmanned Spacecraft
(Xinhua News, Dec. 30, 2002) China launched its fourth unmanned spacecraft "Shenzhou IV" with a " Long March II F" carrier rocket, a move that could soon lead to its manned space voyage.

Taiwan Students Pick Jiang as Man of the Year
(AP, Dec. 23, 2002) Taiwanese university students picked Chinese President Jiang Zemin as 'man of the year' over their own leader, Mr Chen Shui-bian, in a survey.

China Again Agrees to Let U.N. Investigate Rights Allegations
(WP, Dec. 18, 2002) China has agreed to invite U.N. investigators into the country to examine allegations that it jails people without due process, restricts freedom of religion and allows torture in its prisons.

Report: Taiwan President Cancels Visit to Indonesia
(AP, Dec. 15, 2002) Taiwan's president has canceled a planned visit to Indonesia after China warned Jakarta against welcoming him, a semiofficial news agency reported on Sunday.

Chen Calls for Asia-Pacific Democracy Alliance
(CNA, Dec. 15, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan is more than willing to contribute to the expansion and consolidation of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region and to the promotion of democratization in mainland China.

China to Beef Up Taiwan Policy By Willy Lam
(CNN.com, Dec. 10, 2002) Beijing is expected to beef up its double-pronged Taiwan policy in the wake of mayoral elections in Taipei and Kaohsiung last weekend.

Military Ties Report Will be Done on Time: Kelly
(Taipei Times, Nov. 21, 2002) A senior US official has pledged it will present to Congress in a timely fashion a report mandated by Congress last week on the advisability of closer US-Taiwan military relationships.

Chen Calls for Vigilance Against China Military Threat
(Taiwan News, Nov. 9, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian again urged citizens of Taiwan to maintain a high level of vigilance against possible military threats from across the Taiwan Strait.

Elections Won't Hurt Taiwan's Standing in Congress
(TT, Nov. 7, 2002) Despite the loss of some giants whose support Taiwan relied on for a solid congressional backbone, the US Congress will remain as strongly pro-Taiwan when it reconvenes next January.

Taipei Pushes for Law to Bind Its Citizens to Island
(Straits Times, Nov. 2, 2002) Taiwan wants to push for a loyalty regulation to bind its people to the island following several cases of retired military personnel fleeing to China and leakage of military secrets

Taiwan Envoy Invites China's Jiang Zemin to Visit
(Reuters, Oct. 28, 2002) Taiwan's delegate to an annual summit of Pacific Rim economies said he got the cold shoulder from Chinese President Jiang Zemin when he informally invited him to visit the island.

Taiwan Loses Out Again in APEC
(Taipei Times, Oct. 25, 2002) Taiwan was excluded from a meeting at the ongoing APEC summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, when foreign ministers of the other member economies gathered to discuss the fight on terrorism.

Nobel Laureate Lee to Represent Taiwan at 2002 APEC Summit
(China Post, Oct. 2, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian's has won praise for appointing Nobel Prize laureate Lee Yuan-tseh his special envoy to the 2002 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Taiwan's China Airlines Expected to Buy 10 Boeing 747 Jets
(Dow Jones, Sep. 30, 2002) Taiwan's government-controlled China Airlines is expected to announce soon that it will purchase at least 10 Boeing 747 jumbo jets that it hadn't planned to buy.

Premier Upholds Sovereignty over Tiaoyutai
(China Post, Sep. 28, 2002) Premier Yu Shyi-kun maintained Taiwan's sovereignty over Tiaoyutai. But he refused to comment on Lee's remarks (that supporting Japan's claims to the islands north of Taiwan.)

Taiwan's First Lady Begins US Visit
(BBC, Sep. 19, 2002) Taiwan's first lady is flying to the United States for a trip which the government in Taipei is calling a diplomatic victory. The visit is another example of the increasingly friendly relations between Taiwan and the US, and one that is bound to anger China.

U.S. Envoy to Taiwan: China Not Economic Threat
(Reuters, Sep. 18, 2002) The de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan warned the island that it risked becoming isolated and marginalized unless it stopped viewing giant neighbor China as an economic threat.

Taiwan Again Fails in Bid for Recognition at U.N. General Assembly
(AP, Sep. 12, 2002) After hearing members' views, the general committee of the General Assembly declined to include the question of Taiwan on the agenda of the current session.

China Blocks Web Search Engines
(WP, Sep. 12, 2002) China's government has begun blocking access in recent days to two widely used Internet search engines, Google and AltaVista, intensifying its effort to control the flow of information.

Our Aim is to Democratize Mainland China, Chen Says
(China Post, Sep. 9, 2002) The president reiterated Taiwan will play a role in the mainland's democratization, adding the island has been supportive of Washington's battle against terrorism.

Terrorism Tops Agenda at Leaders' Summit
(Taipei Times, Sep. 8, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian will chair a second gathering of key policymakers from the government and the DPP, this time to seek a consensus on Taiwan's overall security strategy.

Taiwan's First Lady Wu to visit US
(AFP, Sep. 8, 2002) First Lady Wu Shu-chen is scheduled to visit the United States to promote Taiwan's democratic achievements.

Chien Praises European Resolution
(Taipei Times, Sep. 7, 2002) Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien expressed his appreciation to the European Parliament for passing a resolution he said would improve relations between Taiwan and the EU.

Taiwan Using Labour Import as Bargaining Chip
(Straits Times, Sep. 6, 2002) Taiwan is using the employment of workers from the region to influence South-East Asian countries in its diplomatic tussle with China.

Taiwan Backed Anti-Terrorism Effort: NSC
(Taipei Times, Sep. 3, 2002) National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen revealed that Taiwan has donated more than US$100 million to the international community for anti-terrorist actions over the past year.

Chen Urges Asian Democracy Pact
(Taipei Times, Aug. 27, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian urged Taiwan to join like-minded democracies in the region to form what he called an "Asian democratic alliance" to help transform authoritarian countries such as China into democracies.

Four Allies Reaffirm Ties with Taiwan
(Taiwan News, Aug. 23, 2002) Four allies in the Eastern Caribbean region reaffirmed diplomatic ties with Taiwan yesterday by signing a joint communiqué.

Chen Talks More Softly to China
(Taipei Times, Aug. 21, 2002) Taiwan will continue to push for "all-dimensional" diplomacy and does not want to engage China in a "zero-sum" game.

U.N. Slams China 'Anti-Terror' Crackdown
(CNN.com, Aug. 20, 2002) The U.N.'s top official for human rights has criticized China for using the September 11 terror attacks to crack down on dissent. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson raised the concerns.

New AIT Chief Chosen for U.S. Headquarters
(China Post, Aug. 18, 2002 ) Therese M. Shaheen has been chosen to head operations at the Rosslyn, Virginia, offices of the AIT, the entity that coordinates relations between Taipei and Washington.

China Mocks Taiwan Trip as 'Farce'
(Reuters, Aug. 18, 2002) Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu has said her visit to Indonesia was a setback for arch-rival Beijing and a diplomatic victory for Taipei, but China has mocked her trip as a farce.

Taiwan VP Says Visit Part of "Secretive Diplomatic Battle"
(Reuters, Aug. 17, 2002) Taiwanese Vice-President Annette Lu returned home on Saturday after ruffling arch-rival China's feathers with a visit to Indonesia, which recognises Beijing but not Taipei.

Beijing Stifles Taiwan's Travel Plans
(CNN.com, Aug. 16, 2002) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian is persevering with plans to visit Southeast Asia and other regions despite efforts from Beijing to contain Taipei's diplomatic leverage.

Chinese Pressure Blocks Taiwan V-P's Jakarta Visit
(Straits Times, Aug. 15, 2002) Taiwan's Vice-President Annette Lu was cooling her heels in Bali yesterday after China intervened and blocked a planned visit to Jakarta for high-level talks.

Chen Calls U.S. Taiwan's Most Helpful Friend
(Taiwan News, Aug. 13, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian expressed the hope that the U.S. can become a force that Taiwan can count on for international support and military assistance.

President Chen's Comments May Not Be Nat'l Policy: MAC
(China Post, Aug. 3, 2002) MAC official said Whether the president's certain statements can eventually shape into policies will have to be interpreted by the president himself.

Poll Suggests Fear about ‘Own Way’
(AP, Aug. 2, 2002) Slightly more than 50 percent of Taiwanese are worried that President Chen Shui-bian is thinking about moving Taiwan toward formal independence if China does not reciprocate his goodwill.

Taiwan Russia Association Inaugurated, Calls for Closer Ties
(China Post, July 28, 2002) The Taiwan Russia Association, a high-profile non-profit organization, was inaugurated in Taipei with the mission to further the bilateral ties between Taiwan and Russia.

Lee Teng-hui Predicts New State in 2008
(Taiwan News, July 25, 2002) The rise of localization in Taiwan is likely to push the nation to establish a new state in 2008 as it faces China's strong sense of nationalism, former President Lee Teng-hui said.

Nation Left with 27 Friends After Nauru Defection
(Taipei Times, July 22, 2002) Government officials urged Nauru not to be taken in by Beijing after the president from the tiny Pacific island sealed an agreement in Hong Kong establishing diplomatic ties with China.

NSC Urges 'Offensive' Foreign Policy
(Taipei Times, July 19, 2002) Taiwan should put more resources in "offensive" instead of "defensive" strategies in expanding the country's foreign relations, said Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) Chiou I-jen in a closed-door talk.

Confusion to Continue over Spelling in Taiwan
(Financial Times; Jul 17, 2002) Taiwan is trying to end decades of confusion over its policy on Chinese romanisation but analysts say the effort spells little but trouble.

China: Sino-Russian Military Exercise Not Targeting Third Country
(People’s Daily, July 12, 2002) A Sino-Russian joint military exercise scheduled for August aims to test the reliability of bilateral military communications and will not target any third country.

U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Zone Said to Require A Lot of Work
(Reuters, July 5, 2002) There is no legal impediment to a free trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States but Taipei "has a lot of work to do" before such an accord would be possible. The Bush administration has not taken an official position on Taiwan's interest in negotiating a free trade zone.

Washington Visit by Taiwan Leader Unlikely In Near Term
(Reuters, July 4, 2002) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian is unlikely to visit Washington in the forseeable future because of Chinese objections, despite a desire by pro-Taiwan members of the U.S. Congress to have such a trip take place, U.S. officials say .

New Taiwan-Hong Kong Aviation Agreement Raises Criticisms
(AFP, July 1, 2002) Taiwan and Hong Kong struck an aviation agreement late Saturday, amid criticism that Taipei backed down from demands for direct governmental talks over air links between the two.

China Against Quick Move by Hong Kong to Full Democracy
(Reuters, June 26, 2002) Beijing is against any rapid change in Hong Kong's electoral system, including full democratic elections and universal suffrage, the South China Morning Post said.

China Warns Allies Not to Sign Accords with Taiwan
(AP, June 22, 2002) China warned its allies yesterday not to sign free trade agreements with archrival Taiwan, saying doing so would invite political trouble.

NSC Defends Loyalty-Test Plans
(Taipei Times, June 13, 2002) Plans to conduct loyalty checks on government employees in sensitive positions have been proposed not to attack political rivals within the country but to ensure Taiwan's national security in the face of intimidation from outside forces, China in particular.

Navy Arrests Petty Officer for Possible Information Leak
(Taipei Times, June 12, 2002) A naval petty officer was taken into custody last Wednesday by military prosecutors on suspicion of leaking highly classified information to a person outside the military.

Democratic Alliance Taking Shape Between Taiwan, US: Chen
(CNA, June 5, 2002) An alliance based on the principles of democracy, freedom and human rights is taking shape between Taiwan and the United States, President Chen Shui-bian said.

'Defector' Lin's Case Taken Up by DPP
(China Post, May 30, 2002) Legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party demanded that the government allow a key adviser to leaders in Beijing, who allegedly defected from his ROC military officer post in 1979, to attend his father's funeral in Taiwan.

Beijing Wooing Overseas Chinese Away from Taiwan: Officials
(Taiwan News, May 30, 2002) Overseas Chinese communities are facing unparalleled challenges in a tug-of-war for their loyalty, as China has stepped up its campaign around the world in an effort to siphon off their traditional support for Taiwan's administration.

NDU and NTU Plan to Cooperate with the Help of MND
(Taipei Times, May 29, 2002) The National Defense University is to sign today a pact with its civilian counterpart National Taiwan University on academic cooperation between the two.

Chen Outlines 7 Policy Goals for Next 6 Years
(CNA, May 27, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian said his seven policy objectives must be accomplished in the next six years, enabling Taiwan to score at least 14 "firsts" in the global market.

Taiwan-US Relations Best for Last 30 Years: Chen
(CNA, May 24, 2002) Present bilateral relations between Taipei and Washington are better since U.S. President George W. Bush came to power in 2000 than they have been for the last 30 years, President Chen Shui-bian said.

Taiwan Leader Touts Free-Trade Deals
(Yomiuri Shimbun, May 18, 2002) In light of the dramatic advances made by the Chinese economy, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian called for the conclusion of free-trade agreements with Japan, the United States and other Asia-Pacific nations.

China Lifts Blocks on Some Western News Sites
(Reuters, May 17, 2002) China appears to have lifted long-standing blocks on the Web sites of several Western news organizations, which were accessible today through local Internet connections in Beijing and Shanghai.

'Beijing's NATO' Hits Stumbling Block
(CNN.com, May 16, 2002) Beijing's efforts to resuscitate the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have been hurt by Uzbekistan's failure to send a representative to a meeting of the grouping's defense ministers.

President Chen Says Taiwan Is "Fit" to be Independent
(AFP, May 13, 2002) Taiwan is "fit to be an independent country," Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian said in remarks made public, adding that he wants to make a formal visit to the United States.

Taipei Steps Up Bid for Recognition by the WHO
(Financial Times, April 19, 2002) Taiwan is mounting a determined effort to ease its diplomatic isolation by seeking observer status in the World Health Organisation next month. While unlikely to succeed this year, the campaign has brought Taiwan the closest to gaining status in any United Nations organization.

Mainland Oceanographic Ship Raises Security Alert
(China Post, April 16, 2002) Military authorities confirmed that a mainland ship conducting oceanographic studies off the coast of southeastern Taiwan had raised a security alert, but stopped short of calling the vessel a spy ship.

Taiwan's Largest Annual Military Exercise Begins
(Taipei Times, April 9, 2002) The military's largest annual exercise, called "Hankuang No. 18," began and is scheduled to continue for a month and a half. The exercise, divided into three stages, began with computer war gaming.

China Presses U.S. over Taiwan 'Republic' Comments
(CNN.com, April 6, 2002) China has asked the White House to explain comments from U.S. President George W. Bush that referred to Taiwan as the "Republic of Taiwan." Bush used the term at the State Department while pointing out how China and Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization represented a positive development for the United States.

U.S. Bill Backs Taiwan as Observer in WHO
(Taiwan News, April 6, 2002) U.S. President George W. Bush signed a bill to back up Taiwan's campaign to obtain observer status at the annual assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva in May.

China Plans Space Station After Unmanned Launch
(Reuters, April 3, 2002) China, basking in the success of its third unmanned spacecraft mission, plans to send people into space in the foreseeable future and eventually to man a permanent space station.

Chen Vows to Balance Freedom and National Security
(China Post, March 26, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian yesterday said neither national security nor freedom of the press should be given unlimited supremacy. "There is no absolute contradiction and confrontation between national security and press freedom," said Chen during a meeting with military leaders.

Blair Remarks on Cross-Strait Divide
(CNA, March 24, 2002) Political consultations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will be the ultimate solution to the Taiwan question, the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific command said.

Taiwanese Officials Confiscate Copies of Magazine in Raid
(New York Times, March 22, 2002) Taiwan's government has stunned its freewheeling news media by seeking to ban a weekly magazine that was about to publish an article potentially damaging to the island's president, Chen Shui-bian.

Pacific Military Command Goes to Adm. Fargo
(Honolulu Advertiser, March 22, 2002) Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Thomas B. Fargo has been chosen to take over the job of his boss, Adm. Dennis Blair, as the 20th commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command.

Taiwan Defends Raid on Magazine
(Reuters, March 23, 2002) Facing mounting criticism, Taiwan officials defended a raid on a magazine owned by Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, saying it leaked state secrets putting national security in jeopardy.

NSB Says Magazine Raid Was Issue of National Security
(China Post, March 21, 2002) The National Security Bureau and the Justice Ministry yesterday defended the raid on Next Magazine accused of leaking classified information in its yet-to-be published report on the top intelligence body's NT$3.5 billion secret funds.

Taipei Police Raid Magazine
(CNN.com, March 20, 2002) Taipei police have seized copies of a magazine which purported to carry classified documents containing allegations linking former President Lee Teng to the use of a multi-million dollar slush fund.

Taiwan 'Embassy' Changes Anger China
(BBC, Feb. 27, 2002) China has reacted angrily to Taiwanese plans to change the names of its representative offices abroad to make them easier to recognise. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan warned Taiwan against what he described as "creeping independence".

Most Taiwanese Believe United States Is on Their Side: Poll
(AFP, Feb. 25, 2002) Some 54 percent of the 829 people polled believe Washington would stick to its pledge of helping the island defend itself against threats from Beijing. Only 26 percent thought the US word could not be relied on.

MOFA Mulls `Taiwan' for Office Names
(Taipei Times, Feb. 25, 2002) In the wake of adding the word "Taiwan" to ROC passports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it is establishing a task force to study the feasibility of changing the name of Taiwan's representative offices overseas.

MAC Says Foreign Investment Won't Save China's Poor Economy
(CNA, Feb. 12, 2002) China's economic powerhouse may find the going gets tough this year, despite a projected increase in foreign investment, a study released by the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

Kau Urges Guarding Against 'Denationalization'
(CNA, Feb. 8, 2002) The National Security Council Adviser Kau Ying-mao, who has been tapped to be the vice minister of foreign affairs, said in Washington that Beijing is going out of its way to "denationalize" the Republic of China.

Beijing Blasts Bush on 'Axis of Evil'
(CNN.com, Feb. 4, 2002) Beijing has blasted President George W. Bush's theory of the "axis of evil," saying this could become a pretext for Washington to launch strikes against Iran, Iraq and North Korea. In a hard-hitting commentary, the official Xinhua news agency said such an axis simply did not exist.

Taiwan Parliament Sworn In
(BBC, Feb. 1, 2002) Taiwan's newly elected legislators are taking office on Friday, with President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party becoming the largest single group in parliament, for the first time.

China Feeling Spirit of Civic Rights
(Taiwan News, Jan. 30, 2002) The concept of legal rights has started emerging among the general public in China, a development that is noticeable but probably worrisome for Beijing authorities, the China representative of the Asia Foundation said.

Beijing, Taipei to Install Crime Info Hotline
(CNA, Jan. 29,2002) Criminal-investigation authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have tentatively agreed to install a hotline to exchange information on crime. …the preliminary agreement was reached during a visit to China late last year.

China Unveils 2002 Space Plans
(CNN.com, Jan. 24, 2002) China hopes to launch about 10 satellites, rockets and spacecraft in 2002 as part of its space development program. China has also indicated its ambitions to send a man to the moon and hopes to send a manned craft into space by 2005.

Controversy Continues Over New Taiwan Passport Cover
(CNA, Jan. 15, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian's announcement Sunday that he has approved the adding of "Taiwan" to the cover of Republic of China passports continued to draw mixed reactions Monday from Taiwan's major political parties -- including his own.

China Slams Changes in Taiwan Passports as Attempt at Independence
(AFP, Jan. 14, 2002) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's decision to place the name "Taiwan" on the cover of the island's passports was an attempt to seek eventual independence, the China Daily said quoting a spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

President Gives Approval to Add 'Taiwan' Title on Passport Cover
(Taiwan News, Jan. 14, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian yesterday announced that he had given his approval to add the word "Taiwan" in English on the cover of the national passport to better distinguish it from that of the People's Republic of China.

U.S. Not Backing Out of Arms Deal with Taiwan
(Taiwan News, Jan. 8, 2002) The accession to the World Trade Organization by both Taiwan and China should be applauded and should be able to "revitalize the cross-strait dialogue," the visiting chairman of the U.S.-China Security Review Commission said. "I understand there is some kind of radar issue with regards to the arms sales. But as far as we know, we are not involved in that. We have no interest in it and it's not part of our mandate."