TAIPEI: A Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan’s defense minister said, a day after Beijing held a live-fire exercise near the self-ruled island.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has ramped up military activity around the island in recent years to pressure Taipei into accepting its claims of sovereignty.
“The Liaoning is passing through the Taiwan Strait now, sailing north along the west of the median line (of the passage) and we are closely monitoring it,” Defense Minister Wellington Koo told reporters.
The Liaoning, China’s oldest aircraft carrier, took part in Beijing’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan last week that were condemned by Taipei and its key backer Washington.
A blockade was among the exercises carried out.
Koo warned on Wednesday that an actual blockade of Taiwan would be an “act of war” and have a “very serious impact on the global economy.”
China has two aircraft carriers in active service, and a third undergoing sea trials. The Liaoning has previously passed through the strait.
It appeared to be returning to Qingdao port in eastern China via the Pratas Islands, in the northern part of the South China Sea, for “replenishing and necessary maintenance,” said Jiang Hsin-biao, a military expert at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
Its involvement in the recent military drills was for “the purpose of practicing against foreign forces and intimidating Taiwan,” Jiang said.
Beijing sent a record number of military aircraft — including fighter jets and drones — as well as warships to encircle Taiwan on October 14 in what Beijing said was a “stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces.”
It was in response to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s National Day speech on October 10 in which he vowed to “resist annexation,” and insisted that Beijing and Taipei were not subordinate to each other.
Lai, who took office in May, has used stronger language than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, angering China’s leaders in Beijing who call him a “separatist.”
Taipei said Tuesday the live-fire drill could be part of Beijing’s “tactics to bolster its intimidation in conjunction with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait.”
Over the weekend, a US and a Canadian warship passed through the 180-kilometer Taiwan Strait, part of regular passages by Washington and its allies meant to reinforce its status as an international waterway.
Beijing condemned the passage as disrupting “peace and stability” in the strait.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said Wednesday it had detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and six navy vessels in the skies and waters around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949 after Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist forces fled to the island following their defeat by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters.
While Taiwan has its own government, military, and currency, Beijing insists the island is part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to bring it under its control.
Taipei says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through Taiwan Strait
https://arab.news/5v87z
Taipei says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through Taiwan Strait
- China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has ramped up military activity around the island in recent years
- While Taiwan has its own government, military, and currency, Beijing insists the island is part of its territory
Report highlights role of British Muslim charitable giving in supporting UK public services
- The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched service
LONDON: British Muslim charitable giving is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting frontline public services across the UK, according to a new report by policy and research organization Equi.
The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched services, including local councils, the NHS and welfare systems, at a time of growing financial pressure.
The report estimates that Muslim donors contribute around £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) annually, making them the UK’s most generous community.
This figure is around four times the national giving average and rises to almost 10 times the average among higher earners.
According to the findings, Muslim-led charities are providing a wide range of support, including housing assistance, emergency cash grants, food provision and mental health services, easing demand on statutory services.
Equi points to evidence from 2023 showing that housing support delivered by the National Zakat Foundation helped prevent evictions that would have cost councils an estimated £28.8 million, with every £1 of charitable spending generating £73 in public sector savings.
The report also highlights a generational shift, with younger British Muslims increasingly directing their donations toward domestic causes such as homelessness, child poverty and mental health challenges.
Despite their growing impact, Muslim charities face a number of barriers, including de-banking, restrictive funding rules, securitization measures and what the report describes as limited recognition from government. Equi argues that these challenges are constraining the sector’s ability to maximize its contribution.
“British Muslim giving is not just generosity but a lifeline for public services that needs recognizing,” said Equi Managing Director Prof. Javed Khan.
“From preventing evictions to supporting mental health, these donations are saving millions for the taxpayer and strengthening communities across Britain. The evidence is clear that Muslim-led action is delivering frontline support where the state is struggling,” he added.
Equi is calling on policymakers to engage more closely with Muslim-led charities and to move beyond what it describes as symbolic recognition.
The report recommends measures such as UK-based match-funding schemes and greater faith literacy within policymaking, which it says could unlock billions of pounds in additional domestic spending while maintaining the UK’s global humanitarian commitments.
The study concluded that with greater collaboration between government and Muslim charities, charitable giving could play an even more transformative role in strengthening public services and social cohesion across the country.
