Japan Self-Defence Forces' (SDF)

Japan Approves Record Defence Budget as Regional Tensions with China Intensify

Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defence budget plan exceeding ¥9 trillion (about US$58 billion) for the coming fiscal year, underscoring Tokyo’s accelerating military buildup as security tensions rise across East Asia, particularly with China. The draft budget for...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits major munitions enterprises in the last quarter of 2025.

Kim Jong Un Signals Five-Year Push to Expand North Korea’s Missile Program

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signaled that Pyongyang will continue to accelerate the development of its missile and munitions programs over the next five years, underscoring the central role of weapons production in the country’s military strategy as...
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)

China warns US arms sale to Taiwan is “speeding up” threat of war in Taiwan

China on Thursday sharply criticised the United States over its latest weapons deal with Taiwan, warning that the move was accelerating the risk of conflict across the Taiwan Strait and undermining regional stability. Speaking at a regular press briefing on...
Renewable Energy

China and Gulf Investors Drive a New Phase of Central Asia’s Energy Transition as Renewable Projects Expand Under the Belt and Road Framework

Since launching the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, China has emerged as one of the world’s largest overseas energy investors. For much of the past decade, Beijing’s engagement abroad was dominated by fossil fuel projects. However, the post-pandemic...
Coal waits to be transported at Guoyuan Port container terminal in Chongqing, China

China’s Industrial Scale Powers Growth but Risks Overproduction and Global Tensions

China now produces more than 30 percent of the world’s manufactured goods—surpassing the combined output of the United States, Germany, and South Korea. Some Chinese scholars argue the country should target 45 percent of global capacity, framing sheer scale as...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits construction site of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine capable of launching surface-to-air missiles

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Inspects Nuclear Submarine Facility, Warns of “Threat” from Seoul-US Cooperation

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a nuclear-powered submarine manufacturing facility and overseen the test launch of what state media described as “new-type” anti-air missiles, signalling a renewed push to expand Pyongyang’s strategic military capabilities amid rising tensions...
China Services Sector

IMF Warns Beijing of Japan-Style Trap as China’s Deflation Risks Deepen

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva delivered a message that resonated far beyond China’s capital — and uncomfortably linked China’s economic trajectory with Japan’s painful past during a recent visit to Beijing. Her remarks, aimed squarely at President Xi...
Haikou Port in Haikou's Xiuying district in south China's Hainan province.

Hainan’s Cheaper iPhones Signal China’s Bold New Free Trade Experiment

An iPhone that costs about US$100 less might not sound like a geopolitical statement, but in China’s southern island province of Hainan, it is exactly that. As global trade faces rising tariffs and deepening protectionism, China is moving in the...
North Korea, cryptocurrency ecosystem

Crypto theft hits record levels in 2025 as North Korea sharpens high-impact attacks

The cryptocurrency ecosystem endured another bruising year in 2025, with stolen funds continuing their upward trajectory and attack patterns growing more extreme. New analysis from blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis shows that while some areas of crypto security have improved, attackers...
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

China Urges US to Fulfil Nuclear Disarmament Duties Amid Missile Silo Claims

China on Tuesday (Dec 23) called on the United States to fulfil what it described as its “special and priority responsibility” for nuclear disarmament, pushing back against a draft Pentagon report that claimed Beijing had likely loaded more than 100...
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