Taiwan demonstrates sea defenses against potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan on Thursday demonstrated its sea defenses against a potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing, part of a multitiered strategy to deter an invasion from the mainland.

The island’s navy highlighted its Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes in waters near Taiwan’s largest port of Kaohsiung, a major hub for international trade considered key to resupplying Chinese forces should they establish a beachhead on the island.

The Kuang Hua VI boats, with a crew of 19, carry indigenously developed Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles and displayed their ability to take to the sea in an emergency to intercept enemy ships about to cross the 44-kilometer (24-nautical mile) limit of Taiwan’s contiguous zone, within which governments are permitted to take defensive action.

China routinely sends ships and planes to challenge Taiwan’s willingness and ability to counter intruders, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, activate missile systems and dispatch warships. Taiwan demanded on Wednesday that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said is undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and disrupting international shipping and trade.

Mountainous Taiwan's strategy is to counter the much larger Chinese military with a relatively flexible defense that can prevent Chinese troops from crossing the strait. Landing sites are few on Taiwan's west coast facing China, forcing Beijing to focus on the east coast.

Hsiao Shun-ming, captain of a Tuo Chiang-class corvette, said his ship’s relatively small size still allows it to “deliver a formidable competitive power” against larger Chinese ships. The Tuo Chiang has a catamaran design and boasts high speeds and considerable stealth ability.

Taiwan has in recent years reinvigorated its domestic defense industry, although it still relies heavily on U.S. technology such as upgraded fighter jets, missiles, tanks and detection equipment. U.S. law requires it to consider threats to the island as matters of “grave concern,” and American and allied forces are expected to be a major factor in any conflict.

Thursday's exercise “demonstrates the effectiveness of asymmetric warfare, and Taiwan’s commitment to defense self-reliance,” said Chen Ming-feng, rear admiral and commander of the navy’s 192 Fleet specializing in mine detection. “We are always ready to respond quickly and can handle any kind of maritime situation.”

China's authoritarian one-party Communist government has refused almost all communication with Taiwan's pro-independence governments since 2016, and some in Washington and elsewhere say Beijing is growing closer to taking military action.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and democratic status.

Deck crew of Taiwanese navy stand by on a Taiwan's domestically made Tuo Chiang patrol ship during a simulated attack drill off Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwanese navy divers perform underwater mission during a drill in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwanese navy divers perform underwater mission during a drill in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

A Da Wu-class rescue and salvage ship is seen during a drill in Kaohsiung City, Southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Two Kuang Hua VI-class missile boats are seen during a simulated attack drill off Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Deck crew of Taiwanese navy stand by on a Taiwan's domestically made Tuo Chiang patrol ship during a simulated attack drill off Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

A Taiwan's domestically made Tuo Chiang patrol ship, right, and a Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat are seen during a simulated attack drill off Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Two Kuang Hua VI-class missile boats are seen during a simulated attack drill off Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — So much of the technology showcased at CES includes gadgets made to improve consumers' lives — whether by leveraging AI to make devices that help people become more efficient, by creating companions to cure loneliness or by providing tools that help people with mental and physical health.

But not all innovation is good, according to a panel of self-described dystopia experts that has judged some products as “Worst in Show." The award that no company wants to win calls out the “least repairable, least private, and least sustainable products on display."

“We’re seeing more and more of these things that have basically surveillance technology built into them, and it enables some cool things,” Liz Chamberlain, director of sustainability at the e-commerce site iFixit told The Associated Press. “But it also means that now we’ve got microphones and cameras in our washing machines, refrigerators and that really is an industry-wide problem.”

The fourth annual contest announced its decisions Thursday.

Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, awarded the Ultrahuman Rare Luxury Smart Ring the title of “least repairable.”

The rings, which come in colors like dune and desert sand, cost $2,200. Wiens said the jewelry “looks sleek but hides a major flaw: its battery only lasts 500 charges.” Worse, he said, is the fact that replacing the battery is impossible without destroying the device entirely.

“Luxury items may be fleeting, but two years of use for $2,200 is a new low,” he said.

Bosch’s “Revol” crib uses sensors, cameras and AI that the company says can help monitor vital signs like how an infant is sleeping, their heart and respiratory rates and more. The crib can also rock gently if the baby needs help falling asleep and signal to parents if a blanket or other object is interfering with breathing.

The company says users can how and where their data is stored. Bosch also says the crib can be transformed into a desk as children get older.

But EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn said the crib preys on parents' fears and “collects excessive data about babies via a camera, microphone, and even a radar sensor.”

“Parents expect safety and comfort — not surveillance and privacy risks — in their children’s cribs,” she said in the report.

Although AI is everywhere at CES, Stacey Higginbotham, a policy Fellow at Consumer Reports, felt that SoundHound AI’s In-Car Commerce Ecosystem, powered by its Automotive AI, pushes it to unnecessary extremes.

The feature “increases energy consumption, encourages wasteful takeout consumption and distracts drivers—all while adding little value,” Higginbotham said. That landed the in-car system as “least sustainable” on the list.

TP-Link's Archer BE900 router won for “least secure” of CES. The company is a top-selling router brand in the U.S. But its products are vulnerable to hacking, said Paul Roberts, founder of The Security Ledger.

"By Chinese law, TP-Link must report security flaws to the government before alerting the public, creating a significant national security risk," he said. “Yet TP-Link showcased its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these vulnerabilities.”

The awards also feature a category called “who asked for this?” Top of that list was Samsung's Bespoke AI Washing Machine, which Nathan Proctor, senior director of U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, said is filled “with features no one needs,” including the ability to make phone calls.

“These add-ons only make the appliance more expensive, fragile, and harder to repair,” he said.

Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of The Repair Association called the LG “AI Home Inside 2.0 Refrigerator with ThinkQ” the worst product overall. The fridge adds “flashy features,” Gordon-Byrne said, including a screen and internet connection.

“But these come at a cost,” Gordon-Byrne said. “Shorter software support, higher energy consumption, and expensive repairs reduce the fridge’s practical lifespan, leaving consumers with an expensive, wasteful gadget.”

The LG Electronics Signature Home AI refrigerator is displayed at a LG Electronics booth during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The Samsung Bespoke AI Washing Machine is displayed at a Samsung booth during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The Bosch Revol Smart Crib is displayed at a Bosch booth during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The Ultrahuman Rare luxury smart ring is on display at the Ultrahuman booth during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)