A congr e ssional commission has warned lawmakers a war over Taiwan could be “cataclysmic” for the global economy, potentially slashing global GDP by as much as 10 percent.

TAIPEI (Reuters) -China is rehearsing for a potential invasion of Taiwan using a shadow navy of civilian cargo ships and ferries, according to a Reuters investigation that tracked vessel movements and analyzed satellite imagery of military exercises conducted this summer.

China is the real regional "troublemaker", a senior Taiwanese security official said on Friday, personally giving out copies of a new civil defence handbook the government is sending to every household on the island as China tensions rise.

PANAMA CITY -- A planned trip by some Panamanian lawmakers to Taiwan has unleashed the latest diplomatic spat with China as the Central American country tries to navigate the turbulent waters between the Asian superpower and the United States.

Taiwan's president should take part in "rehearsals" focused on potential enemy movements in order to make more informed decisions during wartime, retired Ukrainian Air Force Colonel Andrii Ordynovych said in an interview with the Central News Agency, which is partially funded by Taiwan's government.

Beijing’s strategy, known as “the pen and the gun,” employs a domestic media campaign and aggressive rhetoric toward Taipei’s friends.

China is allowing Taiwan residents to obtain single-entry permits on arrival at 100 entry checkpoints, up from 58.

Tension between Japan and China has escalated over the new Japanese leader's suggestion Tokyo could intervene militarily if Beijing attacks Taiwan.