Japan on Wednesday joined Australia, Britain, France and Germany in conveying concern over escalating tensions following China’s recent large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/japan/china-military-exercises-taiwan-japan-europe/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #taiwan #pla #us #uschinarelations #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #defense #chinajapanrelations #foreignministry
The latest deterioration of Japan-China ties has highlighted that a dangerous new equilibrium between the two countries is emerging — one that will test each other’s resolve, especially in the year ahead. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/japan/politics/japan-china-relations-2026-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #china #chinajapanrelations #usjapanrelations #xijinping #sanaetakaichi #taiwan #taiwanjapanrelations #donaldtrump #defense #sdf #pla
A controversy over off-the-record remarks advocating nuclear weapons exposes deep divisions in Japan’s media and raises questions about journalistic ethics, source protection and democratic debate. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/30/japan/the-meaning-of-record-in-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #media #journalism #sanaetakaichi #nuclearweapons #defense #article9 #constitution
"Security autism" isn’t a moral failing; it’s a cognitive one. Just as individuals on the autism spectrum struggle with social cues and environmental awareness, nations can lose the ability to read geopolitical signals. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/30/japan/beware-of-security-autism/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #us #china #usjapanrelations #chinajapanrelations #defense #sdf #northkorea #donaldtrump
The Chinese military on Tuesday conducted long-range live-fire drills in waters around Taiwan, part of a second day of 'major' exercises focused on blockading the island and deterring aid from Taipei’s partners. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/30/asia-pacific/china-taiwan-military-exercises-missiles/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #pla #taiwan #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #xijinping #us #usmilitary #defense #missiles
Western strategic dissonance, U.N. cowardice, a gutted civil society and cynical Thai aggression are providing cover for a weakened Hun Sen https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/29/japan/the-world-is-failing-cambodia/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #cambodia #thailand #defense #cambodiathailandrelations #hunsen #hunmanet #cpp
Barely a decade after President Barack Obama announced a “pivot” to Asia, the United States' commitment to the region is as tenuous as the days of the Vietnam War. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/29/world/asia-adrift-alone/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #us #donaldtrump #trade #defense #china #southkorea #vietnam #southkoreajapanrelations
China said it will hold large-scale military exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, releasing an image showing five zones surrounding the democratic island that will be under sea and airspace restrictions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/asia-pacific/china-military-drills-taiwan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #taiwan #china #pla #chinajapanrelations #sdf #defense #usmilitary #sanaetakaichi
China may have tested Japan and the United States to see their response through military actions by its aircraft carrier Liaoning and bombers near Japan in December. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/28/japan/china-tests-japan-and-us-in-pacific/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #msdf #asdf #sdf #us #china #defense #usnavy #georgewashington #liaoning
As the momentum behind artificial intelligence development and deployment gathers pace, the U.S. and China need to pursue sustained, senior-level diplomacy on AI risks — even as each strives for the lead in the race. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/28/world/china-america-ai-risk/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #us #china #defense #ai #tech
The Defense Ministry has decided to suspend Kawasaki Heavy Industries from bidding on its projects for 2½ months until March 11, citing data falsifications on submarine engines. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/27/japan/kawasaki-heavy-defense-ministry-suspension/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sdf #msdf #defense #defenseministry #corruption #submarines #kawasakiheavy
Japan’s Cabinet has approved a defense budget request exceeding ¥9 trillion for the first time ever, including some ¥100 billion to build a drone “shield” to help defend the country’s southwestern periphery. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-defense-spending-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #budgets #defenseministry #sdf #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi
Japan’s military aid program is likely to expand from eight to at least 12 recipient countries in the next fiscal year after the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved a record budget for the framework. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-official-security-assistance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #foreignministry #budgets #aid #defense #osa
U.S. approval of Nvidia’s advanced AI chip exports to China risks accelerating the PLA’s military AI capabilities and eroding America’s technological edge at a critical moment in the U.S.-China strategic rivalry. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/26/world/nvidia-boosts-chinas-ai-military/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #nvidia #donaldtrump #us #china #defense #pla
The United States has informed Japan of its hope to additionally use heavy weapons, such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers, in training at Ground Self-Defense Force firing ranges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/us-heavy-weapons-use-gsdf/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usjapanrelations #okinawa #gsdf #defense #rockets #missiles #defenseministry #hokkaido #miyagi #yamanashi #shizuoka #oita
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's refusal to yield to China’s demands over Taiwan remarks represents a rare pushback against decades of Beijing's rule-breaking and impunity. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/japan/china-believed-there-would-be-no-pushback/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #china #chinajapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #defense #taiwan #covid19
Governments such as Japan and their businesses must forge stronger relationships in a world dominated by economic security. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/japan/a-new-era-new-public-private-partnerships/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #japaneseeconomy #economicsecurity #nationalsecurity #publicsector #privatesector #businesses #supplychains #trade #us #keidanren #meti #defense
No longer is the threat posed by nuclear weapons even tenuously contained by mutually agreed rules and accepted norms. Instead, it is returning, pushing us all to the edge of the abyss. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/world/nuclear-proliferation-new-age/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #nuclearweapons #us #npt #defense #tpnw
The government has adopted a new cybersecurity strategy, stipulating a new system enabling the police, the Defense Ministry and the SDF to work together in neutralizing critical attacks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/crime-legal/new-cybersecurity-strategy-police-sdf/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #japanesepolice #sdf #china #russia #northkorea #defense #defenseministry #cybersecurity #ai
Beijing’s expansion of export controls on rare earth elements could redefine global production. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/23/world/china-weaponized-rare-earths/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #rareearths #supplychains #china #trade #defense #chinajapanrelations #chineseeconomy #japaneseeconomy #globaleconomy