https://www.scmp.com/rss/500552/feed Like the South China Sea, the East China Sea has been an area of much contention. China's long-standing feud with Japan has continued with friction over the Diaoyu Islands, which both countries lay claim to, and arguments over who owns a swathe of sea territory. China is also at loggerheads with South Korea over Socotra Rock, a submerged reef that hosts a Korean scientific research station, and which Beijing says intrudes on its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Liu Zhen Liu Zhen As Tokyo was completing the deployment on Tuesday of its two Type 25 missiles targeting China, a Chinese naval fleet entered the Sea of Japan, while bilateral tensions continued to escalate. China has strongly protested the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s addition of the newly designated Type 25 long-range surface-to-ship guided (SSM) missile and hypervelocity gliding projectiles (HGP). The deployments were an example of “neo-militarism in Japan, which has become more than just a perilous... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348676/chinese-navy-arrives-sea-japan-just-tokyo-deploys-long-range-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348676/chinese-navy-arrives-sea-japan-just-tokyo-deploys-long-range-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:01:24 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles At least 1,000 Japanese armed combat troops will set foot on Philippine soil next month for the first time in 81 years since World War II. Their return, as part of the joint Philippine-US Balikatan military training drills, also signals a dramatic shift in the development of the Indo-Pacific security architecture from a “hub-and-spoke” strategy to one of multiple, overlapping minilaterals, with the region seen as one undivided theatre, experts say. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348064/japanese-combat-troops-return-philippines-significant-indo-pacific-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348064/japanese-combat-troops-return-philippines-significant-indo-pacific-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:01:47 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen With Tokyo expected to downgrade the description of ties with Beijing in its annual diplomatic report, mainland China says the Japanese prime minister’s “erroneous remarks on Taiwan” are at the root of their current tensions. On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said comments by Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi had sparked anger in China and breached a “red line”. Japan will describe China in its 2026 diplomatic blue book as an important neighbour, and the relationship as “strategic” and “mutually... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347740/tokyo-moves-downgrade-status-china-ties-beijing-moves-blame-japanese-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347740/tokyo-moves-downgrade-status-china-ties-beijing-moves-blame-japanese-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:59:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen A pair of advanced destroyers kicked off an intensive and wide-ranging training exercise soon after they were assigned to the People’s Liberation Army division that oversees Taiwan and the East China Sea. The newly commissioned 12,000-tonne guided-missile destroyers, the Dongguan and Anqing, took part in their first live-fire training in mid-March, simulating high-intensity combat missions, the official PLA Daily reported on Sunday. The Type 055 “super destroyers” are the first of their kind in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347726/new-type-055-destroyers-pla-east-china-fleet-tested-first-live-fire-drill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347726/new-type-055-destroyers-pla-east-china-fleet-tested-first-live-fire-drill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:12:05 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army has condemned Japan’s deployment of stand-off weapons, including upgraded Type-12 missiles, accusing it of creating a “kill network” capable of targeting both coastal and inland areas of neighbouring countries. The enhanced Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles are set to be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture by the end of this month. On Tuesday, the PLA Daily reported that the upgraded Type-12 missile featured a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347707/china-slams-japans-kill-network-long-range-missile-deployment-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347707/china-slams-japans-kill-network-long-range-missile-deployment-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Japan is deploying its domestically produced long-range missiles near the East China Sea – a move that could be interpreted by Beijing as crossing a “strategic threshold”, analysts say. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on Monday that the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles would be deployed at Camp Kengun in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of this month. Ground forces vehicles carrying the first batch of missile launchers were reportedly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346610/why-japans-type-12-missile-deployment-may-complicate-chinas-regional-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346610/why-japans-type-12-missile-deployment-may-complicate-chinas-regional-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Cameron Dueck Cameron Dueck We approach from the east, leaving the main islands of Japan behind. The late afternoon sun bounces off the sea in a blinding glare as our anchor chain rattles out of its locker and slides into a small bay off Tairajima Island. All is still as our sailing boat, the Teng Hoi, gracefully pirouettes in the currents, searching for her point of balance, where she’ll rest for the night. Below the sinking sun stretch the Goto Islands, or Goto Retto, literally “five-island chain”, an archipelago of 140... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3345546/remote-villages-surprise-cocktail-bars-and-hilltop-churches-nagasakis-goto-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3345546/remote-villages-surprise-cocktail-bars-and-hilltop-churches-nagasakis-goto-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait remain Beijing’s foremost external security concern for 2026, fuelled by uncertainties surrounding the US midterm elections and the growing involvement of Japan, according to a prominent Chinese think tank. In its latest annual forecast of China’s external security risks, the Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University framed this year as a pivotal moment in the profound reshaping of China’s outer defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:14:11 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Beijing is expected to intensify naval operations beyond Taiwan and the first island chain, military observers say, citing the possible commissioning of Type 055 “super destroyers” into the East Sea Fleet. Photographs circulating on social media in late January showed two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers moored at a naval base in Zhoushan, located on the East China Sea coast. They had also been assigned hull numbers, 109 and 110, signalling imminent commissioning into the PLA Navy. This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345025/what-will-first-type-055-destroyers-pla-east-china-fleet-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345025/what-will-first-type-055-destroyers-pla-east-china-fleet-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim Seong Hyeon Choi,Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi highlighted what she called Chinese “coercion” as she delivered her first parliamentary speech since her party’s landslide victory about two weeks ago, while also calling for continued communication with Beijing. Analysts say this indicates Tokyo will prioritise its ties with Washington but also attempt to maintain pragmatic engagement with Beijing as a strategic hedge. Takaichi said on Friday that Beijing’s growing “coercion” was driving the island nation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344178/japans-takaichi-targets-chinese-coercion-us-ties-first-speech-after-landslide-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344178/japans-takaichi-targets-chinese-coercion-us-ties-first-speech-after-landslide-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged on Friday to make Japan “strong and prosperous”, while hitting out at China and pledging to keep “hitting the growth button” following her party's landslide election win. “China is intensifying its attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, while also expanding and stepping up its military activities in the areas surrounding our country,” Takaichi told parliament in a policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344108/takaichi-vows-make-japan-strong-and-prosperous-rules-out-reckless-fiscal-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344108/takaichi-vows-make-japan-strong-and-prosperous-rules-out-reckless-fiscal-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:05:23 +0000 Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen America’s increasing use of MQ-9 drones near China poses a challenge to Beijing and makes it more urgent for the People’s Liberation Army to improve counter-reconnaissance, according to military experts. The MQ-9 Reaper can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions. It has been used for numerous high-profile operations, including the 2020 assassination of Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani. And it has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343673/why-growing-network-american-mq-9-drones-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343673/why-growing-network-american-mq-9-drones-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:00:17 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Beijing has urged Tokyo to protect its crew members’ rights after Japan said it had seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its captain. Japanese authorities said the incident occurred on Thursday inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off its southwestern Nagasaki prefecture after the Chinese vessel allegedly tried to flee an inspection. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday that the Chinese government had consistently required the country’s fishermen to operate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343525/beijing-and-tokyo-new-maritime-stand-after-japan-seizes-chinese-boat-holds-captain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343525/beijing-and-tokyo-new-maritime-stand-after-japan-seizes-chinese-boat-holds-captain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:05:18 +0000 Zhihua Zheng Zhihua Zheng Japan’s House of Representatives election on February 8 delivered more than a decisive result. It produced a domestic political configuration with direct and lasting consequences for Sino-Japanese relations. The scale of the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) victory under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered both Tokyo’s internal balance of power and the incentives shaping Japan’s strategic posture towards China. The LDP secured 316 seats in the election, surpassing the two-thirds threshold... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343001/how-takaichis-landslide-victory-will-reshape-china-japan-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343001/how-takaichis-landslide-victory-will-reshape-china-japan-security?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China may surpass the US as the world’s biggest economy in a decade, and it could attempt to take Taiwan by force even though the US is likely to remain the strongest military power, a Washington-based think tank found in a survey with hundreds of geopolitical forecasters. 58 per cent of surveyed experts believed that China will be the world’s top economic power by 2036, while 33 per cent expected the US to maintain its economic dominance, according to a report published on Tuesday by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343116/china-could-overtake-us-economically-and-still-risk-war-taiwan-strait-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343116/china-could-overtake-us-economically-and-still-risk-war-taiwan-strait-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:02:32 +0000 Mark Magnier,Amber Wang Mark Magnier,Amber Wang The United States will use strength – not confrontation – to deter China in the Indo-Pacific, the Defence Department said, laying out its national strategy to protect the “homeland”. The US would also push allies to spend more on their own defence, it said on Saturday in the 34-page document outlining the country’s security environment and approaches. According to the strategy, the goal after protecting the “homeland and hemisphere” is to deter China “from being able to dominate us or our... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3341099/us-defence-strategy-banks-strength-not-confrontation-deny-china-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3341099/us-defence-strategy-banks-strength-not-confrontation-deny-china-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 07:51:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Japan and the Philippines signed a defence pact on Thursday that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with Beijing, which was angered by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that potential mainland Chinese action against... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339959/japan-philippines-tighten-ties-new-defence-pact-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339959/japan-philippines-tighten-ties-new-defence-pact-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 04:46:25 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing should exercise “strategic patience” in managing its maritime disputes, with provocations to be expected from the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea, according to a leading Chinese analyst. Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), delivered his message in an article published this month in the latest issue of defence journal Modern Ship. There have been continuous tensions between Beijing and its uneasy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339734/strategic-patience-key-beijing-south-china-sea-and-other-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339734/strategic-patience-key-beijing-south-china-sea-and-other-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo’s drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply. The month-long mission of the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori island some 1,900km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, will mark the world’s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth seabed sludge from 6km deep onto a ship. Japan, like its Western allies, has been reducing its dependence on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339530/japan-launches-worlds-first-deep-sea-trial-secure-own-rare-earth-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339530/japan-launches-worlds-first-deep-sea-trial-secure-own-rare-earth-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:42:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi As the new year unfolds, China finds itself grappling with strategic pressures fuelled by two US treaty allies at its doorstep – Japan and South Korea. In the first of a two-part series, Seong Hyeon Choi looks at how historically fraught China-Japan ties might fare as Tokyo bolsters its military posture with record budgets and advanced weaponry. Read the second part here. China and Japan have never fully resolved the decades-old grudges of their wartime history and territorial disputes, but it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338769/china-japan-military-tensions-what-lies-ahead-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338769/china-japan-military-tensions-what-lies-ahead-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 01:00:29 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has hit back against concerns raised by foreign countries, including Japan, over its military drills around Taiwan, accusing critics of being “extremely hypocritical”. The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Japan, Australia and European governments had turned “a deaf ear” to the efforts of “Taiwan independence” forces using military means, while ignoring external interference in Beijing’s internal affairs. Beijing carried out massive live-fire drills and blockade exercises around... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:16:36 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang China’s leader has promoted two PLA commanders who oversee the Taiwan Strait and the city of Beijing, suggesting that the dust has begun to settle following a massive purge in the military over corruption concerns. President Xi Jinping promoted Yang Zhibin, commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, to the rank of full general on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The move formally confirms Yang as head of the Eastern Theatre Command. Yang previously served as a lieutenant general in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337383/xi-jinping-promotes-pla-commanders-overseeing-taiwan-strait-beijing-full-general?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337383/xi-jinping-promotes-pla-commanders-overseeing-taiwan-strait-beijing-full-general?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:43:41 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China’s military build-up “could have a serious impact” on Japan’s security, Tokyo’s defence ministry has warned amid spiralling tensions with Beijing. Japan had closely monitored People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activities stretching across the first island chain, the ministry said in a report released on Thursday. “[China] is broadly and rapidly strengthening its military capabilities, centred on its maritime and air forces as well as its nuclear and missile forces ... Its active military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337079/chinas-military-build-could-seriously-affect-japans-security-tokyo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337079/chinas-military-build-could-seriously-affect-japans-security-tokyo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:27:38 +0000 Orange Wang,Zhao Ziwen Orange Wang,Zhao Ziwen The Trump administration is possibly facing a “dilemma” as tensions between China and Japan intensify, one Chinese analyst has suggested, while another noted that any breakthrough in the diplomatic dispute still hinged on direct engagement between the two Asian neighbours. This week, the downward spiral in ties between China and Japan showed no signs of easing. Beijing issued another travel warning targeting Japan on Thursday – less than four weeks after its previous advisory – this time citing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336106/china-japan-row-has-left-us-leader-donald-trump-facing-dilemma-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336106/china-japan-row-has-left-us-leader-donald-trump-facing-dilemma-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi A joint patrol by Chinese and Russian nuclear-capable bombers near Japanese airspace is a serious national security concern, the country’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said. In a social media post on Tuesday, Koizumi wrote that two Russian Tu-95 bombers had rendezvoused with two Chinese H-6 bombers over the East China Sea. These aircraft then conducted a joint flight around Japan from the airspace between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island in the Ryukyu chain to the waters off... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335910/china-russia-bomber-patrol-serious-national-security-concern-says-japanese-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335910/china-russia-bomber-patrol-serious-national-security-concern-says-japanese-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:36:52 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Military aircraft from China and Russia entered South Korea’s air defence zone without notification on Tuesday, prompting the deployment of fighter jets, the Korean military said. The nine aircraft appeared to be part of a joint patrol in the area, their first such exercise in more than 12 months. They did not violate Korean airspace, the country’s military command authority said. Hours later, the Chinese defence ministry said China and Russia had carried out their 10th joint strategic patrol in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335775/2-chinese-7-russian-jets-enter-south-korean-air-defence-zone-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335775/2-chinese-7-russian-jets-enter-south-korean-air-defence-zone-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:03:03 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen New Zealand’s largest naval vessel was followed by seven Chinese warships in a deployment to East Asia last month, including a rare transit through the Taiwan Strait, according to the Pacific nation’s military. The HMNZS Aotearoa, a Polar-class replenishment vessel, was deployed to the East China and Yellow seas with allies, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Monday. “During the operation, the ship was shadowed by seven different People’s Liberation Army (Navy) warships, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:59:04 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Chinese and Japanese coastguard vessels have been involved in a stand-off near the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The two sides gave conflicting accounts of Tuesday’s incident, with the Chinese coastguard saying it had driven a Japanese fishing boat away from the islands, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the coastguard, said the Chinese vessels took “necessary control measures” and issued warnings to the boat. “The Diaoyu Islands and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334866/chinese-and-japanese-coastguard-ships-fresh-confrontation-near-disputed-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334866/chinese-and-japanese-coastguard-ships-fresh-confrontation-near-disputed-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:19 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian The Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur witnessed major geopolitical developments, including a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia presided over by US President Donald Trump. Eager to mend recently strained relations with Washington, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chairman of the regional body this year, also signed a new trade deal with the United States. However, one of the most crucial meetings took place on the sidelines of the summit. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, met his... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332345/why-china-need-not-fear-us-led-squad-evolving-asian-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332345/why-china-need-not-fear-us-led-squad-evolving-asian-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Beijing sent a Type 055 destroyer fleet to the south of Japan on Tuesday, according to Tokyo, just days after comments about Taiwan from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew a strong reaction from Beijing. Japan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that three Chinese ships, including a Type 055 destroyer, had passed through waters south of Kagoshima on Kyushu island on Tuesday before travelling through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific Ocean. According to a statement from the ministry,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332845/3-pla-warships-sailed-past-japan-amid-row-over-sanae-takaichis-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332845/3-pla-warships-sailed-past-japan-amid-row-over-sanae-takaichis-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:00:16 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran An agreement between Australia, the United States, Japan and the Philippines to set up an Indo-Pacific defence council hints at a shift towards the “Squad” group of nations maturing into a formal minilateral grouping, analysts say. On Saturday, the four countries’ defence chiefs met on the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur, where they reportedly expressed support for a framework to establish an “Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Cooperation Council”. The Squad... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331776/philippines-seeking-formalise-squad-alliance-its-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331776/philippines-seeking-formalise-squad-alliance-its-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:51:19 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A new diplomatic protest from Tokyo over suspected marine surveys by a Chinese vessel in contested waters has renewed focus on a long-standing unresolved issue: the lack of agreement between Japan and China on their maritime boundaries in the East China Sea. At the centre of the row is a clash of interpretations. While Japan insists the Chinese survey ship violated its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by conducting underwater research without getting its prior consent, analysts point out that China... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327807/where-japans-eez-tokyos-complaint-over-chinese-survey-ship-marks-unresolved-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327807/where-japans-eez-tokyos-complaint-over-chinese-survey-ship-marks-unresolved-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:52:54 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Japanese troops are set to return to Philippine soil for the first time since World War II after a landmark defence pact took effect this month, in a move analysts say will fast track joint military readiness and entrench Tokyo’s role as a key Indo-Pacific security partner. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Japan and the Philippines entered into force on September 11, over a year after Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326513/japan-philippines-defence-pact-comes-force-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326513/japan-philippines-defence-pact-comes-force-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:27:21 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi A Chinese missile destroyer was seen passing by a Japanese island in the East China Sea, having nearly circled the country’s archipelago in a month-long sailing, Japan’s defence ministry said. According to the ministry, the Chinese navy’s Type 052D guided missile destroyer, also known as the Luyang-III class, bearing hull number 134, and its replenishment ship were spotted about 120km (75 miles) east of Miyako island of Okinawa prefecture by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force on Sunday. “It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3324064/chinese-missile-destroyer-seen-passing-japanese-island-east-china-sea-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3324064/chinese-missile-destroyer-seen-passing-japanese-island-east-china-sea-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:03:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has taken aim at Britain’s growing ties with Japan, warning it against any involvement in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a British aircraft carrier made a port call in Tokyo. “We urge Britain and Japan to deeply reflect on their erroneous words and deeds regarding Taiwan- and maritime-related issues, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and refrain from stirring up trouble and creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region,” the Chinese embassy in Britain said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323692/beijing-sends-warning-taiwan-south-china-sea-across-bow-uk-japan-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323692/beijing-sends-warning-taiwan-south-china-sea-across-bow-uk-japan-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Russian and Chinese submarines have conducted their first joint patrol in the Pacific, the latest in a series of efforts to expand military cooperation between the two countries. The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet said on Wednesday that the patrol began in early August after five days of joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan – also known as the East Sea – from August 1. “The diesel-electric submarine Volkhov of the Pacific Fleet and a submarine of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy took... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323527/russian-and-chinese-submarines-join-forces-pacific-patrol-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323527/russian-and-chinese-submarines-join-forces-pacific-patrol-first?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has called on the Chinese government to take steps against a surge of artificial-intelligence videos on Chinese social media mocking Emperor Hirohito, the wartime monarch, warning that the clips risk further straining already fraught bilateral ties. There has been a sharp increase in video clips released on Chinese social media in the run-up to a military parade scheduled for September 3 to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender ended World War II. In one video, the wartime emperor... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323347/japan-warns-ai-videos-mocking-wartime-emperor-risk-further-straining-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323347/japan-warns-ai-videos-mocking-wartime-emperor-risk-further-straining-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 01:30:14 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China’s military mouthpiece has accused Japan of hollowing out its pacifist constitution and “embarking on the dangerous path of military expansion”. As Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its surrender in World War II on Friday, the PLA Daily warned in a commentary that “the spectre of militarism has never left the Japanese archipelago”, and that right-wing forces had “never abandoned the dream of becoming a military power”. It accused Tokyo of using American support to steadily roll back... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321994/wwii-anniversary-chinas-pla-says-japan-never-abandoned-dream-military-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321994/wwii-anniversary-chinas-pla-says-japan-never-abandoned-dream-military-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s Defence Ministry has discontinued the military annual review ceremony, citing increased duties amid security challenges posed by China, Russia and North Korea. The ministry said in a press release late last month that it has become “difficult to continue” the ceremony, as it needed to “maintain our nation’s watertight defence posture in the face of the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II”. Japanese ground, maritime and air services had been taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3321705/japan-scraps-military-parade-bolster-defences-against-china-russia-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3321705/japan-scraps-military-parade-bolster-defences-against-china-russia-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:54:28 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is developing a next-generation anti-ship missile in a move that defence analysts have described as potentially a major boost to the island’s ability to deter mainland China’s expanding naval power. In a list issued under the Defence Industry Development Act, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced a new weapon described as a “long-range subsonic anti-ship cruise missile”. The list said the island’s military would spend NT$40 million (US$1.3 million) next year and the year after that to buy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321483/taiwan-unveils-carrier-killer-missile-plans-bid-deter-mainland-chinese-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321483/taiwan-unveils-carrier-killer-missile-plans-bid-deter-mainland-chinese-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:48:11 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The US and Japan have for the first time reportedly discussed the potential use of nuclear weapons, seeking to strengthen the credibility of the US nuclear umbrella as Tokyo weighs up the risks of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Experts say the development may ease Japan’s concern about supporting Taiwan’s defence, but is set to upset Beijing. Japan’s Kyodo News reported on the weekend that the two countries had been discussing a scenario in which the US military would use nuclear weapons in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320290/will-us-japan-nuclear-talks-ease-tokyos-concern-over-taiwan-strait-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320290/will-us-japan-nuclear-talks-ease-tokyos-concern-over-taiwan-strait-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong The Chinese air force’s most advanced J-20 stealth fighter has flown through the strategic Tsushima Strait near Japan, an apparent first not reported by any other armed forces with a presence in the region. In a series aired on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the elite air force unit, the First Fighter Brigade, now “flies missions over the Bashi Channel and Tsushima Strait, and conducts patrols around Taiwan”. The unit was among the first to receive the new-generation aircraft and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320013/chinas-j-20-stealth-aircraft-flew-through-tsushima-strait-did-anybody-else-notice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320013/chinas-j-20-stealth-aircraft-flew-through-tsushima-strait-did-anybody-else-notice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:19:22 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued the amber rainstorm alert, warning that there may be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas. The Observatory issued the amber rainstorm warning signal at 8pm on Tuesday. The warning, the lowest level in a three-tier system, signifies that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319122/heavy-showers-expected-across-parts-hong-kong-next-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319122/heavy-showers-expected-across-parts-hong-kong-next-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:59:35 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China and Japan have traded accusations after a series of close encounters between their warplanes last week. On Sunday the Chinese defence ministry accused Japanese reconnaissance aircraft of “repeatedly” entering China’s air defence identification zone in the East China Sea. The comments followed a Japanese statement issued three days earlier that accused a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber of making “unusual approaches” towards a Japanese YS-11EB electronic-intelligence aircraft. on Wednesday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318043/china-and-japan-trade-barbs-after-latest-close-encounter-between-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318043/china-and-japan-trade-barbs-after-latest-close-encounter-between-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 10:38:05 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Tokyo has expressed “serious concerns” to Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet came close to a Japanese aircraft operating in international airspace over the East China Sea on two occasions this week, with analysts suggesting that a pattern is emerging of China being increasingly willing to challenge Japan at sea and in the air. According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew within 70 metres of an Air Self-Defence Force YS-11EB electronic surveillance aircraft on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:27:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan will export used navy destroyers to the Philippines to strengthen its deterrence against China’s maritime expansion, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, as the two US allies increase cooperation to counter Beijing. The export plan involves six Abukuma-class destroyer escorts in service by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force for more than three decades, the Japanese daily said, citing multiple unnamed government sources. Defence ministers Gen Nakatani and Gilberto Teodoro agreed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3317127/japans-used-destroyers-head-philippines-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3317127/japans-used-destroyers-head-philippines-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 05:45:55 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The distant thunder of a missile launch from Hokkaido late last month was less a provocation than a statement of intent: marking a turning point, analysts say, in Japan’s approach to its own defence. On June 24, more than 300 members of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade gathered at a remote firing range for the country’s first-ever live missile test from home soil. It saw a Type-88 surface-to-ship missile being launched towards an unmanned vessel parked 40km (25 miles)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317014/why-japan-just-tested-missile-its-own-turf-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317014/why-japan-just-tested-missile-its-own-turf-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:19 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall China could test Japan’s resolve by flying drones near disputed islands in the East China Sea after Tokyo clarified that its military is authorised to shoot down such unmanned aircraft intruding into its airspace, according to analysts. In response to a written query from a lawmaker, the Japanese government affirmed at a cabinet meeting on June 27 that the Self-Defence Forces could take such an action even if foreign drones were not an immediate threat to the country’s security. Ryo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:17 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines is adopting a Japan-led strategy to treat the East and South China seas as a unified theatre of operations – a shift that is seen to reflect growing alignment among regional allies in the face of China’s expanding maritime footprint. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the “one-theatre” concept would promote operational synergy, intelligence-sharing and mutual reinforcement among members of the minilateral “Squad” – comprising the Philippines, Japan, the United States, South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316668/philippines-joins-japans-one-theatre-plan-against-china-sea-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316668/philippines-joins-japans-one-theatre-plan-against-china-sea-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Beijing should remain alert to the continued solidarity between the US and its regional partners in countering China, despite their trade tensions with Washington, Chinese observers have warned. They cited this week’s meeting of Indo-Pacific Quad partners as the latest example of such unified signalling. The top diplomats of the United States, Japan, Australia and India, meeting in Washington on Tuesday, agreed to deepen cooperation on Indo-Pacific maritime security and introduce a critical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316702/china-urged-keep-close-eye-us-led-quad-trade-tensions-fail-dent-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316702/china-urged-keep-close-eye-us-led-quad-trade-tensions-fail-dent-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000