China said that Taiwan is "fundamentally different" from Ukraine after a man recently recalled how he stopped the self-governed island from building the capability to produce nuclear weapons by leaking intelligence to the United States near the end of the Cold War.

Taiwan is learning from companies in Ukraine which continue to operate during the country's fight against Russia, a senior Taiwan official told Reuters on Wednesday, as the island speeds up contingency planning amid heightened Chinese threats.

Analysts say Beijing is ‘preoccupied’ with the economy this year and will keep up its carrot and stick approach to Taiwan reunification.