Taiwan says it has been subject to a series of intensified cyber attacks since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island nation on 2 August.

The attacks come amid rising US and Taiwan tensions with China, which has voiced “strong opposition and serious representations” against Pelosi's visit.

According to the Taiwan government, the attacks were targeted at its official websites and online infrastructure including those of the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND), the presidential office, and the foreign ministry.

The US Capitol building in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

The US Senate on 27 July passed a Pentagon-backed bill that would provide USD76 billion to shore up domestic production of semiconductor chips.

The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, which the Senate approved by a 64–33 vote, heads to the House of Representatives, which is expected to pass the bill on 28 July. President Joe Biden has indicated he will sign the legislation into law when it reaches his desk.

The US Capitol building in Washington, DC. (Janes/Marc Selinger)

The US House of Representatives has backed a proposal that would prohibit the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its contractors from using a Chinese system that enables cargo shippers to share data.

Proponents of the legislation argue that the National Public Information Platform for Transportation and Logistics (LOGINK), which is overseen by China's Ministry of Transport, could enable the Chinese government to track US military equipment sent through commercial ports. Representative Michelle Steel, a California Republican, offered the measure.