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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

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

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

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

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28
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

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

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15
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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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves before leaving Tokyo’s Haneda Airport aboard a government plane on September 21, on her way to the UN General Assembly in New York. Photo: Kyodo
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

US-China relations

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

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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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From left, Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday. Photo: Reuters
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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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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Japan

In Focus | How Japan is digging in to deter – and withstand – a conflict over Taiwan

A planned Hiroshima defence hub highlights how Tokyo is accelerating preparations to sustain its military should a Taiwan crisis reach Japan.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

Inside Japan’s military build-up

The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-equipped destroyer Chokai (right) in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on August 30, 2026. Photo: Kyodo
Taiwan

In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.

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China trade

China hits vital Japanese chipmaking chemical with steep anti-dumping measures

The preliminary ruling targets a vital material that Chinese manufacturers have historically imported from Japan and comes amid continued bilateral friction.

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Taiwan

Beijing ramps up coastguard patrols and scientific surveys near Taiwan

There has been weeks of increased activity to the east of the island following maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines.

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The coastguard said it would "continue to strengthen law enforcement patrols in waters under Chinese jurisdiction". Photo: Weibo/China Coast Guard
Japan

How Japan aims to convert ageing warships into leverage to counter China

Tokyo plans to send retired destroyers to Manila and Jakarta, but it may not demand alignment against China as part of deal.

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Hypersonic missiles and weapons

Why Japan’s hypersonic and underwater weapon plans might worry China

Beijing has hit out at Tokyo’s moves to arm submarine drones with long-range missiles and test hypersonic weapons in Australia.

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China-India relations

What Japan’s coming fighter jet deployment to India means for China

The historic move signals Tokyo’s desire to strengthen defence ties with ‘like-minded’ Indo-Pacific powers, analysts say.

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Japan plans to send three F-2 fighter jets to the Veer Guardian 26 joint exercise in India next month. Photo: AFP
UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Japan fast-tracks anti-drone system amid China’s military build-up

Ukraine conflict shows the value of nimble procurement, which experts say could help Tokyo respond to Beijing’s expanding capabilities.

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Analysts have questioned whether Tokyo can replicate the rapid procurement process with other systems in the future. Photo: Terra Drone
Taiwan

Mainland China’s ship activity near Taiwan hits record for third month in a row

Beijing has ramped up its law-enforcement and survey operations around island since Tokyo and Manila announced boundary talks.

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China-South Korea relations

Research boosts South Korean-Chinese links in WWII resistance against Japan

Crucial figure in the Shanghai-based government-in-exile was also active alongside China’s revolutionaries, historian says.

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China exports

China’s strategic mineral shipments rebound to US but slump for Japan

July customs data shows Beijing easing supplies of rare earth magnets to the US while export curbs deepen Japan’s material shortages.

China’s shipments of strategic minerals to the United States rose in July, but fell sharply to Japan amid escalating geopolitical tensions. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Japan lawmakers to visit China in bid to cool row, but thaw unlikely: experts

‘China opposes the Takaichi administration’s erroneous policies but it does not reject exchanges with Japan’: academic Xu Weijun.

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One analyst in China says an expected visit by a Japanese delegation implies that in Tokyo “there are still political forces that hope to manage differences through dialogue and restore exchanges”. Photo: Shutterstock
China travel

From travel warnings to visa fees: why Chinese tourism to Japan is in free fall

Mainland visitors fell more than 56 per cent in July, compounding a slump driven by escalating diplomatic tensions and soaring costs.

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Yasukuni Shrine

China slams Japanese officials’ visit to Yasukuni Shrine on WWII anniversary

Chinese ministries denounce Japan as defence chief visits controversial shrine and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sends ritual offering.

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