Overall Highlights

• China emphasizes the Taiwan issue as a critical aspect of US-China relations, viewing it as a red line that must not be crossed.
• Taiwan perceives recent Chinese travel rule changes as politically motivated, reflecting ongoing tensions between the two sides.
• Both regions are engaged in a broader geopolitical context, with China seeking to strengthen ties in Southeast Asia while Taiwan maintains strong relations with the US.
• China’s media highlights the importance of national unity regarding Taiwan, while Taiwan’s outlets stress the need to choose between US and China allegiances.

China Perspective (China Sources)

• China views the Taiwan question as the most important issue in its relations with the US, asserting it as a red line.
• Chinese media claims that Taiwan is an internal affair of China, dismissing foreign interference as unacceptable.
• Recent travel rule changes by China are framed as necessary measures to assert sovereignty and discourage political maneuvers by Taiwan.
• China’s Global Times editorial suggests that Lithuania’s attempts to mend ties with China are insufficient without a more substantial acknowledgment of past mistakes.

Taiwan Perspective (Taiwan Sources)

• Taiwan accuses China of using travel rule changes for political purposes, indicating a lack of trust in Beijing’s intentions.
• Taiwan’s leadership asserts that relations with the US are ‘rock solid’, emphasizing the importance of US support against Chinese pressure.
• Taiwanese media highlights the dilemma of being forced to choose between aligning with the US or China, reflecting a precarious geopolitical position.
• Taiwan’s response to China’s assertions includes a strong emphasis on maintaining its sovereignty and democratic values.

Sources

This summary is based on 20 articles from the following sources:

1. [en-US] Exclusive | Inside China’s rare meeting to lobby Southeast Asia against Japan - South China Morning Post (2/6/2026)
2. [en-US] Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal - South China Morning Post (2/6/2026)
3. [en-US] To repair relations with China, Lithuania’s verbal ‘admission of mistake’ is not enough: Global Times editorial - Global Times (2/5/2026)
4. [en-US] China: Taiwan question the most important issue in China-U.S. relations - news.cgtn.com (2/5/2026)
5. [en-US] Mainland: Only one nationality for both mainland and Taiwan - news.cgtn.com (2/5/2026)
6. [en-US] Virtual meeting, important phone talks on Beginning of Spring inject certainty into the world, time for Taiwan to wake up: Bei Pingfeng - Global Times (2/5/2026)
7. [en-US] Mainland says Taiwan question is a red line that must not be crossed - news.cgtn.com (2/5/2026)
8. [en-US] Xi Jinping’s same-day calls with Putin and Trump underscore China’s role in global stability - news.cgtn.com (2/5/2026)
9. [en-US] Former Japanese PM: Taiwan is China’s ‘internal affair’ - China Daily - Global Edition (2/5/2026)
10. [en-US] Why Vilnius rues the Taiwan de facto embassy row with Beijing - South China Morning Post (2/5/2026)
11. [en-US] Taiwan says Chinese travel rule change made for political purposes - Taiwan News (2/6/2026)
12. [en-US] MGM China Reports 2025 Annual Results - Taiwan News (2/5/2026)
13. [en-US] Taiwan-US relations ‘rock solid’: Lai - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
14. [en-US] TSMC 3nm chip plan in Japan, a win for Takaichi - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
15. [en-US] Beijing travel decision a political move, MAC says - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
16. [en-US] Xi held ‘rare’ back-to-back calls with Putin and Trump - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
17. [en-US] KMT appointment concerning: lawmaker - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
18. [en-US] EDITORIAL: Taiwan forced to pick US or China - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
19. [en-US] Zhang’s removal has many futures - Taipei Times (2/5/2026)
20. [en-US] Eisai and Henlius Enter into Exclusive Commercial License Agreement for Anti-PD-1 Antibody Serplulimab in Japan - Taiwan News (2/5/2026)