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June 10, 2026
 

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Greg Torode
A satellite image shows military activity underway at an octagon-shaped installation, with large tents and a range of military vehicles, in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 30.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 30, 2026
China is building launchpads near its nuclear missile silos
The scale of the construction points to a sweeping expansion of hardened infrastructure ?designed to protect and operate China's land-based nuclear forces.
Members of the People's Liberation Army stand guard as the strategic strike group displays DF-61 nuclear missiles during a military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan risks a nuclear escalation, study finds
The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the world is on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race "with the Asia-Pacific at its core."
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, last October.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 18, 2026
China steps up Iran diplomacy while seeking smooth summit with Trump
China is accelerating its efforts to end the Iran war, walking a diplomatic tightrope as it prepares for a summit next month with U.S. President Donald Trump while trying not to alienate Tehran.
A satellite image shows large drones at Qionghai Boao International Airport on Hainan Island, China, on Sep. 3, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 26, 2026
How China is masking drone flights in potential Taiwan rehearsal
Military attaches and security analysts scrutinizing the operations say the flights represent a step-change in China's gray-zone tactics in the contested South China Sea.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te holds a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei in November.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jan 12, 2026
Venezuela-style strike on Taiwan¡¯s leader could prove tricky for China
Taiwan has prepared for years against a "decapitation operation," has extensive defenses and radar, and would likely receive support from the U.S. in the event of a conflict.
Smoke rises from buildings at a residential estate in Hong Kong on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Nov 28, 2025
Hong Kong fire poses test for China¡¯s grip on the city
The fire struck as Hong Kong braces for the sentencing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai ¡ª the most prominent of hundreds of pro-democracy figures and activists facing lengthy jail terms.
A giant screen in Beijing shows news footage of military drills conducted in the Taiwan Strait in 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 27, 2025
New Zealand navy ship made rare transit through Taiwan Strait this month
China claims the strait, a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass, is under its jurisdiction, while others say it's an international waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 6, 2025
Trump pressed China¡¯s Xi to release jailed Hong Kong media tycoon, sources say
Trump appealed directly to China's Xi Jinping to free jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai when the two leaders met in South Korea last week.
A Y-20 tanker aircraft and Chengdu J-20 jet fighters fly in a formation during a flyover rehearsal ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing on Aug. 24.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Aug 30, 2025
Beyond the ¡¯bling,¡¯ China aims for deterrence in military show
Questions remain about how effectively China's armed forces ¡ª untested since a bloody border conflict with Vietnam in 1979 ¡ª could knit its gear together in a future conflict.
A Chinese warship takes part in a military drill off the Chinese coast near Fuzhou, Fujian Province, across from the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands, China, in April 2023. Recent Chinese military drills have seen its vessels encircle Taiwan.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 8, 2025
Simulated Chinese blockade of Taiwan reveals Singapore as lifeline
Singapore's discreet and decades-old security presence inside Taiwan gives it an edge among Southeast Asian nations, which have close to a million of their nationals on the island.
A U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams tank takes part in live-fire exercises in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 10, 2025
Taiwan shows off new U.S. Abrams tanks during annual military drills
Analysts say Taiwan's first new tanks for 24 years would need to be protected against drones in any future conflict given lessons from the Ukraine war.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Singapore's Minister of Defense Chan Chun Sing and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas attend a ministerial lunch on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
Asia defense summit reveals gaps between U.S. and European perspectives
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security while the U.S. focuses on the Indo-Pacific.
A KJ-500 early warning plane, along with Y-20 transport aircraft, are parked on the tarmac of an airfield on Woody Island, in the disputed Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea, on May 19.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 29, 2025
China¡¯s most advanced bombers seen on disputed South China Sea island
Some analysts described the move as Beijing's latest signalling of its growing military capabilities to rivals.
A Chinese H-6 bomber flies east of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 29, 2025
Satellite images show fresh Chinese bomber deployment in South China Sea
The move was Beijing's latest to assert sovereignty over the hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
A satellite image appears to show an overview of Thitu Island in the South China Sea on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 29, 2024
Chinese ships near island disputed with Philippines, satellites show
Thitu is a strategically important island from which Manila monitors Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy waterway.
Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square during a military parade in Beijing in October 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 21, 2024
U.S. and China held first informal nuclear talks in five years in March
Beijing's representatives told their U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two American delegates.
Philippine Coast Guard personnel prepare rubber fenders after China Coast Guard vessels blocked their way to a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 19, 2024
In South China Sea dispute, Philippines¡¯ bolder hand tests Beijing
Publicizing China's actions, combined with Manila's deepened military alliance with the U.S., has constrained Beijing's ability to escalate matters at sea.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam speaks during a ceremony marking the new legal year in Hong Kong on Jan. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 11, 2024
British judges¡¯ resignations put Hong Kong rule of law in spotlight
Foreign judges have been described as a "canary in the coalmine,"?generating confidence in Hong Kong's judiciary system.
U.S. soldiers participate in a joint exercise conducted for South Korean and U.S. soldiers in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, South Korea, on March 20.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2024
China¡¯s military drills ¡¯remain underdeveloped¡¯ amid regional tensions
Noting the U.S. military may eventually lose its edge over China in the region, a new study says China is challenged by a lack of combat experience.
A senior U.S. official on Thursday called on China and Russia to commit to ensuring that decisions about deploying nuclear weapons are made solely by humans, not artificial intelligence.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024
U.S. official urges China and Russia to declare only humans, not AI, control nuclear weapons
The push comes as U.S. President Joe Biden tries to deepen discussions with China over nuclear weapons policy and the growth of artificial intelligence.
Benefits for foreign tourists spark debate in Japan
Tourists in Nara Park in March
JMA lifts tsunami advisory for Japan coastlines after strong quake off Philippines
A Japan Meteorological Agency official speaks about the earthquake off the Philippines and ensuing tsunami advisory for a large chunk of Japan, at a news conference early Monday in Tokyo.
Yen lingers above ?160 to the dollar ahead of BOJ meeting
The yen is back above ?160 to the dollar, considered by some investors to be a red line for Japanese authorities.
In trust¡¯s name, disclose candidates¡¯ prior citizenship
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech before the country's parliament in Tokyo in February. The Japanese leader recently argued that requiring candidates to disclose prior citizenship would violate equality before the law.
Foreign couples are turning Japan into a wedding destination
Californians Ben and Ariella Jacoby, who married with Mount Fuji as their backdrop, are part of a growing trend of inbound weddings in Japan.
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
Manish Kumar, who asked that his face not be shown, at his restaurant in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, on June 1.
In Japan, a bull market for bear deterrents
When bells aren¡¯t enough to prevent encounters with bears, outdoorspeople in Japan now have a wide range of deterrents to choose from.
In Matsuyama, sushi more than worth the pilgrimage
The signature piece in chef Koji Takahira¡¯s "nigiri" selection is "shiro-amadai" (white tilefish) ¡ª one of the most prized species from the Seto Inland Sea on account of its sweetness, rich umami and firm texture.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Community programs and tracking systems are expanding across Japan as local governments search for ways to prevent dementia-related disappearances.
He told his wife he was ¡®coming home.¡¯ Then he disappeared.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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