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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

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

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

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

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

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
The Japan Self-Defence Forces will deploy about 1,400 personnel for the Balikatan exercise, an annual large-scale joint military drill between the Philippines and the United States. Photo: Shutterstock
Taiwan

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

Tokyo’s 1,400 combat troops mark most extensive participation yet in annual joint exercise and signal ‘priorities’ to Beijing, analysts say.

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China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

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Japan

China says embassy intrusion, bomb threat are among ‘grave violations’ in Japan

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Rare earths

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

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China surveyed more than 20,000 observation points, culminating in a geochemical data set of eastern waters, according to state media. Photo: CCTV
Japan

Should China be worried as Japan starts replacing helicopters with drones?

The move has triggered warnings that the new drones could be stationed in the Ryukyu chain close to the Chinese coast.

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South China Sea

‘A big deal’: military drills show Tokyo’s growing focus on deterring China

Combat-ready Japanese troops are being deployed in the Philippines for the first time since Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II.

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Taiwan

Japan’s ‘imperialist forces’ divided Taiwan from mainland, KMT’s Cheng Li-wun says

In a speech delivered at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, Kuomintang chair says cross-strait divisions are rooted in historical wounds.

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Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun lays a floral wreath at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Mainland China

Why China is worried by Japan’s plans to change rules on arms sales

The government in Tokyo is considering relaxing its restrictions on exports of lethal weapons amid heightened tensions with Beijing.

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Drones

With an eye on China, Japan looks to kamikaze drones and low-cost missiles

Tokyo plans to introduce loitering munitions with a range of more than 1,000km, according to Japanese media reports citing official sources.

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Self-Defence Forces (Japan)

Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles

Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’.

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The Type 25 Hypervelocity Gliding Projectile (HGP) is the Japanese forces’ first hypersonic missile. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defence Force
Self-Defence Forces (Japan)

Japan has enough plutonium to make 5,500 nuclear warheads, PLA Daily says

China’s military mouthpiece claims Tokyo has ‘astonishing’ stockpile of nuclear materials and the tech to produce weapons.

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China’s military mouthpiece claimed Japan had “crossed the red line”. Illustration: Shutterstock
Japan

Japan deploys long-range missiles to bases amid China tensions, irking locals

The shifting defence policy drew backlash from Kumamoto residents fearing for their safety.

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Mainland China

Beijing sanctions Japan lawmaker for ‘colluding with Taiwan independence forces’

Foreign ministry says imposing sanctions on Keiji Furuya, who attended Yushan Forum in Taipei, is ‘a decision of deterrence and warning’.

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Self-Defence Forces (Japan)

Japan upgrades ship with Tomahawk missiles. Why it might pose a threat to China

Analysts say the move marks a fundamental shift in Tokyo’s defence strategy, forcing Beijing to stay on high alert.

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Japanese destroyer JS Chokai has been equipped to fire long-range Tomahawk missiles, with the first firing test expected this summer. Photo: Commander, US Third Fleet
Japan

How a Tang dynasty tablet became a test for China-Japan restitution

Fresh calls involving Tokyo’s Imperial Palace could spell turning point for repatriating looted war relics after decades of inertia.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Taiwan

Should China be worried about Japan’s maritime force overhaul?

Reform reflects shift towards quasi-carrier operations and preparations for potential conflict with Beijing, Chinese analysts say.

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Mainland China

Japanese minister expresses regret over military officer’s arrest at Chinese embassy

Beijing says incident in which a man is accused of breaking in with a knife, reflects the growth of ‘rampant far-right ideology’ in Japan.

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Taiwan

Why Beijing is blaming Japanese PM as Tokyo moves to downgrade China ties status

Tokyo’s annual diplomatic blue book set to describe China ties as ‘strategic’ and ‘mutually beneficial’, a step down from ‘most important’.

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Beijing says Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “erroneous remarks on Taiwan” are at the root of their current tensions. Photo: AFP
Defence

Economic ‘poison’? China has strong words for Japan’s ‘Takaichinomics’ strategy

Communist Party newspaper cautions against tying economic growth to ‘militaristic adventurism’, saying Japan’s citizens would shoulder the costs.

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China’s military drills

New Type 055 destroyers for PLA East China Fleet tested in first live-fire drill

Exercise will ‘rapidly integrate’ the advanced vessels into the joint combat system covering Taiwan and the seas near Japan.

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Taiwan

China slams Japan’s ‘kill network’ as long-range missile deployment looms

PLA Daily describes upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles as offensive weapons capable of targeting neighbouring countries.

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A Japanese Type-12 surface-to-ship missile is launched by the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force at Beecroft Weapons Range near Jervis Bay, Australia, on July 22, 2025. Photo: Australian Department of Defence via AP

Japanese ‘military officer’ forces way into Chinese embassy in Tokyo

Intruder threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel in the name of god, China’s foreign ministry says.

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Beijing and Tokyo have faced months of heightened tension since the Japanese prime minister linked a hypothetical Taiwan contingency with the possible deployment of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces. Photo: Shutterstock
China exports

China cuts some hi-tech metals sent to Japan – but magnet exports rise. Why?

Exports of gallium and germanium have slowed, yet rare earth magnet shipments have increased amid strained ties.

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Japan

Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

White House photo of Japanese prime minister apparently dancing to a band draws derision on Chinese social media.

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China trade

Premier Li Qiang calls for global pledge to open up amid ‘power politics’

Li’s opening address to China Development Forum indirectly rebukes US as he states protectionism is no ‘panacea’ for solving problems.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang is displayed on a large screen live broadcasting his speech at the opening of the China Development Forum 2026 held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sunday, March 22. Photo: AP
Japan

Trump to praise Japan in China, Xi summit delayed, PLA-Nato talks

This week: Trump praises Japan during Takaichi visit after delaying Xi summit, US-China trade talks conclude in Paris, China economy surpasses expectations. Next week: PLA delegation travels to Brussels, Hong Kong may issue first stablecoin licences, Art Basel opens in the city, and more.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

China and Japan’s complicated ties in a turbulent 2026

China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This series dives into the complicated ties of the two Asian powers in a turbulent 2026.

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Open Questions | US ex-diplomat’s inside view on Trump-Xi summits

Former envoy in Beijing William Klein on US leader’s approach to foreign policy, tariffs, China weaponising rare earths and risks of Taiwan conflict.

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