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October 16, 2025
 

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PLA

Visitors look at airborne weapons displayed at a booth of Aviation Industry Corporation of China at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Zhuhai Airshow, in Zhuhai, China, in November 2018.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 16, 2025
Russian training could help Chinese paratroopers play key role in a Taiwan invasion
Leaked documents indicate that Russia is training and equipping Chinese units to potentially airdrop onto the island to clear a path for follow-on forces.
Taiwan's flag is carried across the sky during National Day celebrations in Taipei on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 11, 2025
China issues bounty for Taiwan PsyOps unit for 'separatism'
Chinese police offered rewards of $1,400 for information about 18 people it said were Taiwanese military psychological operations officers.
The Jingei, the third of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Taigei-class submarines, was commissioned in March last year. It is equipped with lithium-ion batteries, enabling it to have a longer diving time and cruising distance than older models with lead-acid batteries.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Oct 8, 2025
With nuclear sub proposal, Japan faces array of political and tech challenges
An expert panel has called for Japan’s next-generation subs to be able to operate longer and strike targets from farther way, a shift from current policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in November 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2025
China hawks grow queasy over Trump’s push for deals with Beijing
As Trump pursues a trade pact with the U.S.’s biggest economic and strategic rival, advocates of a tougher China policy fear they’re being sidelined inside the administration.
A member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army stands as a DF-17 hypersonic missile is displayed during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing on Sept. 3.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 5, 2025
The missiles threatening Taiwan
China is transforming parts of its east coast into a platform for potential missile strikes against Taiwan and the nearby seas as it eyes taking the democratic island.
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping during an arrival ceremony in Beijing in November 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 30, 2025
Xi pushes Trump to 'oppose' Taiwan independence in major shift
Any change in wording will fan concerns that Washington’s position on the self-ruled democracy is becoming a trade war bargaining chip.
A DJI drone at a technology and industry trade fair in Berlin
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 27, 2025
Drone maker DJI loses lawsuit to exit Pentagon's list of firms with Chinese military ties
The world's largest drone maker said it was disappointed that the judge upheld the listing and was evaluating its legal options.
Soldiers participate in a military exercise in Miaoli County, Taiwan, in July 2022. While China may desire to unify the island, military, geographic, political and economic factors make a successful invasion unlikely.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2025
Taiwan isn’t as susceptible to invasion as one would think
The island’s coastline is remarkably unsuited for amphibious operations and an invasion would demand a fleet comparable in size to that used by the Allies on D-Day.
A demo of Taiwan's “Beyond 5G LEO Satellite,” the island's first communication experimental satellite program made by the Taiwan Space Agency, is displayed during an event in Taipei in July.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Sep 20, 2025
Taiwan running out of time for satellite communications, space chief says
Wu Jong-shinn says the "clock is ticking" for Taiwan to launch its own satellites to secure communications during a potential conflict with China.
Visitors look at a model of the China's Fujian aircraft carrier at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, last November.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 16, 2025
China offers latest hint that newest aircraft carrier could soon enter service
Observers say that a commissioning ceremony could come as early as next month, though training for carrier-based aircraft must still be conducted.
Sailors aboard the U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn conduct a small boat operation during a "Maritime Cooperative Activity" with the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Osumi tank-landing ship and the Philippine Navy's Jose Rizal frigate in the South China Sea on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 14, 2025
Beijing denounces joint U.S.-Japan-Philippines patrol of South China Sea
China criticized the joint trilateral exercises, alleging that Manila has “frequently colluded with non-regional countries” to organize the patrols.
The U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins sails in the Pacific Ocean last November.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 13, 2025
China condemns sailing of U.S. and British warships through Taiwan Strait
The Chinese military said the U.S. destroyer USS Higgins and British frigate Richmond were engaged in "trouble-making and provocation."
Chiu Chui-cheng, the Cabinet-ranked head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, takes part in an interview in Taipei in May.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 13, 2025
In U.S., Taiwan minister warns of 'domino effect' if China takes island
Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said Beijing "has been actively preparing for war," pointing to stepped-up Chinese military activity.
A Chinese Navy ship speeds past a Philippine fishing boat while the Philippine, Australia and Canadian navies conduct a joint drill near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Sept. 2.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 10, 2025
Manila working on new protocols for dealing with Beijing in South China Sea
As tensions heat up in the waterway, the Philippines is updating its existing rules of engagement as part of a whole-of-government approach.
The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Typhon midrange missile system live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States on July 16, successfully sinking a maritime target during the Talisman Sabre exercises in Australia's Northern Territory.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 10, 2025
High-tech U.S. missile systems come to Japan amid policy shifts and China concerns
Long wary of such a move, Tokyo’s acquiescence — and its own planned missile deployments — highlights a gradual but monumental shift in defense policy.
China’s massive parade in Beijing on Wednesday showcased military power, historical revisionism and calls for a new world order, signaling Xi Jinping’s ambition to elevate China’s global leadership.
EDITORIALS
Sep 5, 2025
China looks to the past to signal its future
At last weekend’s SCO summit, Xi urged members to oppose hegemonism and embrace true multilateralism.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un view a military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 4, 2025
Divide the dictators, President Trump — don’t unite them
Xi's objectives here are clear: first, to elevate China's national prestige; second, to strengthen alliances among authoritarian leaders; and third, to rewrite history.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 4, 2025
China’s military parade shows who’s calling the shots
Beijing is sending a signal on defense modernization and international clout.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 3, 2025
Xi — joined by Kim and Putin — delivers stark warning at military parade
Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned in a speech that the world is facing a choice of war or peace, as his country marked 80 years since Japan’s defeat in World War II.
YJ-19 hypersonic anti-ship missiles are displayed in Beijing on Wednesday during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Sep 3, 2025
At parade, China shows off powerful new weaponry to keep rivals at bay
From hypersonic “carrier killer” missiles to new fifth-generation fighter jets, Wednesday’s military spectacle highlighted Beijing’s growing prowess.
Hypothermia in the land of the rising Sanae
Amid the election of Sanae Takaichi as Liberal Democratic Party president, and possibly the next prime minister, Japan's economy shows signs of recovery, but weak wages, a conservative corporate culture and currency issues raise doubts about a true economic thaw.
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
Could an opposition candidate become Japan's next prime minister?
The lawmaker that secures a majority of votes in the Lower House will become prime minister. If no one gets a majority, the two top contenders will enter a runoff in which the person with the highest number of votes gets elected.
Coalition talks could bring Takaichi closer to being PM
Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
As temperatures drop in Japan, bear attacks shoot up to historic highs
Bear warning signs at the Akita Prefectural Government building
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
Pace eyes great strides for Japan’s art market
Pace Japan Vice President Kyoko Hattori, the de facto head of the nation’s business, believes a larger, more lucrative art market will allow Japan to be more attractive for collectors.
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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