The median forecast from the poll of 13 economists was for export orders to rise 27% from a year-ago period. Forecasts ranged from a growth of 9.5% to as high as 36%.
The U.S. State Department’s cancellation of all travel this week includes a planned visit to Taiwan by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, a State Department spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that all travel this week had been canceled, including his own trip to Europe, as part of the transition to the incoming Biden administration.
China said on Wednesday it would make a “necessary response” to a planned military dialogue between the United States and Chinese-claimed Taiwan, saying it firmly opposed the event.
Democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sovereign territory, has come under increasing pressure from Beijing, which has ramped up military activity near the island.
While there was no direct response from Beijing, Liu Jieyi, the head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in his new year's message they would stand by the "one China" principle.
The U.S. Navy said the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin had conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit (on) Dec. 19 in accordance with international law”.
China’s military, in a statement released by its Eastern Theatre Command, said its air and naval forces “tailed and monitored” the vessel throughout.
The digital sonar system and an integrated combat system are two key components Taiwan needs to build its own modern submarines. Chang did not elaborate on the status of the combat system.
The United States is Taiwan's main foreign source of weapons. Most countries shy away from arming the island, wary of angering Beijing and loosing valuable commercial contracts with the world's second-largest economy.
Last month, Taiwan's statistics agency raised its full-year export growth forecast to 3.84% compared with 2019, from a previous forecast of a 0.1% decline.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has been for years working to revamp its submarine force, some of which date back to World War Two, and is no match for China’s fleet, which includes vessels capable of launching nuclear weapons.