A Taiwan court has convicted a former presidential aide of spying for China and three others who were also employed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). One of the men worked in the office of then Foreign Minister Joseph Wu who now serves as the national security chief.

For years, Taiwan has viewed its dominance in supplying countries with cutting-edge chips as a shield from Chinese aggression. Now, officials are testing out semiconductors as a diplomatic sword.On Tuesday,

China’s defense minister has renewed threats of his country’s takeover of self-ruled Taiwan as he opened a security forum in Beijing on Thursday.

Heavy rains from Ragasa caused a lake burst its banks in eastern Taiwan, killing at least 14 people and leaving 120 others missing, local media reported. The lake was formed from a landslide in July that was caused by Typhoon Wipha.

Nearly 2 million people in southern China were evacuated as a powerful typhoon hurtled into one of the world’s most densely populated coasts, having already unleashed deadly flooding in Taiwan.

Schools and flights were canceled across southern China and many businesses were closed ahead of the storm, one of the world’s strongest this year.

Dozens of people were injured in Hong Kong as the year’s most powerful storm passed close to the city and triggered flooding and landslides.

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China said Friday it has lodged a protest with Japan after former Prime Miniter Taro Aso called Taiwan a "country" that shares values with Tokyo in a meeting with Taiwanese lawmakers led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu.