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August 12, 2026
 

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PLA

A Taiwanese soldier stands guard as mechanics replace the engine of a CM-34 Clouded Leopard armored vehicle, during a battlefield repair drill, as part of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, in New Taipei City on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 9, 2026
Taiwan¡¯s 2027 defense spending to rise 16%, official media reports
Taiwan¡¯s Cabinet will propose a budget for 2027 that will for the first time exceed 1 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($31 billion).
Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers walk in front of a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile launcher, during the Balikatan annual joint military exercises at Culili Point Sand Dunes, in Paoay, Philippines, on May 6.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 4, 2026
Japan defense report says China challenge must be met with ¡®overall national strength¡¯
Tokyo¡¯s annual defense white paper says that cooperation with allies and like-minded nations is crucial to Â鶹´«Ã½ own security.
A military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing last September
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2026
Chinese military researchers tap U.S. AI models to train defense systems
The report shows widespread use of a technique known as ¡°model distillation,¡± in which outputs from a powerful AI system are used to train ?smaller, specialized ?models.
A new type of Chinese submarine is seen in images taken May 29 at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai and provided to The Japan Times by U.S. satellite company BlackSky. The mystery sub features a dramatically smaller sail and larger dimensions ¡ª approximately 120 meters long and 10 meters wide ¡ª than China¡¯s Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 29, 2026
New mystery Chinese submarine highlights efforts to build up force
The stealthy and likely nuclear-powered vessel offers insight into China¡¯s plans ¡ª a push that could further complicate Â鶹´«Ã½ security calculus.
China has built a new U.S. destroyer replica at a remote missile-testing site in its northwestern desert, satellite imagery shows.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 27, 2026
China makes new U.S. warship target for missile tests
Satellite images show a structure resembling a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert in far-western Xinjiang.
A China Coast Guard vessel is seen on a giant screen showing news footage about the coast guard's law enforcement patrols in waters around Taiwan, outside a shopping mall in Beijing in April 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 25, 2026
Taiwan tests how it would resist a Chinese siege at sea
Officials have held wargaming exercises to address such a scenario, and are planning to conduct drills to escort and reroute ships and to store and distribute key supplies.
A Chinese Navy destroyer (left) conducts live-fire training inside Japan's exclusive economic zone near Okinotorishima island as a Russian warship (right) observes in this image taken Sunday and released late Monday. Below: An enlarged section of the image shows machine-gun fire from the Chinese vessel.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2026
Chinese warship holds rare live-fire exercise inside Â鶹´«Ã½ EEZ
In a first, Tokyo publicized the drill, releasing images of the destroyer firing a machine-gun near Okinotorishima island over the weekend.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks at the annual congress of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 19, 2026
Democratic Taiwan must not become ¡®China¡¯s Taiwan,¡¯ president says
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te reiterated that the island is already an independent country and not subordinate to the People¡¯s Republic of China.
JL-3 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles are displayed during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing last September.
EDITORIALS
Jul 10, 2026
China¡¯s missile test exposes Beijing¡¯s misdirection
Japan has called out Chinese behavior because it is threatening. That is the simple truth. Do not be distracted.
Children walk past a display marking the founding anniversary of the Chinese Navy, during a media tour at the navy's Submarine Academy in Qingdao, China, in April 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 7, 2026
Missile test marks new phase in expansion of China¡¯s nuclear-armed submarine force
Monday¡¯s launch was the first known full-range ¡ª or near-full-range ¡ª flight test of a Chinese long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile.
A missile is fired from a Chinese Navy nuclear-powered submarine on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 6, 2026
Prior to launch, Japan ¡®strongly urged¡¯ China to reconsider missile test in Pacific
The Chinese Navy successfully conducted the test launch of a ¡°strategic missile¡± by a nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday.
People portraying injured workers wait for medical treatment during a so-called resilience drill at a critical infrastructure facility in Keelung, Taiwan, on April 30.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2026
Inside Taiwan¡¯s nightmare scenario: Chinese blockade, earthquake, sabotage and invasion
It was a nightmare scenario for Taiwan: a Chinese blockade, a strong earthquake seized on by Beijing to sow chaos, hijacked television broadcasts, sabotaged infrastructure, a run on banks, civil unrest ¡ª and then a full-scale invasion.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping looks on as a People¡¯s Liberation Army honor guard holds party flags during a ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 4, 2026
China¡¯s Xi taps new military anti-graft chief as he rebuilds top command
Under a yearslong anti-corruption campaign initiated by the Chinese leader, scores of senior officials and top generals have been investigated, ?removed and purged.
Members of the Chinese (left) and Russian delegations, led by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, respectively, hold talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3, 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 1, 2026
Russia approved secret China military training at top level, sources say
China¡¯s covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by Russia¡¯s defense minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals.
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2026
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
China¡¯s Defense Ministry said the flight demonstrated the two countries¡¯ ¡°resolve and capability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.¡±
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 26, 2026
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
The planned longer-term presence of a U.S. midrange missile system in Japan, combined with the fielding of other advanced weaponry, is complicating Chinese military planning.
A Self-Defense Forces member stands guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Japan rejects Chinese claim SDF ¡®harassed¡¯ Chinese aircraft carrier group
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo said the accusations ¡°are not true¡± and pledged to continue to ¡°professionally and diligently¡± monitor the waters and airspace around Japan.
This picture taken and released by Taiwan's Central News Agency on June 22 shows a row of armored military vehicles driving along the highway in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2026
Taiwan says warning time for any China attack is shortening
The island¡¯s military needs to test if it can respond immediately to ?a war breaking out, its defense minister says.
Alibaba said it has engaged with the Pentagon for months over the blacklist designation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 24, 2026
Alibaba sues U.S., seeking removal from Pentagon¡¯s blacklist
The Hangzhou-based company argued that the Pentagon hadn¡¯t provided substantial evidence or explanation for adding the e-commerce leader to the list.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
China accuses Japan of ¡®harassment¡¯ during far-seas aircraft carrier training
Beijing said the Japanese side had conducted ¡°dangerous¡± close-in reconnaissance of the Chinese Navy¡¯s Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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