China used this week's Singapore Airshow to flex its military and aviation muscle, drawing heavy attention from regional delegations as Beijing sharpens its bid for influence in Southeast Asia. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/07/china-singapore-airshow/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #singapore #china #pla #us #indopacific #fighterjets #defense
Taiwan will seek an extension to the date by which an agreement must be signed with the U.S. for a batch of arms deliveries given an ongoing standoff in parliament about defense spending, its Defense Ministry has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/07/asia-pacific/taiwan-us-arms-deals-extension/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #taiwan #china #pla #us #usmilitary #defense #indopacific #congress #donaldtrump
The Taiwanese government's nearly $40 billion defense budget request is in jeopardy as the opposition pushes a much smaller proposal that omits key capabilities deemed critical to defending against a Chinese attack. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-defense-budget-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #budgets #defense #pla #china #us #kmt #dpp #donaldtrump #laichingte
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said the Japan-U.S. alliance would collapse if Tokyo did nothing in the event U.S. forces were attacked during an emergency involving the evacuation of the allies’ citizens from Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/27/japan/politics/japan-takaichi-taiwan-us-alliance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #taiwan #us #usmilitary #pla #china #sanaetakaichi #xijinping
The true reasons behind the downfall of China’s most senior military officer may never be known — but the move has raised questions about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s aims and his designs on democratic Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/26/asia-pacific/china-military-purge-xi-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #pla #taiwan #xijinping
China said Saturday that its highest-ranked uniformed military officer was under investigation for “suspected serious discipline and law violations,” a term often used to refer to corruption. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/24/asia-pacific/china-corruption-cmc-zhang-youxia/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #pla #corruption #xijinping #defense
In the newly released U.S. National Defense Strategy, the Pentagon takes a softer stance on China and says it will offer “more limited U.S. support” to allies and partners — a shift likely to unnerve Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/24/asia-pacific/us-national-defense-strategy-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #us #usmilitary #budgets #defense #donaldtrump #uschinarelations #china #pla #taiwan #northkorea #southkorea
With chips, investments and planned defense spending hikes, Taiwan is aiming to win over U.S. President Donald Trump and avert a crisis. Will it work? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/22/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-trump-china-appeasement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #taiwan #us #uschinarelations #pla #laichingte #donaldtrump #defense #chipmakers #budgets
Despite Japan bracing itself for the worst when Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president, the tumult generated in his first year back has exceeded even Tokyo's deepest fears. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/21/japan/politics/trump-us-japan-year-one/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #usjapanrelations #indopacific #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #defense #budgets #china #pla #taiwan #greenland #venezuela #usmilitary
From the United States’ reverse-engineering of Iranian drones to Japan’s building of a drone “shield,” the tech is becoming increasingly crucial, especially as China’s military modernization continues unabated. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/20/japan/us-japan-drones-focus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #us #usmilitary #defense #sdf #defenseministry #drones #pla
A Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea on Saturday, in what Taiwan's Defense Ministry called a "provocative and irresponsible" move. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/18/asia-pacific/taiwan-china-drone-pratas/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #pla #taiwan #us #usmilitary #southchinasea
As U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to seize Greenland, tensions over whether his actions would undermine efforts to deter China in the Indo-Pacific were laid bare at a recent major security forum in Hawaii. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/17/asia-pacific/politics/trump-greenland-allies-skepticism-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #us #china #donaldtrump #indopacific #usmilitary #taiwan #pla #defense
People in China are calling for a Venezuela-style snatch of Taiwan's leaders in a prelude to taking over the island, but analysts, scholars and security officials say China's modernizing military is still far from ready. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/12/asia-pacific/china-taiwan-venezuela-lai-assassination/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #taiwan #pla #us #usmilitary #defense #indopacific #venezuela #laichingte
China appears to be quietly contemplating an unconventional approach to rapidly boosting its naval power — transforming its vast commercial shipping fleet into an armada of makeshift warships. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/12/asia-pacific/china-merchant-fleet-military/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #pla #taiwan #usmilitary #indopacific
China's Xi Jinping has urged visiting South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung to make the “correct" choices, as Beijing seeks a united front amid its standoff with Japan over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/06/japan/politics/china-south-korea-xi-lee-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #southkorea #southkoreajapanrelations #leejaemyung #xijinping #taiwan #pla #sanaetakaichi #chinajapanrelations #indopacific #northkorea
The U.S. strikes on Venezuela and seizure of the country’s president could push Latin American nations closer to China while simultaneously emboldening Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/05/asia-pacific/politics/us-china-venezuela-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #us #venezuela #donaldtrump #china #taiwan #pla #indopacific #usmilitary
Japan has avoided direct mention of U.S. President Donald Trump’s military strikes on Venezuela and capture of the country’s president, saying only that Tokyo has "consistently emphasized respect” for international law. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/04/japan/politics/japan-us-venezuela-international-law/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #us #venezuela #donaldtrump #nicolasmaduro #defense #china #taiwan #pla
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held talks over the telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday, with the two agreeing to arrange for the Japanese leader to visit the United States in the spring. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/02/japan/politics/takaichi-trump-phone-call/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #china #taiwan #pla #uschinarelations #usjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #defense #usmilitary #us
The U.S. has urged China to halt military pressure on Taiwan — days after Japan and Western countries voiced concern over rising tensions — it's first criticism of recent large-scale military exercises around the island. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/02/asia-pacific/politics/us-china-miliary-exercises-taiwan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #taiwan #pla #donaldtrump #laichingte #uschinarelations #usjapanrelations #defense #usmilitary
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Thursday the island is determined to defend its sovereignty and boost its defense in the face of China's increasing expansion, after Beijing held large-scale military drills. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/01/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-lai-ching-te-china-military-drill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #pla #taiwan #laichingte #us #xijinping