Bloomberg European leaders struggled to mask their frustration with President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw the last US soldiers from Afghanistan and sought to distance themselves from the dramatic scenes unfolding across the war-torn country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that the Nato mission in Afghanistan was “fundamentally dependent” on the US while French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that ...

Bloomberg China announced naval and aerial live-fire military exercises in areas south of Taiwan on Tuesday, without saying how close to the democratically ruled island the drills were. Combat ships, anti-submarine aircrafts and fighter jets were among the forces that joined the exercises “to test integrated operational capability” in territory southwest and southeast of Taiwan, Shi Yi, spokesperson of the ...

Bloomberg Taiwan’s premier defended the island’s ability to withstand a Chinese attack after the US’s exit from Afghanistan raised questions about American commitment to security issues in Asia. Premier Su Tseng-chang rejected comparisons between US pledges to help the democratically elected government in Taipei defend itself and Washington’s support for the regime in Kabul. Taiwan could avoid being “swallowed up” ...