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Taiwan Sounds Alarm Over China’s Attempt At Digital Intimidation
Last week China conducted high profile naval and air exercises around Taiwan, firing missiles that landed along its coast. This week, Beijing has been more subtle, using its cyber expertise to circulate commercial satellite images of the home of a Taiwanese ruling party legislator Puma Shen. Taiwanese officials denounced the move as a blatant attempt to intimidate public figures through personal exposure.
Although the images were eventually removed from major social media platforms following pressure from Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, the subtle attempt at intimidation underscored that Beijing will stop at nothing to nudge Taiwan or Taiwanese into its way of thinking.
A newly released report by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) said the “doxxing” of Puma Shen is part of a larger campaign of digital aggression. According to the NSB’s analysis of China’s cyber operations in 2025, the number of attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure hit an average of 2.63 million per day, more than double figures from two years earlier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the dissemination of Shen’s personal information as ‘digital authoritarianism’ and an attempt to create a ‘chilling effect’ on Taiwan’s democratic society. They equated the act with transnational repression that breaks international human rights norms.
Analysts say the episode underscores an unsettling trend where Beijing appears to be complementing its conventional military and diplomatic pressure such as live-fire exercises around the island, with much subtle yet pervasive digital tactics aimed at shaping political narratives.
The incident also highlights the risks faced by Taiwanese lawmakers like Shen, who is a frequent target for Beijing. Last year, China labeled him ‘wanted’ for alleged ‘secession-related activities,’ a characterization Taipei dismisses as politically motivated and legally baseless. Shen is also the co-founder of the Kuma Academy, an organization that focuses on civil defence and media literacy to counter Chinese disinformation.
Beyond condemning the act, Taiwan officials have increased Shen’s security and pressed global platforms like Meta to remove harmful content.
The incident signals how cyberspace has become another battleground in the enduring confrontation with Beijing, one where propaganda, legal instruments, and digital incursions reinforce the familiar patterns of geopolitical rivalry.
Bangladesh: BNP Leads In Opinion Polls, Jamaat Trailing
At nine degrees Celsius and dense fog, Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh may not have been congenial for any movement. But politics can’t be left to the weather. The top priority for the BNP is the formalisation of acting leader Tarique Rahman’s status:
“At present, he is the acting chairman, but I believe that within a day or two, we will be able to make him chairman. This is because our leader, chairperson Khaleda Zia, has already left us. That position must, of course, be filled,” Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general, told a crowded press briefing on Sunday in Sylhet.
He was also hopeful that Tarique would begin his election campaign in Sylhet because “Khaleda Zia used to begin her election campaigns from Sylhet, we hope that this time it will be the same. Our expectation, indeed everyone’s expectation, is that he (Tarique Rahman) will begin his election campaign from Sylhet.”
The party faithful would have been buoyed by the results of an opinion poll, which found that 70% of voters prefer the BNP, only 19% favour the Jamaat. According to Prothom Alo, the poll was conducted by a private agency, Eminence Associates for Social Development, which covered more than 20,400 people across 300 constituencies.
Only 2.6% expressed support for the NCP, the party comprising students who led the uprising last August that ousted Sheih Hasina from power. Doubtless, as the election date nears and campaigning heats up, there will be more opinion polls giving a radically different result; nonetheless, for the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami, it’s a sobering reminder that their street power and organisation are not an indication of public support.
But there’s something else. All candidates are required by law to give details of all wealth, including property, cash, jewellery and so on, and members of the public are wondering why the value of the assets is so low given their lifestyle. Even the assets published by Rahman from BNP and the Jamaat chief have come under scrutiny.
“The public has little confidence in the asset and income–expenditure information provided by election candidates in their affidavits,” Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told Prothom Alo. “There are questions about how realistic these figures are. It should be examined whether candidates have undisclosed assets or income, and their lifestyles should also be taken into consideration.” Expect more on this in the run-up to voting day.
Vietnam’s Economy Surges Despite U.S. Tariffs
Vietnam’s economy grew 8% in 2025, up from the previous year’s growth, driven by strong exports despite U.S. tariffs, according to preliminary government data released Monday. The country also recorded its largest annual trade surplus with Washington.
The Southeast Asian nation, which is one of the top exporters to the United States, is still in talks with Washington over a possible trade deal but has largely shrugged off U.S. duties of 20% imposed on its goods by the Trump administration to cut Vietnam’s huge trade advantage.
Vietnam’s total exports rose by 17% to about $475 billion last year, the data showed, with shipments to the United States worth $153 billion, far outstripping 2024’s record figure of $119.5 billion.
That has led to an unprecedented trade surplus with Washington of nearly $134 billion last year, far higher than the previous peak reached in 2024, according to the Vietnamese figures, which are usually more conservative than U.S. data.
Accusation of Transshipment
Vietnam’s imports of Chinese goods reached a record level last year of $186 billion, the data showed, from $144.2 billion in 2024.
The Trump administration has accused Vietnam of being a transshipment hub for Chinese goods exported to the United States. Illegally transshipped goods face U.S. tariffs of 40%, but the White House has not yet indicated its criteria to determine what can be considered as illegal transshipment.
Roaring Growth
Vietnam’s growth rate was 8.02% last year, up from 7.09% in 2024, showing no immediate disruption from U.S. tariffs or floods. The government had set a target of more than 8%. In the fourth quarter, the economy grew 8.46%, the strongest quarterly rate of the year.
Average annual growth for the five‑year period stood at 6.25%. For 2026‑2030, the government is targeting at least 10%. Growth was backed by domestic consumption and higher infrastructure spending. Industrial production and retail sales both rose 9.2% in 2025. Inflation was 3.31%.
Foreign investment inflows rose 9% to $27.6 billion, while pledges were flat at $38.4 billion.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Maduro Capture Ties In With US History: Yash Sinha, Ex-Amb To Venezuela
How should India see the kidnapping/abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro by the US? Yash Sinha, India’s former ambassador to Caracas, says the US appears to be going back to the times when it did pretty much what it wanted in its South American backyard.
“They have a history. Remember, Noriega, was abducted or kidnapped from Panama. They used the word rendition. Then you had invasion of Grenada. You had a coup against Allende in Chile and the installation of Gen Pinochet,” he recalled during an interview on The Gist.
He warned that if this goes unchallenged, any superpower with military might, will believe it can do anything. Where is the world order? The UN seems to be completely moribund with the Security Council unable to take a decision on anything.
“I wish we had that capability to take care of some of our, troublesome neighbors, and others who are Jihadi terrorists who have created problems for India in the past,” he said.
India has been circumspect about its comments on Venezuela, being careful not to antagonise the US because there’s too much at stake. Then again, we have been muted about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine too since Russia is a time tested friend.
There is still some uncertainty in Venezuela. There is calm on the surface. There is relief among people who oppose Maduro, but we still don’t know what’s really going to happen,” Sinha said.
“Surprisingly, President Trump seems to have ruled out the most popular leader Maria Corina Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Even the candidate who supposedly won the election of May 2025, Edmundo Gonzalez, last I heard he was in exile in in Spain.”
Sinha recalled meeting Maduro when he was ambassador to Caracas. “He was then foreign minister and he did not boast of any intellectual credentials. He began life as a bus driver, but otherwise a very charming person to talk to.”
The army was the real support base for Maduro, Sinha underscored, and if the army is with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, then the situation could pan out different from what the Americans are hoping. But if the army is divided, and compromises, which is quite possible, then there may be a situation where as per the Constitution, elections are held in 30 days.
Sinha was dismissive of the US claim that Maduro was trafficking drugs into the US. In his view, Colombia and Mexico are to be blamed, even China for exporting fentanyl to the US. Trump has accused Colombia and Mexico also of drugs trafficking, whether he would carry out a regime change operation there is not clear.
China, Pakistan Expand Cooperation Amid U.S. Outreach
China and Pakistan pledged on Monday to further deepen ties and expand cooperation, reaffirming to each other their historically “ironclad” friendship as signs of rapprochement between Islamabad and Washington grow.
Pakistan is one of China’s closest partners, diplomatically supporting Beijing on a wide range of internationally sensitive issues ranging from the status of Taiwan to Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.
In exchange, Beijing has poured billions of dollars into the South Asian country through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road trade and infrastructure initiative.
But repeated Islamist militant attacks on Chinese nationals working on the CPEC and other projects in Pakistan have become a major source of tension in recent years.
Adding to the complexity in the Sino-Pakistani relationship, U.S.-Pakistani ties have warmed since President Donald Trump returned to the White House a year ago and landed a diplomatic victory in a region that China regards as within its sphere of influence.
Pakistan even said it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for helping resolve a conflict it had with India.
In a joint statement on Monday, China and Pakistan said they would build an upgraded version of the CPEC, focus on their cooperation in industry, agriculture and mining, and step up collaboration in the financial and banking sector.
China then praised Pakistan’s “comprehensive measures” to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and projects, the statement read.
Both sides also called for more “visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations” entrenched in Afghanistan, which shares borders with both Pakistan and China. No details were given.
‘All Weather Partners’
Pakistan is among an exclusive group of countries that China regards as an “all-weather strategic partner”, with close ties dating back decades.
The first premier of the People’s Republic of China, Zhou Enlai, once credited Pakistan as a bridge in normalising Beijing’s relations with the U.S. in the 1970s, with Islamabad often acting as a channel of communication between Beijing and the outside world at the time.
But warming U.S.-Pakistani ties since 2025 under the Trump administration are creating a counterweight to China’s so-called neighbourhood diplomacy with countries with which it shares a border.
Pakistan last March hailed its counter-terrorism cooperation with Washington after the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, whom it blames for a 2021 attack on U.S. troops at Kabul airport. Trump publicly thanked Pakistan for its role in the capture.
The Trump administration also released $397 million for a U.S.-backed programme in Pakistan that monitors use of F-16 fighter jets in counter-terrorism efforts despite Washington’s global freeze in foreign aid.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Beijing to reaffirm the “ironclad friendship and strategic mutual trust” between the two neighbours.
“China and Pakistan will further promote their ironclad ties, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and continue to strengthen their strategic cooperation to break new ground,” the joint statement said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Venezuelan Oil Tankers Slip Away in the Dark Amid U.S. Blockade
Several oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude and fuel have quietly left the country’s waters in recent days, appearing to breach the U.S. blockade imposed amid escalating tensions that culminated in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The vessels reportedly departed in “dark mode,” disabling their tracking systems to conceal their movements, according to TankerTrackers.com.
Sanctioned Vessels Depart in Secret
The monitoring service reported that around a dozen tankers under U.S. sanctions had left Venezuelan ports loaded with oil or fuel. Another group of sanctioned ships also departed empty after unloading imports or completing domestic transfers. Satellite images indicated that at least four of the departing vessels exited Venezuelan waters through a route north of Margarita Island after pausing near the maritime border.
A source familiar with the documentation told Reuters that at least four supertankers had received clearance from Venezuelan authorities to leave in dark mode. It remains unclear whether the departures occurred with the knowledge or approval of Washington.
The movements mark the first signs of renewed oil activity since the U.S. blockade began last month, which had effectively paralysed Venezuela’s exports and trapped large quantities of crude in floating storage.
PDVSA Seeks Lifeline Amid Sanctions
The departures could bring temporary relief to Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA, which has struggled to maintain operations and revenue under the blockade. Oil exports are the country’s primary source of foreign income, essential for stabilising its economy and funding government programmes.
The interim government led by acting president and oil minister Delcy Rodriguez is now tasked with restoring economic functionality after the U.S. military operation that removed Maduro from power. Observers say Rodriguez will likely rely on oil revenues to sustain domestic stability and to signal continuity in Venezuela’s export commitments.
Ambiguity Over U.S. Embargo Enforcement
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that an “oil embargo” on Venezuela remained fully in force, describing it as part of Washington’s strategy to reshape the country’s energy sector. However, he also hinted that major buyers such as China might continue to receive Venezuelan oil under transitional arrangements.
It remains uncertain whether the tankers’ movements represent a deliberate challenge to U.S. measures or a negotiated exception designed to prevent further disruption in global energy flows.
The apparent resumption of crude shipments highlights the complexity of enforcing sanctions on one of the world’s most oil-rich nations and underscores the delicate balance the interim Venezuelan administration must maintain between asserting sovereignty and navigating international constraints.
with inputs from Reuters
Wang Yi Condemns U.S. Overreach Amid Venezuela Crisis
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing cannot accept any country acting as the “world’s judge” after the United States captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
“We have never believed that any country can act as the world’s police, nor do we accept that any nation can claim to be the world’s judge,” Wang told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar during a meeting in Beijing on Sunday, referring to “sudden developments in Venezuela” without directly mentioning the U.S.
Maduro is in a New York detention centre awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges.
China’s Diplomatic Ambitions
Beijing has ambition to become a diplomatic heavyweight, a goal it articulated most clearly after brokering a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, pledging to “play a constructive role in global hotspot issues.” Analysts say Beijing’s success in going toe-to-toe with the U.S. in trade negotiations has only reinforced China’s confidence.
However, President Donald Trump’s assertion that the U.S. will oversee Venezuela’s government for the time being poses a stern test to the “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” Beijing and Caracas struck in 2023, marking almost 50 years of diplomatic ties.
“It was a big blow to China, we wanted to look like a dependable friend to Venezuela,” said a Chinese government official briefed on a meeting between Maduro and China’s special representative for Latin American and Caribbean affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi, hours before his capture.
Strategic Angle
Maduro’s son visited China’s top-ranking Peking University in 2024, where he enrolled in 2016, they said, adding they were unsure whether he would return despite years of diplomatic engagement with Caracas around his education and ties to China.
The world’s second-largest economy has provided Venezuela with an economic lifeline since the U.S. and its allies ramped up sanctions in 2017, purchasing roughly $1.6 billion worth of goods in 2024, the most recent full-year data available.
Almost half of China’s purchases were crude oil, customs data shows, while its state-owned oil giants had invested around $4.6 billion in Venezuela by 2018, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank, which tracks Chinese overseas corporate investment.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Tariff Tensions Rise As Trump Pressures India
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday that U.S. could raise tariffs on India if New Delhi fails to reduce its imports of Russian oil, intensifying pressure as trade negotiations stall.
“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said in response to a question on India’s Russian oil purchases.
Trump’s comments follow months of trade negotiations after the U.S. doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50% last year as punishment for its heavy buying of Russian oil.
Market Reaction
Indian markets reacted on Monday, with the information technology stock index falling about 2.5% to its lowest in more than a month, as investors worried that strained trade relations could further delay a U.S.-India trade deal.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally travelling with him, said U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies and higher tariffs on India had helped curb Indian oil imports.
Graham is backing legislation to impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries such as India that continue to buy Russian oil.
Future Concerns
Trade experts warn, however, that New Delhi’s cautious approach risks weakening its position.
Ajay Srivastava, founder of trade think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said Indian exports already face a 50% U.S. tariff, with 25% linked to purchases of Russian crude.
While Indian refiners have cut imports after sanctions, he said, buying has not stopped entirely, leaving India in a “strategic grey zone.”
“Ambiguity no longer works,” Srivastava said, urging India to clearly state its stance on Russian oil. He warned that even a complete halt may not end U.S. pressure, which could shift to other trade demands, and that higher tariffs risk deeper export losses.
Modi has spoken to Trump at least three times since the tariffs were imposed. India’s commerce secretary met U.S. trade officials last month, but talks remain unresolved.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Trump Threatens Further Military Action In Post-Maduro Venezuela
Following the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration is betting that threats of additional military action will pressure the Venezuelan leader’s inner circle to align with U.S. demands, with insiders warning they could face the same consequences.
The United States would consider another military operation in Venezuela if the interim government in the South American nation did not cooperate, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday.
Asked if this would mean that U.S. troops would be deployed on the ground to conduct peacekeeping, Trump said it would depend on the actions of the government now led by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Uncertainty about the Trump administration’s use of military force is raising questions about his ability to bend the post-Maduro Venezuelan government to his will.
Venezuelan Officials Defiant
Top Venezuelan officials, who have called the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores a kidnapping and accused the U.S. of trying to steal the country’s vast oil reserves, insisted that they remain united.
Rodriguez – who also serves as oil minister – has taken over as interim leader with the blessing of Venezuela’s top court, though she has said Maduro remains president.
Trump said nothing about restoring democracy to Venezuela in his triumphant press conference on Saturday. And he disappointed the country’s opposition when he dismissed the idea of working with opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Trump offered no clear picture how the U.S. would fulfill his vow to oversee Venezuela, something critics quickly condemned as neocolonialism and which would risk alienating some supporters who oppose foreign interventions.
Much of the U.S. State Department’s Western Hemisphere office was caught by surprise by Trump’s remarks, and no preparations have been made for sending staff to Caracas, two U.S. officials said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Venezuela’s Acting President Urges Dialogue After U.S. Capture of Maduro
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday extended an olive branch to Washington, calling for cooperation on “shared development” following the dramatic U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The statement marked a striking shift in tone after Caracas initially denounced the American raid as an illegal assault on national sovereignty.
Call for Cooperation and Stability
In a message posted on social media, Rodriguez said her administration was committed to “respectful relations” with the United States. “We invite the U.S. government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote. “President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”
Rodriguez, who also serves as Venezuela’s oil minister, is seen by many diplomats as the most pragmatic member of Maduro’s former inner circle. Her appeal for dialogue comes as Venezuela faces political turmoil and widespread uncertainty following the U.S. military operation in Caracas on Saturday.
Trump Threatens Further Action
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he could order further strikes if Venezuela refused to cooperate with Washington’s push to open its oil industry and curb drug trafficking. His comments came ahead of Maduro’s scheduled court appearance in New York on Monday, where he will face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Trump has framed the operation as a law-enforcement action designed to hold Maduro accountable for his alleged crimes. However, he also linked the raid to broader U.S. concerns, including rising Venezuelan migration and the country’s decades-old decision to nationalise American oil assets.
“We’re taking back what they stole,” Trump said aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida. “We’re in charge.” He added that U.S. oil companies would soon return to Venezuela to rebuild the country’s petroleum industry. “They’re going to spend billions of dollars and they’re going to take the oil out of the ground,” he said.
Maduro Faces Expanding Criminal Case
Maduro, 63, was detained during the U.S. raid and is now in custody in New York. Prosecutors accuse him of providing protection and logistical support to major drug trafficking networks, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. The charges, originally filed in 2020, were updated over the weekend to include his wife, Cilia Flores, who was also captured during the operation.
According to prosecutors, Maduro directed cocaine trafficking routes, used military units to secure shipments, and allowed presidential facilities to be used for drug operations. Flores faces accusations of ordering kidnappings and murders linked to the narcotics trade.
Maduro has denied all allegations, and it may take several months before his trial begins. Meanwhile, Rodriguez’s call for renewed dialogue suggests Caracas may be seeking a path to stabilise relations amid growing global tension over the legality and fallout of the U.S. action.
with inputs from Reuters