• UK white paper raises concerns over China’s growing foreign aid role
• Canada-China detention feud reopened after claims of ‘unwitting’ espionage
• With interim coach working with successor, USWNT shakes up its roster for China
• China wants more investment from French firms, Xi tells Macron
• Australia PM: Chinese navy incident that injured diver was “dangerous“
• Taiwan“s former US envoy, well-known in US, vilified by China, named VP candidate
• Albanese accuses China of ‘dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional’ behaviour in naval ship altercation
• Taiwan“s former US envoy, well-known in U.S., vilified by China, named VP candidate

UK white paper raises concerns over China’s growing foreign aid role

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/20/uk-white-paper-concerns-china-growing-foreign-aid-role

China’s growing role in international development marks a systemic global shift that will require robust challenge by Britain if its interests are threatened, a UK government white paper on aid has warned.

With David Cameron starting as foreign secretary and under scrutiny for his previous business links with China, the document does not hold back in challenging the Chinese development model or its growing influence.

The drawbacks listed include “operating with lower social and environmental standards, limited transparency, allegations of corruption and capture of local elites, and limited coordination through the multilateral system, especially of bilateral instruments like the belt and road initiative”.

The white paper warns “China’s growing role as an actor in international development marks a systemic shift in the global development landscape” and has wide implications for Britain’s own development policies. It says that “between 2008 and 2021, China made $498bn in loan commitments, equivalent to 83% of World Bank sovereign lending during the same period”, adding: “Its increased assertiveness in seeking to shape the international order makes it essential for us to navigate the challenges that come with its evolving development role.”

The white paper promises the UK will resist the risks China “poses to open societies and good governance”, saying it will seek to influence Chinese thinking and act robustly where necessary.

“Given China’s critical role in raising global development standards and achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, it is important that China’s domestic initiatives complement multilateral efforts rather than undermine them,” the white paper said.

The commentary brings into the open longstanding tensions between the Chinese model of development and Britain’s commitment in the white paper to forming partnerships and targeting low-income groups.

The white paper, the brainchild of the development minister. Andrew Mitchell, contains a plethora of ambitious plans to stretch the balance sheets of multilateral banks and mobilise pension funds to direct finance to meet the currently badly offtrack SDGs.

Through the greater use of guarantees it is estimated multilateral development banks could yield about $300m (£240m) to $400m of additional finance over the next decade, the white paper suggested.

The World Bank estimates there is an existing total pipeline of $1.2tn for sustainable infrastructure projects in low- and middle-income countries – far short of the additional $3.9tn needed annually through to 2030 to meet the SDGs.

At a global food summit in London marking the launch of the white paper, Britain’s biggest philanthropist, Sir Chris Hohn, the managing partner of the Children’s Investment Fund, announced he was giving another $50m personally to prevent and treat child wasting and believes his contribution can leverage another $500m in grants.

It is estimated the hedge fund manager has given £4bn to various philanthropic schemes mainly concerned with child poverty or the climate crisis.

Aid groups welcomed the plans and scale of ambition in the white paper, but almost universally criticised the government’s cuts in its own aid budget, as well as the proportion of the aid budget now diverted to domestic use.

Canada-China detention feud reopened after claims of ‘unwitting’ espionage

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/20/canada-china-michael-spavor-spying

A simmering diplomatic feud prompted by China’s detention of two Canadian citizens has been reopened after one of the men claimed he was arrested for unknowingly passing on intelligence to Canada and its allies.

The Globe and Mail reported Michael Spavor is seeking a multi-million dollar settlement from Canada’s federal government, alleging he “unwittingly” provided intelligence on North Korea to fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig, who then shared that information with Canada and Five Eyes allies.

The two men were arrested in 2018 shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada in connection with possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran. Chinese officials said Spavor – who lived near the North Korean border and arranged cultural exchanges – was supplying intelligence to Kovrig, who took leave from working as a diplomat at Canada’s embassy in Beijing from 2012 to 2014 to take a job at the International Crisis Group. At the time, the arrests of “the two Michaels” drew accusations of “hostage diplomacy” by Canada and its allies.

In August 2021, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of spying. Kovrig’s verdict, after a secret trial in the March, was never announced. The two men were freed by China in September of that year, after Meng Wanzhou reached a deal with US prosecutors and was released, capping a standoff that lasted more than 1,000 days.

Following Spavor’s claims over the weekend, China’s embassy in Ottawa reiterated its claims the men were “suspected of committing crimes endangering China’s national security”.

“Recent relevant reports once again prove that the above facts cannot be denied,” the embassy said Sunday. “Canada’s hyping up of so-called ‘arbitrary detention’ by China is purely a thief crying ‘Stop, thief!’ and fully exposes Canada’s hypocrisy.”

But Spavor’s allegations have prompted outright denials from Canada and mixed reactions from experts.

In a statement to the Guardian, the global affairs department said the detention of the two men was “unjust and unacceptable” and their trials “did not satisfy even the minimum standards” under international law.

“Perpetuating the notion that either Michael was involved in espionage is only perpetuating a false narrative under which they were detained by China,” said John Babcock, a spokesperson for the ministry.

“Since their release from arbitrary detention, the government of Canada has remained committed to supporting them both to rebuild their lives following this difficult ordeal. Both men are free to speak about their experience of their arbitrary detention in China. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”

At the centre of the allegations is Kovrig’s work with Canada’s global security reporting program (GSRP) “which generates focused diplomatic reporting on security and stability issues in countries of strategic interest to Canada”. These reports are not secret and are read within the foreign affairs ministry and with partner departments.

On social media, former ambassador Kerry Buck, who also served assistant deputy minister for international security, called Spavor’s allegations “ridiculous”.

“GSRP diplomats write diplomatic reports. As with all diplomatic reports, they are read by people in Ottawa, including the CSIS [Canadian Security Intelligence Service]. Some of those reports provide information CSIS and others might like. In no world does this make GSRP diplomats ‘spies’.”

Stephanie Carvin, a professor of internal relations at Carleton University says despite the global affairs ministry’s denial that Kovrig was working as a spy, he was still collecting intelligence – and Canada needs to understand how that work might be viewed by other countries.

“The reality is the way we talk about intelligence is changing. There’s a lot of discussion about open source intelligence. It might not be from clandestine sources, but it’s still intelligence – and we need to treat it that way.”

But she points that at the time of his arrest, Kovrig was no longer working for global affairs and was no longer providing reports through the GSRP, one of the country’s “least well-known” government divisions.

“China’s detention of the Michaels was arbitrary and it was wrong. But it also highlights the consequences of Canada’s indecision of whether or not it wants to have a foreign human intelligence agency,” said Carvin.

“Canada may not want an MI6, but it also wants information from people living overseas about the countries they are living in. The resulting uncertainty creates a significant amount of risk for GSRP officers [like Kovrig] and the individuals they speak with.”

With interim coach working with successor, USWNT shakes up its roster for China

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/11/20/uswnt-roster-emma-hayes-china/2023-11-20T03:21:52.103Z

Because Emma Hayes will not take the full-time coaching reins of the U.S. women’s national soccer team until May, decisions involving the roster, match preparations and the general direction of the program are becoming a collaborative effort.

The first joint task, unveiled Monday, was assembling a 26-player squad for friendlies against China on Dec. 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Dec. 5 in Frisco, Tex. Several regulars, including Alex Morgan, were left off the list.

Hayes’s hiring was announced last week, but with the Englishwoman primarily focused on London club Chelsea until the end of the season, interim coach Twila Kilgore will continue to oversee training camps and games.

Emma Hayes will take over USWNT just two months before Paris Olympics

Kilgore, however, will consult regularly with Hayes, and both coaches will work closely with Sporting Director Matt Crocker on long-term plans following the program’s disappointing performances at the 2023 World Cup and Tokyo Olympics. Kilgore will join Hayes’s staff upon the latter’s arrival.

Hayes is probably going to attend a portion of the nine-day camp — Chelsea does not have any matches scheduled — but will leave the game-day work to Kilgore.

The latest roster featured a number of notable changes: Eight players from the World Cup squad passed over; veteran defender Abby Dahlkemper will return from a 19-month absence; and NWSL rookie of the year Jenna Nighswonger and Paris Saint-Germain’s Korbin Albert were invited to their first camp.

Forwards Jaedyn Shaw, 19, and Mia Fishel, 22, and midfielder Olivia Moultrie, 18, were recalled after making the roster last month for friendlies against Colombia.

Analysis: The USWNT has young players with a bright future. They should play.

Kilgore played down the absences, saying the final camp of 2023 was an optimal opportunity to evaluate the broader talent pool.

“We need more opportunities to see players from our pool in our unique environment, in both training and games,” Kilgore said in a statement. “We value these players who have recently been in camps or played in [the] World Cup and were not chosen for this roster, and they are of course still a part of our pool, but we know what they bring on and off the field.”

Aside from Morgan, World Cup goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta, and midfielders Andi Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez and Kristie Mewis were left off the roster. (Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz have retired.)

Defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who returned to the team last month after missing the World Cup with a foot injury, was also omitted.

Having recovered from a knee injury, midfielder Rose Lavelle will return for the first time since the World Cup last summer.

Three members of NWSL champion Gotham FC were invited: Nighswonger, Lynn Williams and Midge Purce, the MVP of the Nov. 11 final in San Diego.

The Washington Spirit placed three players: goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch.

U.S. roster

Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage).

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Fox (North Carolina), Naomi Girma (San Diego), Casey Krueger (Chicago), M.A. Vignola (Angel City).

Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jenna Nighswonger (Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign).

Forwards: Mia Fishel (Chelsea), Ashley Hatch (Washington), Midge Purce (Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego), Sophia Smith (Portland), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC).

China wants more investment from French firms, Xi tells Macron

https://reuters.com/article/china-france/china-wants-more-investment-from-french-firms-xi-tells-macron-idUSKBN32F0Q5

China wants more French companies to invest in the country and hopes France will provide a fair business environment for Chinese firms, President Xi Jinping said on Monday, while France also called for fair rules for foreign companies in China.

Xi made the comments in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese state television reported, seeking to strengthen ties with its European trading partner after Macron visited China in April.

China faces an electric vehicle subsidy investigation by the European Union and a looming probe into its steelmakers. Meanwhile, several European countries have complained about China's opaque laws and rules regarding foreign companies in the country.

"China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with the French side," Xi said, adding that he welcomed more French products entering the Chinese market.

Macron's office said the opening of the Chinese market should go hand-in-hand with fair competition rules for foreign companies.

Asked whether France had made progress to counter Chinese plans to force French cosmetics companies to share manufacturing secrets with Chinese parties, a French presidential adviser said it was a major issue that Macron had raised himself.

"It's an important point for us, considering what's at stake for French companies," the adviser said.

Macron's office also said China had joined a French initiative called "Buildings Breakthrough" that sets a zero carbon emissions goal for the building sector for 2030.

Xi also said China was willing to strengthen cooperation with France at the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. China took over the presidency of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) this month.

The leader of the world's second-largest economy also called on France to play a constructive role in promoting the positive development of China-EU relations, as ties have been strained over issues ranging from the EU's push to reduce supply chain reliance on China to the war in Ukraine.

"China and the European Union should remain partners for mutually beneficial cooperation," Xi said in the call.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the conflict in Gaza, and agreed that it was imperative to avoid a further deterioration of the situation, in particular an even more serious humanitarian crisis, state television reported.

The French presidential adviser said China, as a member of the UN Security Council, should contribute more to UNRWA, the UN Palestinian refugee agency than the $1 million it currently gives every year.

"We encourage the Chinese authorities to do much more," the adviser said.

---

Australia PM: Chinese navy incident that injured diver was “dangerous“

https://reuters.com/article/australia-china/australia-pm-chinese-navy-incident-that-injured-diver-was-dangerous-idUSKBN32F07B

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner during an incident with an Australian navy vessel that injured a military diver, his first comments on the matter which he said had damaged ties.

HMAS Toowoomba - a long-range frigate - was conducting a diving operation in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone on Nov. 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the incident occurred, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday.

Albanese, who met briefly with Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco last week, has come under domestic political pressure over whether he raised the matter with the Chinese leader.

In an interview on Monday with Sky News Australia, Albanese said the incident hurt one person and showed the need for "communication guardrails" between militaries.

"This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese warship," he said.

Albanese said the incident was raised through "all of the normal channels", but didn't disclose if it was discussed in his private meeting with Xi at APEC.

"The consequences of these events are that they do damage to the relationship. And this certainly is an event that does do damage. And we've made that very clear to China," he added.

A People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer closed towards HMAS Toowoomba, despite the Australian vessel notifying the Chinese warship of a diving operation, and operated its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a safety risk, Marles previously said.

Medical assessments found minor injuries to divers likely caused by the destroyer's sonar, the defence minister added.

Albanese visited China this month, the first Australian leader to do so in seven years, agreeing to restart an annual leaders dialogue.

China's embassy in Australia referred to comments by China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular media briefing in Beijing on Monday, that China's military "is always highly disciplined and conducts professional operations in accordance with international law and international practice".

"We hope the relevant party will stop stirring up trouble at China's doorstep and work with us to jointly sustain the momentum of the improvement and development of China-Australia relations," she added.

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Taiwan“s former US envoy, well-known in US, vilified by China, named VP candidate

https://reuters.com/article/taiwan-election/taiwans-former-us-envoy-well-known-in-us-vilified-by-china-named-vp-candidate-idUSKBN32F04C

Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan's presidency, named on Monday Taipei's former envoy to the United States as his running mate in January's election, a high-profile diplomat well known in Washington but who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has led in most opinion polls ahead of the election, which is taking place as Taiwan comes under increased pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claim.

His running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, 52, who had been Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States since 2020, has extensive connections in Washington, and had been widely expected to be Lai's partner on his ticket.

Hsiao said she had shared values with Lai including defending Taiwan's freedom and democracy.

"I believe we have lots of common convictions - we are both willing to take on responsibility for Taiwan," she told reporters as she stood next to Lai at campaign headquarters in Taipei.

The foreign ministry accepted her resignation as U.S. envoy earlier in the day.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council who has known Hsiao since the 1990s, said she was a "formidable politician", and would add much needed diplomatic and security heft to Lai's ticket.

"Bi-khim's relationships in D.C. will be invaluable to a President Lai, if he is elected, she's going to bring all of those relationships into his government and he doesn't have those," he told Reuters.

The United States, as with most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international supporter and arms supplier.

Like Lai, Hsiao is despised by China, which has twice placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she was an "independence diehard".

China's foreign ministry declined to answer a question about Hsiao, saying it was not a diplomatic issue.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday referred to Lai and Hsiao as an "independence double act", adding that Taiwan's people were "very clear" about what their partnership meant for the "situation in the Taiwan Strait". It did not elaborate.

Lai, asked about these comments, dismissed what he said were "thoughtless remarks".

"This is sufficient to prove that China is intervening in this election," he told reporters. "We only put importance on our people's issues."

China carried out military drills around Taiwan in August, after Lai returned from a brief visit to the United States, in what the Chinese military said was a "serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces colluding with external forces to provoke".

The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity from China. The DPP-led government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future, and it has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed.

The DPP's smooth handling of its vice presidential nominee stands in contrast with efforts by Taiwan's two main opposition parties to agree on a joint ticket. Their negotiations have stalled.

The largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favours close ties with Beijing, is locked in a dispute with the smaller Taiwan People's Party about which of their candidates should run as president and which as vice president after initially agreeing to work together.

The deadline to register presidential candidates with the election commission is Friday.

Lai, writing on Facebook earlier on Monday, pointed to the "turmoil" in the opposition camp.

"In contrast, the team I lead is definitely a fully prepared and tested one," he said.

Hsiao was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and American mother and initially worked in the office of then-president Chen Shui-bian, also from the DPP, and then as a DPP lawmaker.

Unusually in Taiwan, she uses an English spelling of her name based on its Taiwanese Hokkien pronunciation to underscore her identity as being Taiwanese and not Chinese.

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Albanese accuses China of ‘dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional’ behaviour in naval ship altercation

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/20/australia-china-navy-incident-hmas-toowoomba-divers-injured-sonar-warship

Anthony Albanese has accused a Chinese naval ship of “dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour after an altercation with an Australian vessel left one person injured.

But the prime minister has declined to confirm whether he raised the issue face-to-face with Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Apec summit last week, only saying that the government had complained through “all the forums that are available”.

Defence minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that several divers from the HMAS Toowoomba sustained injuries said to be from sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese warship in international waters off Japan on Tuesday. In a Sky News interview on Monday, Albanese said he was “very concerned” about the incident.

“One person suffered an injury as a result of the actions of China,” Albanese said.

“This is the sort of incident I’ve spoken about … why we need communication and guard rails, and we need to avoid reckless events like this. This is why we’ve made our strong objections to China.”

“This is one of those times we disagree with China ... this sort of event should not occur.”

• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Albanese said on Thursday he met Xi at the Apec summit in San Francisco. The maritime incident occurred on Tuesday but was announced on Saturday, after Albanese’s departure from Apec. But on Monday, the prime minister declined on several occasions to confirm whether he had raised the incident with Xi.

“I can assure you, we raised these issues in the appropriate way and very clearly, unequivocally. China is in no misunderstanding on Australia’s view on this,” Albanese told Sky.

The Coalition opposition said Albanese should have directly discussed the matter with Xi.

“[Albanese] would have known this happened and he has boasted about the time that he spent with Xi Jinping and China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, while he was there. But did he raise this question?” asked shadow home affairs minister James Paterson.

“He hasn’t said so and if he’s not saying so it would appear the answer is he didn’t.”

Albanese’s office was contacted for comment on whether the issue was raised at Apec.

The Toowoomba deployed divers to remove fishing nets which had become tangled in its propellers, when, according to Marles’ statement, a nearby Chinese destroyer approached and was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar. Divers sustained minor injuries, likely because they were subjected to sonar pulses, the defence minister said on Saturday.

The incident comes as the federal government talks up Australia’s thawing relationship with China, with billions in trade restrictions from Beijing being lifted and a re-engagement through diplomatic channels in the wake of Albanese’s visit earlier this month.

Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, told Radio National it was “longstanding practice” not to comment on the content of conversations between leaders. Rudd called the question a “distraction” from the wider sonar incident, noting the government had publicly voiced strong criticisms.

Starting the week with my team in Canberra. pic.twitter.com/sPX3cWESEF

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 19, 2023

Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil wouldn’t say directly whether Albanese had raised the issue with Xi, saying only that “the matter has been handled through the appropriate channels”.

“The Australian government has taken a strong stance against what is a very unacceptable incident that has put at risk people who signed up to defend our country in uniform. We take that incredibly seriously,” she told a press conference.

Asked about what the incident meant for the government’s hopes of further warming ties with China, O’Neil said Australia would not “play politics with our relationship”.

“China is not going anywhere … we are going to have to find a way to coexist in our region over the coming decades,” she said.

“We will continue to focus on managing this relationship properly.”

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley criticised the government’s response in a post to social media.

“‘Cooperate where we can, disagree where we must’ should never mean stage managing CCP aggression that injures our ADF personnel,” she wrote, referencing Albanese’s common refrain on the relationship with China.

“More weak leadership from Anthony Albanese who appears to be prioritising photo ops with Xi Jingping [sic] over speaking up for our people.”

Paterson, speaking on ABC radio, also called for more information.

“We do have a delicate and important relationship with China, and Australia is seeking to stabilise that. But we should never sacrifice our interests in that process and the prime minister has repeatedly said we will disagree where we must,” he told ABC radio.

“One of the areas which we should disagree is when the People’s Liberation Army Navy does deliberate harm to our Australian Navy divers, as they did last week in international waters in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.”

Taiwan“s former US envoy, well-known in U.S., vilified by China, named VP candidate

https://reuters.com/article/taiwan-election/taiwans-former-us-envoy-well-known-in-u-s-vilified-by-china-named-vp-candidate-idUSKBN32F04C

Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan's presidency, named on Monday Taipei's former envoy to the United States as his running mate in January's election, a high-profile diplomat well known in Washington but who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has led in most opinion polls ahead of the election, which is taking place as Taiwan comes under increased pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claim.

His running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, 52, who had been Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States since 2020, has extensive connections in Washington, and had been widely expected to be Lai's running mate.

In a post on his Facebook page, Lai said he would formally present Hsiao as his running mate on Monday afternoon. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it had accepted her resignation.

"I believe that Bi-khim is definitely an excellent person when it comes to Taiwan's diplomatic work today, and she is a rare diplomatic talent in our country," Lai added.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council who has known Hsiao since the 1990s, said she was a "formidable politician", and would add much needed diplomatic and security heft to Lai's ticket.

"Bi-khim's relationships in D.C. will be invaluable to a President Lai, if he is elected, she's going to bring all of those relationships into his government and he doesn't have those," he told Reuters.

The United States, as with most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international supporter and arms supplier.

Like Lai, Hsiao is despised by China, which has twice placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she was an "independence diehard".

China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday referred to Lai and Hsiao as an "independence double act", adding that Taiwan's people were "very clear" about what their partnership meant for the "situation in the Taiwan Strait". It did not elaborate.

China carried out military drills around Taiwan in August, after Lai returned from a brief visit to the United States, in what the Chinese military said was a "serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces colluding with external forces to provoke".

The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity from China. The DPP-led government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future, and it has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed.

The DPP's smooth handling of its vice presidential nominee stands in contrast with efforts by Taiwan's two main opposition parties to agree on a joint ticket. Their negotiations have stalled.

The largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favours close ties with Beijing, is locked in a dispute with the smaller Taiwan People's Party about which of their candidates should run as president and which as vice president after initially agreeing to work together.

The deadline to register presidential candidates with the election commission is Friday.

Lai, writing on Facebook, pointed to the "turmoil" in the opposition camp.

"In contrast, the team I lead is definitely a fully prepared and tested one," he said.

Hsiao was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and American mother and initially worked in the office of then-president Chen Shui-bian, also from the DPP, and then as a DPP lawmaker.

Unusually in Taiwan, she uses a Taiwanese Hokkien spelling of her name in English to underscore her identity as being Taiwanese and not Chinese.