China's tourism ministry said on Friday that it has begun preparations to resume group tours to Taiwan from Shanghai and Fujian province in the near future, with Taipei saying it welcomed the move.

Another U.S.-aligned democracy in Asia is mired in political gridlock, with Taiwan’s opposition challenging defense spending aimed at fending off China.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. Mainland China, officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule and asserts that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory, though it has never governed the island.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau showed WhatsApp messages which he said revealed that Lai helped arrange a meeting in Taipei between former U.S. army general Jack Keane, former U.S. deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz and then Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, who wanted to know the Trump administration's stance towards Taiwan.

Taiwan’s intelligence bureau says China’s main spy agency is working with criminal gangs, shell companies and other dubious partners to gain intelligence on Taiwan’s defenses, resulting in a major rise in those arrested for alleged espionage on the island.

China's commerce ministry said on Wednesday that it had added four U.S. companies to its so-called "Unreliable Entity List" for their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.

China is reportedly building a series of barges for amphibious landings amid fears of an invasion of Taiwan, its island neighbor, according to reports.

China says it will soon resume group tours to Taiwan for residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province. The province is located across the strait from Taiwan.

China is reportedly constructing “D-Day style” barges which could be used in an invasion of Taiwan. At least three of the new craft have been observed at Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China, according to Naval News.

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