China’s military drills around Taiwan have raised questions about Taipei’s military preparedness. Experts say a recent announcement could be vital for Taiwan’s defense: the possible establishment of a contingency stockpile of US munitions on the island.

edition.cnn.com/2023/04/15/asi… In March, Taiwan’s defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said Taipei has been in discussions with the US over a potential plan to set up a war reserve stock on the island — a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by US President Joe Biden last year.

In a few hours, pro-democracy activists in #HongKong will hold an unauthorised candlelight vigil remembering the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.

A few dozen police officers (without riot gear) are present in the area, broadcasting messages urging people not to join the gathering. We are about an hour away from the scheduled candlelight vigil, and more than a thousand people are making their way into Victoria Park.

Police are on standby in the vicinity of the park.

[THREAD] Over the past weeks I’ve met a few #HongKong politicians in the pro-Beijing / centrist camp on the #antiELAB protest.

One message I’ve consistently received is that many of them are pushing Carrie Lam to respond to protesters’ top 2 demands.

news.now.com/home/local/pla… A senior pro-Beijing lawmaker told me she is “furious” that Lam has missed every single chance to defuse the crisis, and most in the pro-Beijing camp are aware it cannot resolve the crisis peacefully without meeting SOME of the 5 demands.

BREAKING: #HongKong Chief Executive Carrie Lam will be speaking at 10am at the Chief Executive Office. A large group of journalists is now at the lobby of the Chief Executive Office, as Carrie Lam is expected to address the recent #HongKong protests in half an hour.