Acting Venezuela President Delcy Rodriguez (right) is seen with deposed president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores (left). — Reuters pic
Sunday, 04 Jan 2026 10:59 AM MYT
CARACAS, Jan 4 — The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered yesterday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained early yesterday morning in an operation by US forces.
The court ruling said that Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation.”
The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defence of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.” — Reuters
US President Donald Trump and his allies have defended the US attacks on Venezuela and the removal of President Nicolas Maduro from power amid widespread condemnation that the actions violate international law.
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Maduro was “captured” after US military strikes on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, for carrying out a purported “campaign of deadly narco-terrorism against the United States”.
He said the US government would “run” the South American country during a political transition, promising the Venezuelan people that they would become “rich, independent and safe”.
But Claire Finkelstein, a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, has rejected the Trump administration’s arguments in defence of the attacks and removal of Maduro, as well as its plans to exert control over Venezuela.
“I don’t think there’s any basis under international law for the action that occurred overnight by the US government,” Finkelstein told Al Jazeera, describing the attacks as an “illegal use of force [and] a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty”.
“Maduro has personal jurisdiction rights, so not only is it a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, but it’s a violation of his personal, international rights,” she said.
Numerous statutes of international law – including the UN Charter – prohibit states from attacking another country without provocation.
“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” the UN Charter says. Advertisement
The US actions came amid a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro, whom the Trump administration accused, without evidence, of being linked to drug traffickers.
Washington had carried out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, seized vessels carrying oil off the Venezuelan coast, sanctioned members of Maduro’s family, and threatened to launch attacks on the country’s soil.
“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator, he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation,” US Congressman Tom Cotton, a top Trump ally, wrote on social media on Saturday, welcoming the moves against the Venezuelan leader.
Before he was seized, Maduro had said he was open to dialogue with the US on drug trafficking. He also had accused the Trump administration of seeking to depose him and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
What are the implications of the US capture of Nicolas Maduro?
Maduro brought to New York after being seized by US in Venezuela
‘No imminent threat’
Democratic Party lawmakers in the US had been demanding answers from the Trump administration about its aims in Venezuela, accusing the Republican president of seeking to unlawfully carry out acts of war without congressional oversight.
Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war.
But that authority has been weakened over the last several decades, with the US carrying out military strikes around the world during its so-called “war on terror” based on loosely-interpreted congressional authorisations.
On Saturday, Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that, despite the Trump administration’s claims, “there was no imminent threat to the United States” from Venezuela, “certainly not one that justified military action without congressional authorization”.
“These actions violate both US and international law and, by Trump’s own admission, this is not a limited operation,” Meeks said in a statement shared on social media.
‘Team’ from US to run Venezuela after 'capture’ of Maduro
This was echoed by the University of Pennsylvania’s Finkelstein, who said there was no “immediate threat” to the US that would justify the executive branch carrying out attacks without notifying Congress.
“It was an act of war against Venezuela, and we did not have the kind of self-defence justification that would normally justify bypassing Congress,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Even if you believe the US is at grave danger because of drug trafficking, there isn’t the kind of imminence there that would justify the president moving unilaterally and not turning to Congress and trying to get them on board.”
Finkelstein also rejected Trump’s plans for the US to “run” Venezuela as “incredibly illegal”.
“States have sovereignty rights, and you cannot just invade them and take them over,” she said.
“Even if Maduro were to fall of his own accord and we had not brought that about, we don’t have the right to go in and start running their government,” Finkelstein said.
“Democracy is premised on the idea that the people are sovereign and the people choose their own leaders, and that’s something we should be promoting in Latin and South America, not trying to undermine.”
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Clown shows his brazen-faced daylight-robber illegality and lawlessness
[1] Malaysia’s politics has entered another period of uneasy flux. Across the aisle and within the government itself, alliances are fraying, loyalties are shifting, and long-suppressed tensions are surfacing. The opposition Perikatan Nasional appears to be coming apart at the seams, even as the unity government struggles to contain its own contradictions. What we are witnessing is not a passing wobble, but a deeper reckoning with a political order that no longer fits the realities of a fractured, post-2018 Malaysia.
[2] At the centre of the opposition’s troubles is Bersatu — weak, divided and rudderless. The party has been ailing for some time, and few expect it to survive the next general election in its current form. Its move against the Perlis Menteri Besar, a senior PAS leader, may have shattered what little trust remained between the two parties.
[3] A weak opposition should be good news for the unity government, but it too is riven with tension and disillusionment. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s push to shore up support among the Malay-Muslim electorate has not only failed to deliver the gains he hoped for but has also alienated segments of his non-Malay base. Promises of reform — on the cost of living or the fight against corruption — have steadily given way to frustration and fatigue.
[4] UMNO, for its part, has been unable to leverage its formidable presence in cabinet — courtesy of Anwar — to reclaim its former standing among Malay voters. Continued cooperation with DAP remains a source of deep unease within the party. Meanwhile, party President Zahid Hamidi, never particularly popular even within his own ranks, is forced to constantly watch his back.
[5] DAP is facing pressures of its own. Anthony Loke’s strategy of quiet cooperation has failed to yield the political dividends many supporters expected. Anwar has offered little more than rhetorical reassurance while resisting substantive concessions. As a result, DAP is increasingly perceived — fairly or not — as weak and overly accommodating.
[6] Amanah, meanwhile, fears being rendered expendable altogether, particularly if Anwar were to strike a tactical accommodation with PAS that leaves it isolated.
[7] In short, none of the peninsula-based parties appear satisfied with their current position. UMNO leaders have openly threatened to withdraw from the government. DAP has warned that it may reconsider its participation if reforms continue to be delayed or diluted. PAS, for its part, is calling for a revival of Muafakat Nasional with UMNO — a telling sign of its growing estrangement from Bersatu.
[8] Yet this instability is not necessarily a bad thing. It confirms that the 2018 general election irretrievably shattered the old political framework built around a single dominant party. Coalition politics are no longer an aberration; they are the new and unavoidable norm.
[9] Coalitions, however, demand negotiation, accommodation and compromise. They require Malay and non-Malay, religious and secular parties to work together to forge arrangements capable of sustaining stable governments. If PAS hopes to form the federal government, it will have to make meaningful concessions to minorities. Likewise, if Anwar wishes to remain prime minister, he must manage — far more deftly than he has so far — the competing expectations of both Malays and non-Malays.
[10] There will inevitably be renewed calls for an exclusively Malay-Muslim coalition. History suggests such unity is simply not sustainable. Not even persistent claims that Malays are under existential threat have been enough to overcome rivalries, distrust and personal ambition. Non-Malays, too, remain fragmented despite shared anxieties about the Islamic agenda.
[11] Given these realities, engagement across political and communal lines is unavoidable. Hard bargaining lies ahead as parties seek more workable coalitions, with each community demanding credible assurances that its core interests will be protected. It should allow the DAP, for example, to use its parliamentary strength to represent non-Malay interests more effectively.
[12] This is, arguably, what the country’s founding leaders envisaged when they crafted the independence compact — a system built on negotiation and mutual accommodation, balancing for example Malay privileges with non-Malay rights or honouring Islam’s position within a multireligious polity. In a sense, political will be more transactional than aspirational.
[13] That momentum was abruptly derailed by May 13, which replaced consultation and compromise with the rigid doctrine of Ketuanan Melayu. The choice facing today’s political leaders is therefore stark: persist with zero-sum ethnic politics and perpetual instability, or rebuild coalitions grounded in genuine consensus and respect for diversity. If they choose the latter, Malaysia may yet reclaim the promise of the multiethnic, multireligious nation it set out to be.
[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 4th January 2026]
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had nothing but praises for Oscar-winning actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Sunday, 04 Jan 2026 9:02 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had nothing but praises for Oscar-winning actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, who made an appearance as a special guest at the ‘I LITE U’ launch ceremony in Pavilion KL last night.
During his speech at the event, Anwar actually went out of his way, breaking protocols to deliver Yeoh her ‘flowers’ for her outstanding achievements on the global stage.
“Thank you again to all ministers and ministries and everyone for the support of this event but it is a rare honour, a real pleasure and a distinguished honour for all Malaysians that we have with us the outstanding Madame Morrible of Wicked and the first Asean Oscar winner.
“So, I thought I’ll do away with all the protocol, arrangements and the humble speeches. You’ve heard me before and you will hear again.
“She’s an outstanding actress — I mean, versatile in all sorts of characters and she stood with that discipline and zeal,” Anwar said before inviting the Ipoh-born actress to give an impromptu speech.
Yeoh, visibly blushing, thanked the Prime Minister and the cheering crowds, calling on Malaysians to seize the day.
“I think what it is, like all my fellow Malaysians, we know what it means to work hard and when you work hard and when the opportunity arises, you have to seize it and do well to run with it.
“I have been very blessed to have wonderful parents and family who have been so supportive and I know that every time I come back to Malaysia and I walk down the streets and I see all your faces, you inspire me to do more and to represent you all to the rest of the world.
“So thank you for all your encouragement and support, and I will continue to do my very best to make sure ‘Malaysia Boleh’,” Yeoh said.
I LITE U is a smart-lighting initiative spearheaded by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, which aims to enhance and beautify KL’s urban nightscape.
The initiative also serves as a curtain-raiser to the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which targets 28 million tourist arrivals and RM76 billion in revenue.
The smart-lighting initiative spearheaded by the Housing and Local Government Ministry aims to enhance and beautify KL’s urban nightscape. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
The I LITE U project spans nearly one kilometre around Bukit Bintang and features over 70 energy-efficient LED installations which include hanging lights, moon lights with fairytale-designs.
The launching ceremony was also attended by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and KL Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud.
The launch ceremony also featured a parade consisting of at least 16 contingents from multiple government agencies, departments and schools along with a slew of cultural performances as they marched through the streets of Bukit Bintang.
This image posted on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social account on January 3, 2026, shows, L/R, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, watching a remote feed of the US military's mission to capture Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026. — Truth Social pic
Sunday, 04 Jan 2026 9:21 AM MYT
WASHINGTON, Jan 4 — President Donald Trump said yesterday that the United States will “run” Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves after snatching leftist leader Nicolas Maduro out of the country during a bombing raid on Caracas.
Trump’s announcement came hours after a lightning attack in which special forces grabbed Maduro and his wife, while air strikes pounded sites in and around the capital city.
Shortly after nightfall, Maduro was escorted off a plane at a military base in New York. He was expected to be transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple face trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Despite the success of the risky operation, what happens next is highly uncertain.
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela, but gave no detail of how this would work.
In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed there in the future, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s repressed opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
One aspect that became clearer was the White House’s motivation, with Trump indicating regime change and Venezuela’s oil riches were the major goals.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies... spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” he said. “We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Maduro, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP.
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
She called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to “immediately” assume the presidency.
But Trump was surprisingly cold about expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she doesn’t have “support or respect” there.
Instead he touted Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodriguez however poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and vowing to “defend” the country.
Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated that US involvement is likely for the long haul.
“We’re there now, but we’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
China, a backer of Maduro’s leftist regime, said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast.
Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2:00 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour, AFP journalists said.
The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops helicoptering in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into the leader’s daily habits—down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept.
Maduro, 63, and his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he said.
Several hours after the attacks, Venezuelan authorities had yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told a US media outlet that “many” Cubans who were part of Maduro’s security detail were among the dead.
Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and a smell of smoke drifting through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro—in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez—long accused Trump of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and the country’s oil industry.
But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change.
Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. However, Trump’s key ally Mike Johnson, Republican speaker in the House of Representatives, said it was “justified.” — NYT via AFP
***
Venezuelans, give the wanks another Vietnam, Afghanistan
In recent weeks, Kim has made a series of visits to factories that build weapons, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of this year's Ninth Party Congress of the Workers' Party to set out major policy goals. — KCNA via Reuters pic
Sunday, 04 Jan 2026 10:09 AM MYT
SEOUL, Jan 4 — North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang towards the sea off its east coast at around 7.50am local time (6.50am Malaysian time) today, South Korea's military said.
The first launch of North Korea's ballistic missiles in two months comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China starting today, where Seoul has said peace on the Korean peninsula would be discussed.
"Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, saying it is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
The missiles are believed to have already fallen, according to Japan's Ministry of Defense.
The last time Pyongyang tested its ballistic missile was in November.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than double the production capacity of tactical guided weapons on his latest visit to a munitions factory on Saturday, North Korea's state media reported.
In recent weeks, Kim has made a series of visits to factories that build weapons, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of this year's Ninth Party Congress of the Workers' Party to set out major policy goals.
China's President Xi Jinping will host Lee on a state visit starting on Sunday.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee's security adviser, said Seoul expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula, without elaborating on details of the summit agenda.
Lee's agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee's outreach. — Reuters
***
What has just happened to Venezuela, the typical example of wankee imperialistic illegal grab-and-rob, has been the reason why North Korea has developed nuke missiles and bombs, to ensure the wankees would face 'significant sh8T' should those wanks choose to invade North Korea.
An aerial survey show homes inundated with flood water in Kelantan December 20, 2025. — Bernama file pic
Sunday, 04 Jan 2026 10:29 AM MYT
KOTA BHARU, Jan 4 — The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has issued an early flood forecast for Kelantan following the Continuous Rain Warning (Alert) issued today by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
The National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (PRABN) of DID said floods are likely to occur from January 5 to 8 in 10 districts involving several major river basins in the state.
The affected districts are Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Bachok, Machang, Kota Bharu, Pasir Puteh, Jeli, Tanah Merah, Kuala Krai and Gua Musang, involving the Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Golok, Sungai Semerak, Sungai Kemasin, Sungai Lebir, Sungai Galas and Sungai Nenggiri river basins.
“Continuous monitoring will be carried out and flood warnings will be updated if significant rainfall persists at the affected basins.
“The forecasted floods may occur earlier or later than the expected dates,” DID said in a statement.
All disaster management agencies and residents, especially those living in high-risk areas, are urged to remain vigilant and to comply with the authorities’ instructions.
The public is also encouraged to obtain the latest information and warnings through the publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my portal or the PublicInfoBanjir Facebook page. — Bernama
I initially wanted to spread the feelgood holiday cheer to everyone, as people laze over a long weekend to get ready for a great productive year ahead.
Maybe urge patriotic resolutions or direct people to a nearby animal shelter to hug a domesticated pet feeling unloved.
Buy hungover revellers coffee and impart common sense like, “Do not leave your date at the countdown party.”
That was until Malaysians were informed they would wake up in 2026 with the country’s main Opposition bloc leaderless.
All the fuss kicked off a week earlier: as a Christmas present, PAS sacks three Perlis assemblymen. Fair enough, since they backed Bersatu reps’ effort to dislodge Perlis MB Shukri Ramli.
To match the drama, Muhyiddin Yassin resigned as Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman while holidaying in Madrid, effective today.
Who said the conservative “values first and last” PN did not know how to stir up some festive year-end excitement? Someone must have said PAS and Bersatu are boorish and boring towards the year end as the rest of us amble into a place of fun or two.
Perlis is the time, is the place, is the motion
Three PAS state assemblymen in Perlis whose positions were automatically vacated following the immediate termination of their party membership. — Bernama pic
It’s incredulous that this much trouble kicks off in an area filled with less than two-thirds the voters in Bangi.
Perlis, three parliamentary seats totalling less than 200,000 voters is what preoccupies a nation currently. Though it is the 15 assembly seats inside them which bring us to this FUBAR.
Big trouble in little Perlis.
Instead, it should be the picture of stability because 14 seats, or 93 per cent belong to the dark blue of PN. PKR’s Gan Ay Ling is Indera Kayangan’s rep, she is also the the only elected rep in Perlis not from PN.
She is incidentally the leader of the Perlis Opposition. She chats with herself in the house when she is unsure. It can get lonely.
Whatever they smoke in Kangar, it inspired the five Bersatu reps to talk three PAS reps to sign statutory declarations requesting a new menteri besar.
Like requisitioning new stationery, these SDs. They object to their own party’s anointed MB. PAS HQ was not impressed. Not impressed at all.
PAS President Hadi Awang summarily sacks Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong), and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji). Which also means the trio lose their assembly seats.
PAS doubles down. At first, Speaker Rus’sele Eizan announces the seats vacant and asked the Election Commission to hold elections.
But yesterday he said the three seats would remain vacant and there would be no by-elections as the state assembly is set to automatically dissolve in two years.
Rus’sele said the decision was made under Clause (5) of Article 55 of the Perlis State Consitution and communicated to the state Election Commission (EC) the day before, The Star reported.
That’s a lot to process for a nation on holiday evading mistletoes and eggnog to skip sin.
Yet, it is hit by “I Quit Day”.
If you leave me now, you take away I don’t know what
Bersatu President Muhyiddin picked up his passport from the courts on December 15, to head out to London, Madrid and Dubai.
A sojourn to get medical assistance and connect with family. Makes me less convinced he had anything to do with the Perlis shenanigans, and Larut is far closer to Kangar than Pagoh.
His judge expects Muhyiddin’s passport back to custodial care by January 5, 2026.
A tedious and frankly unwelcomed criminal corruption case denies him travel on other days of the year.
His travel schedule reads Madrid after Christmas, I’m guessing that’s where he was when Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah was sworn in as the new Perlis MB.
On a balcony overlooking the resplendent Spanish capital, a family member with the temerity to interject may have reminded him that in a year where nothing went right for Bersatu, the party got some power while he was out of the country.
Whether he got an internal jolt or was unamused by PAS leaders’ taunts that PN was better under them or just fed up, most observers are unable to decipher his December 30 quit decision, to vacate the PN chairmanship when 2026 begins.
But he’s not the last to quit.
In what appears a co-ordinated stratagem, one by one PN state chairs leave. Azmin Ali quits in Selangor, Faizal Azumu follows in Perak, as do Johor’s Sahruddin Jamal for Johor, Negeri Sembilan’s Mohamad Hanifah Abu Baker and Sarawak’s Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian.
The PN state chairs not to quit are from PAS or Melaka’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin who is from Bersatu.
It leaves a lot to reconcile or enough reasons for PN to self-destruct in 2026.
What was a year to close ranks and prepare for a general election turns instead into an existentialist crisis.
Akmal wants to have a word
The Unity government of Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional prefer to be interested observers to PN’s implosion but they have a hothead inhouse in the form of Akmal Saleh.
The Umno Youth Chief talks up Muafakat Nasional, the stillborn cooperation between PAS and Umno after GE14 2018-2022, a few days before a youth congress to discuss what Malay supremacy should look like.
Whether he gets Umno stuck into this muck is what party president Zahid Hamidi will watch for without time for irony.
As it stands, it’s a thousand questions raised with answers as distant as economic growth in Perlis.
I’d venture to say, those in Perlis looking for inspiration may be better served by waking up today on the Thai side of Padang Besar.
More foot massages than foot in mouth syndrome dominating the scene.
It appears the Perikatan Nasional folks have started their countdown to New Year much earlier than the rest of the world, or even Kiribati. Look that one up, one place with less people than Perlis.
Republic of China Abrams Tank, Harpoon Missile, F-16 Block 70, ATACMS
The United States in 2025 continued large scale deliveries of military equipment to modernise the inventories of the Republic of China Armed Forces, following a policy shift under the first Trump administration in 2019 to much more actively support military modernisation efforts. The status of the Republic of China government has left the U.S. as its only significant military supplier, with the government’s lack of international recognition or diplomatic relations with all but twelve minor countries leaving other arms producing countries unwilling to equip its forces. Although major delays to U.S. arms supplies have caused a major scandal in Taipei, with backlogs having exceeded $21 billion, the quantities of equipment delivered are nevertheless substantial.
Republic of China Army M1A2 Abrams Tank During Live Fire Drills
The most significant procurement made in 2025 was that of M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. After the first batch of 38 tanks were delivered in December 2024, a second batch of 42 tanks arrived in July 2025, allowing an armoured battalion to be formed equipped with the vehicles on October 31, 2025. This was assigned to the 3rd Combined Arms Battalion of the 584th Armoured Brigade, which is responsible for mobile counterattacks against landings by mainland Chinese forces, and for breakthroughs of possible encirclements. The Abrams’ high mobility as a result of its gas turbine engine makes it optimal for such roles, although its suitability for conditions on Taiwan Island remains in question, with its large, outstandingly high fuel requirements, and very limited ability to use local infrastructure being major limitations.
Harpoon Missile Launched From Mobile Launch Vehicle
Alongside the M1A2, the only other major delivery made was of the first batch of RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II shore-based anti-ship missile systems, including five launch vehicles and one long-range search radar. Funding has been allocated to purchase 100 launchers and 400 RGM-84L-4 Block II missiles from the United States before 2031, although U.S. industry’s ability to deliver these on time has remained in question. The Harpoon has been in service for close to half a century since 1977, with even updated variants suffering from short ranges, subsonic speeds, and a lack of radar evading capabilities which make them relatively straightforward for modern air defence systems or fighters to intercept. A fleet of mobile launch vehicles and radar systems capable of supporting Harpoon missile launches remains at the core of the Republic of China Navy’s asymmetric anti-access area-denial strategy against the Chinese mainland.
ATACMS Ballistic Missiles and Launcher From HIMARS System
By far the most controversial weapons systems supplied is the HIMARS rocket artillery system, the first 11 launchers from which were delivered in late 2024 and assigned to the 58th Artillery Command of the 10th Army Corps. The first live-fire exercise was conducted in southern Taiwan on May 12, 2025, and saw 33 rockets fired allowing the system to complete tactical verification. The formation of the first HIMARS rocket artillery company was held on July 4, 2025. A report by the Republic of China Ministry of National Defence tin November 2025 noted that the U.S. advanced the delivery date of the remaining 18 HIMARS from the originally scheduled 2027 to the fourth quarter of 2026. The system’s delivery has caused particular controversy due to its ability to deploy ATACMS ballistic missiles to strike targets far into the Chinese mainland, with a new arms sale approved in December expected to see 420 more of the missiles transferred to the Republic of China Armed Forces. The United States’ ballistic missile proliferation outside NATO has otherwise been limited.
Ceremony at Greenville For the Delivery of the First F-16 Block 70 to the Republic of China Air Force
While no HIMARS are known to have been delivered in 2025, delays to delivered of F-16 Block 70 fighters meant that only one fighter was handed over to the Republic of China Armed Forces in 2025, with a ceremony held in the United States in March to mark the occasion. The aircraft will be used for training, and will not reach Taiwan Island or enter service for the foreseeable future. With outstanding contracts stipulating that all 66 F-16 Block 70 fighters on order need to be delivered by the end of 2027, it remains in question whether even half this number will be delivered by that time. Responding to the delays, Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that Taipei did not rule out “taking legal action against the manufacturer,” but cautioned that the $8.2 billion contract to acquire F-16s was executed through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process which provided no allowance for direct compensation claims.
Republic of China Air Force Mirage 2000 - These Obsolete French Fighters Will Remain in Service Until New F-16s Are Belatedly Delivered
The Republic of China government remains in a state of civli war with the internationally recognised People’s Republic of China government on the Chinese mainland, with both claiming to be the sole legitimate representatives of the Chinese nation. Equipping the Republic of China Armed Forces has thus provided a means for the United States to undermine the interests of the Chinese mainland, while also earning tens of billions of dollars in revenue for the American defence sector. With arms supplies to the Republic of China Armed Forces remaining limited, however, the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait has continued to rapidly shift to increasingly overwhelmingly favour the mainland. The Untied States has continued to deny Taipei permission to procure more advanced and sensitive military equipment such as F-35 fighter aircraft, both due to the political sensitivity of sales, and due to the significant risks that technologies will be passed on to the Chinese mainland either through defections or through espionage.
***
Selling second hand out-of-date arms and making billions out of Taiwan's desperation - unscrupulous wankees.
