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China-Japan relations

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China-Japan relations
Breaking news and analysis on China-Japan relations, covering trade, investment, the legacy of war in Asia, military tensions and the impact of wider issues such as the US-China trade war and South China Sea.
Open Questions series

Susan Thornton on US-China ties, post-midterms and averting a new balloon crisis

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘It’s not possible to contain China,’ former top US diplomat Kurt Campbell says

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Wu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Susan Thornton on US-China ties, post-midterms and averting a new balloon crisis

videocam
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘It’s not possible to contain China,’ former top US diplomat Kurt Campbell says

videocam
25
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Wu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction

videocam
28
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

videocam
13
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
In recent months, several legislative and business groups have visited China aiming to break the diplomatic ice. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

‘Hot economics, cold politics’: why China gave nod for expanded Japanese trade trip

Allowing more executives to visit Beijing shows that China aims to use economic leverage to pressure Tokyo, experts say.

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France

Japan taps foreign tech to plug defence gaps as China’s power grows

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Why Japanese PM Takaichi is still keen to roll out the welcome mat for Trump

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Mainland China

Chinese business visit to Russia-held Kuril Islands prompts protest from Japan

The trip to Etorofu aimed at identifying joint Russia-China investment opportunities in the disputed southernmost part of the archipelago.

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The Chinese delegation visits a seafood processing factory in the largest of the disputed islands. Photo: Kyodo
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Open Questions | ‘It’s not possible to contain China,’ former top US diplomat Kurt Campbell says

Veteran US diplomat says containing China is impossible, but urges Washington to shore up its regional partnerships.

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25
US-China relations

Open Questions | Kurt Campbell on US’ China focus, future of the Quad, risks of AI

Diplomat who was a key architect of US policy on Asia for over a decade weighs Donald Trump’s emphasis on China ties and the price for spurning multilateralism.

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Japan

How expanded Japan-US military drills could complicate PLA planning over Taiwan

This year’s Keen Sword exercise will feature US and Japanese forces deploying mobile missile systems to Yonaguni Island near Taiwan.

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The US Marine Corps will bring its Nmesis anti-ship missile system to Japan’s Yonaguni Island for Keen Sword 27 later this month. Photo: Handout
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trump pushed Xi on Japan ties, but Chinese leader unmoved

At their recent summit, the US president pressed his Chinese counterpart to end the freeze in ties with Japan, but it appears to be too soon for a thaw.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Trump urged Xi to talk to Takaichi and lift export curbs on Japan, sources say

The Chinese president wasn’t receptive to the requests during last month’s summit, warning of the risk of Japanese militarism.

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US-China relations

Opinion | How the ‘G2’ effect of Xi-Trump summit is reverberating through Asia

When the world’s two biggest powers speak of respecting each other and swap stories about a war against Japan, the message is clear.

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Illustration: Dennis Yip
Japan

US to deploy NMESIS anti-ship system on Japanese island closest to Taiwan

Unprecedented deployment to Yonaguni, 110km from Taiwan, during joint drills this month comes amid high tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

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The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System or NMESIS will be deployed on Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture during biennial joint exercises this month. Photo: Kyodo
China trade

Japanese business presence in China down nearly 30% from peak in 2012: survey

The research found 1,221 new Japanese entrants in China since the last survey in 2024, but that was still less than during Covid-19.

Sanae Takaichi

China’s Wang Yi delivers high-level warning to Japanese business delegation

Top diplomat urges Tokyo to learn from historical lessons, in highest-ranking official reception since relations soured in November.

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Japan

Praised abroad, ignored at home: Japanese museums shun war-atrocity video art

‘The work will only truly be complete when people can see it in Japan,’ Meiro Koizumi says of his award-winning creation.

Young people recite Hajime Kondo’s testimony on the streets of Tokyo in a video installation by Meiro Koizumi. Photo: Meiro Koizumi/Kyodo
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trump hails WWII ‘ally’ China as Xi tells of bonds ‘forged in blood and fire’

Both leaders repeatedly refer to joint fight against Japan in highlighting history of cooperation and need for common ground.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping raises a toast at the state dinner in the East Room of the White House on September 24. Photo: EPA-EFE
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Xi’s US welcome highlights lack of reception for Takaichi

Online comparisons of the two leaders’ arrivals in the US this week have raised questions over how Washington treats its Tokyo ally.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington, the US underscored relations with Japan and South Korea.

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US-China relations

Shadow of Xi summit hangs over Trump’s high-stakes talks with Japan’s Takaichi

Tokyo is determined to ensure its vital interests are not traded away when US and Chinese leaders meet later this week, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) will meet US President Donald Trump (left) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo
2026 Xi-Trump summits

US, Japan and South Korea launch economic-security talks before Xi summit

Three allies target economic coercion and industrial overcapacity while reinforcing calls for stability across the Taiwan Strait.

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Japan

Warning against Japan’s military build-up surfaces at Beijing security conference

Chinese scholars say Tokyo’s security expansion and US ties could trigger regional instability.

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South China Sea

‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’: why Japan’s Natuna port plan raises alarm in China

Tokyo offers port upgrades to boost maritime security, but analysts say Jakarta is being pragmatic, not taking sides against Beijing.

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An Indonesian coastguard ship sails next to a Vietnamese fishing vessel near Indonesia’s Natuna Islands in July 2020. Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesian fishing boats have occasionally clashed over marine resources in the area. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

How will the Okinawa governor’s race result reshape China’s local messaging?

Analysts say the election is a reality check for Beijing, which has sought to leverage local opposition to US-Japan military ties.

Genta Koja (right) celebrates his gubernatorial win in Naha, capital of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, on September 13, 2026. Photo: Kyodo
Taiwan

How Okinawa’s political shift could make Japan more prepared for a Taiwan contingency

Election of governor backed by nation’s ruling party could stabilise the US military presence and drive a defence build-up.

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Taiwan

Why Japanese outreach to China won’t break the ice without Takaichi

Visits by Japanese lawmakers and business groups aim to ease ties ahead of Apec summit, but experts say Tokyo must send clearer signal.

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Mainland China

Japan eyes quantum sub-hunting drone sensors as China extends undersea reach

Feeling the pinch from cost and personnel pressures, Tokyo’s defence planners aim to unlock potential in uncrewed systems.

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The Pentagon forecasts that China could have 80 submarines by 2035. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Japan’s WEGO fashion brand is latest firm hit by Chinese consumer backlash

WEGO scrapped a collaboration with an anime and manga franchise that triggered controversy with a perceived reference to wartime atrocities.

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WEGO’s manga-themed collaboration has triggered a backlash in China. Photo: WEGO
Aerospace: Geopolitics

Japan’s AI satellites and other space ambitions ‘a serious threat’, China warns

State broadcaster CCTV says satellite plan is a cornerstone of Tokyo’s broader space militarisation strategy.

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Taiwan

Japan’s China-facing military push tests labour, budget and political limits

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.

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