Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang said on Friday that both sides of the strategic Taiwan Strait belong to China while reaffirming Beijing's resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and international order.

Taiwanese media have reported that the US has significantly increased its military presence on the island.

Here are Press TV's latest top stories, 10:00 GMT on April 18, 2023.

Taiwan is reportedly in the process of buying 400 land-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles from the US in a move that is expected to draw condemnation from China. 

China sanctions a senior US lawmaker for visiting Chinese Taipei to encourage the island's secessionists.

The French president has said his country still backed the "status quo" on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Macron reaffirms France's stance on Taiwan, saying that being a US ally does not mean being a "vassal".

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the country's armed forces to strengthen their "military training oriented towards actual combat" amid tensions with the US over Taiwan. 

The European Council president says Europe is warming up to the French president's ‘strategic autonomy’ push away from the US.

Here are Press TV's latest top stories, 10:00 GMT on April 12, 2023.