https://www.scmp.com/rss/507795/feed Breaking news and analysis on US-Japan relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s order for hundreds of Tomahawk missiles from the US is under threat as the American-Israeli war with Iran burns through inventories, the latest example of how the conflict is drawing in supplies and troops at the expense of defending against Washington’s primary strategic rival, China. Tomahawk missiles are a centrepiece of Tokyo’s new strategy of equipping itself with long-range strike capabilities to deal with challenges from China and North Korea. But Washington has informed Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:30:16 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday raised tobacco and corporate taxes to finance a boost in defence spending, with income tax hike set to follow in 2027 as the government projects the tax increases will add some 1.3 trillion yen (US$8 billion) annually in revenue. As the security environment surrounding Japan deteriorates and the government is set to further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities, the public is likely to face further tax burdens to finance the outlays, which have now ballooned to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:40:03 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing accusations of diplomatic sycophancy after White House footage showed her giggling at a portrait of an autopen – placed by US President Donald Trump in the spot reserved for his predecessor Joe Biden – during summit talks last week. The clip, posted on the official White House website, shows Takaichi pointing at the framed picture, then laughing and covering her mouth. It was filmed on the “Presidential Walk of Fame”, a gallery unveiled by Trump... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347717/japan-pm-mocked-trump-sycophant-after-giggling-bidens-autopen-portrait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347717/japan-pm-mocked-trump-sycophant-after-giggling-bidens-autopen-portrait?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:40:50 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Sunday hinted at the possibility of sending the country’s Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, provided that a ceasefire is realised in the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. “Japan’s minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world,” Motegi said during a television programme. “Let’s say [the parties have entered into a] ceasefire, and in the event that mines pose an obstacle, we may... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347458/japan-may-send-minesweepers-hormuz-after-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347458/japan-may-send-minesweepers-hormuz-after-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:08:43 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that she wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese nationals. Takaichi told reporters that she notified Trump during their meeting at the White House of her “strong intent to meet” Kim in person and that she has “received full support from the president towards an immediate solution.” Takaichi said she even exchanged views with Trump on how she could meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:13:40 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier A high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday appeared to get off to a good start as the two touted the bilateral relationship and pledged to work cooperatively on trade, stabilising the global energy market and regional security. Takaichi was the first US ally to meet face to face with the mercurial president, amid concern that he would take out his anger on her for the large number of security partners who have declined to help... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347220/trump-talks-japanese-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-positive-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347220/trump-talks-japanese-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-positive-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:21:23 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Thursday’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was supposed to see the two leaders sit down in advance of Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to ensure the allies were on the same page. Instead, with the US-China summit postponed and the Israel-US war on Iran going full blast, their meeting is likely to find Japan more on the defensive, according to analysts and former government officials. Takaichi would be trying to finesse shifting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346959/delayed-us-china-summit-raises-stakes-takaichi-ahead-white-house-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346959/delayed-us-china-summit-raises-stakes-takaichi-ahead-white-house-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:59:44 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens to overshadow this week’s meeting between Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders are expected to deepen economic cooperation and collaboration in shipbuilding. Thursday’s summit at the White House puts Takaichi in a bind, caught between Trump’s call for Tokyo and others to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and her country’s constitutional limits on taking part in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346660/trump-wants-japanese-warships-hormuz-can-takaichi-dodge-bullet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346660/trump-wants-japanese-warships-hormuz-can-takaichi-dodge-bullet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg,Agence France-Presse Bloomberg,Agence France-Presse A video showing Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looking visibly exhausted after a budget committee session on Thursday went viral online, sparking concerns over her well-being ahead of a trip to the US to meet President Donald Trump. Takaichi had cold-like symptoms and was advised to rest by doctors, ultimately skipping some meetings with local Middle Eastern ambassadors on Thursday, according to local media. “Yesterday, the prime minister suspected she had a cold, so she was examined by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346437/japan-video-exhausted-takaichi-sparks-health-fears-ahead-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346437/japan-video-exhausted-takaichi-sparks-health-fears-ahead-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:26:41 +0000 Terry Su Terry Su I underestimated Japan’s determination to ruffle China’s feathers. In a November 2023 column, I argued that the apparently cordial meeting between President Xi Jinping and then US president Joe Biden in the US unsettled Japan, which wanted to attain its goal of becoming a “normal country” again. In a column last December, I said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s hardened position against China – exemplified by her November 7 speech saying China’s forceful takeover of Taiwan could pose an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344382/japans-rightward-shift-puts-it-collision-course-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344382/japans-rightward-shift-puts-it-collision-course-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s scheduled summit next month with US President Donald Trump, the message from Tokyo appears to be that the US Supreme Court decision to invalidate Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs will not affect Japan’s promised capital investment projects in the United States. That could prove a costly misstep for Japan. With the Supreme Court invalidating the legal basis for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, countries that have concluded trade agreements with the US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344733/why-japan-should-push-back-trumps-investment-demands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344733/why-japan-should-push-back-trumps-investment-demands?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall For nearly three decades, Washington and Tokyo have pledged to close a controversial US airbase in Okinawa, located in the middle of a densely populated island. But the plan is now facing new uncertainty. The US military would not return its Futenma airbase to Japanese control until Tokyo builds a longer runway than the one being built at a replacement site in the northeast of Okinawa prefecture, according to a report. Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday that the US Department... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344039/why-plan-us-and-japan-relocate-okinawa-airbase-hitting-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344039/why-plan-us-and-japan-relocate-okinawa-airbase-hitting-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan plans to invest US$36 billion in US oil, gas and critical mineral projects, the first tranche of its US$550 billion commitment under the trade agreement it struck with President Donald Trump. “Our MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan has just launched!” Trump posted on Tuesday on social media. “The scale of these projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS.” The most significant investment is a natural gas facility in Ohio that is expected to generate 9.2... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343852/trump-unveils-first-japan-investments-under-trade-deal-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343852/trump-unveils-first-japan-investments-under-trade-deal-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:40:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Despite US President Donald Trump having congratulated Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her recent election triumph, Tokyo is under pressure to deliver on colossal investments promised in the United States. Ahead of the possible announcement of the first projects this week and Takaichi’s scheduled visit to the White House next month, what exactly has Japan pledged, what uncertainties remain, and what is at stake? What was agreed? In July, Japan agreed to invest US$550 billion through... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343314/japans-us550-billion-promise-trump-just-signing-bonus-strings-attached?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343314/japans-us550-billion-promise-trump-just-signing-bonus-strings-attached?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:46:42 +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 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley When the world’s leading central banks rode to the rescue during the global financial crisis in 2008, they were hailed as knights in shining armour intent upon slaying the twin dragons of economic recession and deflation. Now it seems the knights are no more, to quote an old English hymn, and yet the dragons are not dead. US President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, has expressed doubts over whether the Fed acted wisely when it became the biggest buyer of US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342516/trump-takaichi-meddling-finance-spells-more-turbulence-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342516/trump-takaichi-meddling-finance-spells-more-turbulence-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the White House on March 19, President Donald Trump said on Thursday, praising the Asian country’s first female leader ahead of weekend snap elections she is expected to win. Takaichi “has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise Leader, and one that truly loves her Country”, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social as he announced her visit next month. The United States and Japan have been working to strike a “very substantial” deal on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3342567/trump-announces-white-house-visit-japanese-pm-takaichi-march-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3342567/trump-announces-white-house-visit-japanese-pm-takaichi-march-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:55:40 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s second term, conservative groups in Japan – from right-leaning media outlets to politicians – celebrated his return to the White House as a golden opportunity for Tokyo to deepen trade with the world’s largest economy and cement its role as Washington’s key security partner in Asia. Just over a year later, that optimism has faded. The same commentators who once predicted that Japan and the US would prosper together under Trump’s leadership, marching in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340755/japans-conservatives-turn-sour-trump-fears-abandonment-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340755/japans-conservatives-turn-sour-trump-fears-abandonment-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted. Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:30:44 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The defence chiefs of Japan and the United States on Thursday agreed that the bilateral alliance is “unshaken” and pledged to reinforce its deterrence capabilities amid concerns in Asia that Washington’s focus is shifting from the region. Following his meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon near Washington, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he was reassured that the administration of President Donald Trump remains committed to peace and stability in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340096/japan-us-vow-unshaken-defence-alliance-despite-trumps-pivot-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340096/japan-us-vow-unshaken-defence-alliance-despite-trumps-pivot-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:47:38 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump is meeting US Ambassador to China David Perdue at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday, rounding off a day of diplomacy that began with a call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The engagements come at a delicate moment for the administration as it seeks to align its “America first” regional approach amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan, and following Washington’s recent approval of its largest-ever arms sale to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338582/trump-meet-us-envoy-perdue-after-call-japans-takaichi-taiwan-drills-conclude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338582/trump-meet-us-envoy-perdue-after-call-japans-takaichi-taiwan-drills-conclude?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:17:01 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump on Monday described Beijing’s large-scale military exercises around Taiwan as routine activities that have occurred “for 20-25 years”, expressing no concern over the escalation and instead citing his personal rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t told me anything about it,” Trump said in remarks to reporters during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338082/trump-not-worried-about-beijings-military-drills-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338082/trump-not-worried-about-beijings-military-drills-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 23:28:15 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley An obsession with “security” can create increasing insecurity. This paradox is being amply demonstrated as advanced nations, including the United States and Japan, take or contemplate joint action aimed at bolstering economic security but which could erode global economic growth and prosperity – or even result in physical conflict. How might such threats crystallise? Strengthening security, whether economic or military, suggests increased defence spending to, for example, secure sea lanes and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336952/japans-economic-security-push-heralds-rising-protectionism-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336952/japans-economic-security-push-heralds-rising-protectionism-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan reaffirmed its decades-old pledge never to possess nuclear weapons on Friday after local media reported ‌that a senior security official suggested the country should acquire them to deter ‍potential aggressors. The unnamed official said Japan needed nuclear weapons because of a worsening security environment but acknowledged that such a move would be politically difficult, public broadcaster NHK and other outlets reported, describing the official as being from Prime Minister ⁠Sanae... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336965/japan-pm-office-source-hints-need-nuclear-weapons-amid-policy-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336965/japan-pm-office-source-hints-need-nuclear-weapons-amid-policy-review?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:00:10 +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 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro For a sign of the degree to which US President Donald Trump’s decision in August to double tariffs on most Indian goods to a staggering 50 per cent – the highest rate across Asia – is weighing on investor sentiment, look no further than the rupee. Having plumbed a series of record lows in recent months, India’s currency has been the worst performer in Asia this year and has breached the psychologically important level of 90 per US dollar. One of the last major economies yet to strike a trade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335150/india-and-japan-show-impact-trumps-tariffs-extend-beyond-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335150/india-and-japan-show-impact-trumps-tariffs-extend-beyond-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:32:05 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan, while at the same time asserting that its relationships have not shifted, hours after US President Donald Trump enacted legislation deepening US ties with the self-governed island. Asked about concerns among some in Washington about the Trump administration’s approach to the long-held policy of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue at The New York Times DealBook Summit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335117/bessent-moves-placate-beijing-after-trump-signs-bill-deepening-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335117/bessent-moves-placate-beijing-after-trump-signs-bill-deepening-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:58:55 +0000 Haining Gao,Fan Hou Haining Gao,Fan Hou _ https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334990/chinas-volatile-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334990/chinas-volatile-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:15:58 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Academics have sounded the alarm over the decline in programmes devoted to Japanese language, culture, history, art and other social science disciplines at universities in the United States, warning that a “short-sighted” approach could threaten future trade, business and diplomatic ties with one of Washington’s key allies. Funding for liberal arts courses at US universities has been under pressure for some years, but observers say the pace of the decline appears to be accelerating as greater... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334663/decline-japanese-studies-risking-us-relations-key-indo-pacific-ally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334663/decline-japanese-studies-risking-us-relations-key-indo-pacific-ally?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Japan’s recent deployment of missiles on Yonaguni, an island only 110km (70 miles) away from Taiwan, comes amid rising tensions with Beijing. It also follows a steady build-up of supplies and equipment in the region by Japan’s main ally, the United States, in the past three months. Yonaguni is the westernmost island in the Ryukyu chain, which would be a key strategic location in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. The Japanese military has already spent years planning operations based on this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334565/what-us-japan-military-exercises-can-tell-us-about-their-plans-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334565/what-us-japan-military-exercises-can-tell-us-about-their-plans-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 23:00:14 +0000 Mark Magnier,Frank Tang Mark Magnier,Frank Tang Washington initiated the phone call between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday, Beijing has clarified, describing the conversation as “positive”. “According to my understanding, the call was initiated by the US side, and the atmosphere of the conversation was positive, friendly and constructive,” Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, told a regular press conference on Tuesday. Communication between the two heads of state on issues of shared concern... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333998/xi-trump-hold-rare-call-taiwan-tensions-flare-after-japans-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333998/xi-trump-hold-rare-call-taiwan-tensions-flare-after-japans-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:18:39 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Japan’s export of lethal weapons sent an “extremely dangerous signal” indicating expanded military capabilities, Chinese observers and media said on Thursday as relations between the two countries continued to nosedive. The assessment followed Japanese media reports on Wednesday that Japan had exported domestically produced Patriot surface-to-air missile interceptors to the United States. The US would use the missiles to replenish its own stockpile as it provided military support to Ukraine in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333583/japans-export-lethal-weapons-us-extremely-dangerous-chinese-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333583/japans-export-lethal-weapons-us-extremely-dangerous-chinese-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen A US missile system that could strike Beijing has been withdrawn from Japan, Japanese media reported on Monday, amid sharply escalating tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan. The Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile launcher system of the US Army, deployed to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi prefecture since September for the US-Japan “Resolute Dragon 2025” joint exercise, was already removed, the Japanese Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. The news... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333161/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-beijing-tokyo-row-over-taiwan-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333161/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-beijing-tokyo-row-over-taiwan-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:36:26 +0000 Saher Liaqat Saher Liaqat US President Donald Trump’s recent call for the military to immediately restart nuclear weapons testing, apparently ending a 33-year moratorium that began under president George H.W. Bush in 1992, has sent shock waves across the globe. The announcement was made via social media moments before the much-anticipated meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, the first meeting between the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3332360/trumps-call-restart-nuclear-tests-reckless-redefining-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3332360/trumps-call-restart-nuclear-tests-reckless-redefining-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As Beijing continues advocating for deeper regional economic cooperation in East Asia amid ongoing tensions with Washington – including by working towards a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan and South Korea – analysts say that making substantial progress remains challenging, given the existing trade framework and conflicting interests. In a meeting with South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan on Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331365/beijing-pushes-china-japan-south-korea-trade-pact-amid-us-tensions-hurdles-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331365/beijing-pushes-china-japan-south-korea-trade-pact-amid-us-tensions-hurdles-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo “Hydraulic or magnets?” US President Donald Trump asked some baffled American troops stationed in Japan during his visit this week, and demanded to know which was better. That was during a speech aboard the USS George Washington, before hundreds of American servicemen and women who appeared to have no idea what their commander-in-chief was talking about. “You know, the new thing is magnets. So instead of using hydraulic that you can be hit by lightning and it’s fine, you take a little glass of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330862/trumps-rare-earths-rant-us-soldiers-find-weary-world-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330862/trumps-rare-earths-rant-us-soldiers-find-weary-world-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A near-incursion by Russian fighter jets into Japanese airspace last week was a bid by Moscow to intimidate Tokyo amid its strengthening ties with Washington, observers warned. And without a breakthrough in US-Russia relations, few expect Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to make much headway at easing the tension. Tokyo said it scrambled fighter jets last Friday to monitor Russian warplanes, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, which had flown close to Japanese airspace along... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330880/was-russian-jet-fly-past-bid-intimidate-japan-cooling-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330880/was-russian-jet-fly-past-bid-intimidate-japan-cooling-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall When Sanae Takaichi welcomed Donald Trump to Tokyo this week, she did so with a blend of deference and purpose that has divided opinion in Japan. While detractors derided her overzealous flattery of the US president and warned against pandering to power, many at home saw a Japanese prime minister deftly securing her nation’s interests amid Trump’s unpredictability. “Takaichi’s strategy was clear from the outset,” said Tsutomu Harada, a retired businessman from Tokyo. “It was to make use of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330790/japans-pm-wooed-trump-charm-offensive-did-she-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330790/japans-pm-wooed-trump-charm-offensive-did-she-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Japan’s new resolve to bolster its military a day after President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to deepen US-Japan defence ties. “It’s wonderful,” Hegseth said on Wednesday of Tokyo’s intention to accelerate the timing of a planned increase in defence spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product, and to come up with additional plans for military investment. Following a meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330737/japans-military-spending-earns-total-respect-pentagon-chief-hegseth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330737/japans-military-spending-earns-total-respect-pentagon-chief-hegseth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:21:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi lavished US leader Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo on Tuesday, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage, and even announced she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330547/trump-commends-japans-takaichi-says-us-ally-strongest-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330547/trump-commends-japans-takaichi-says-us-ally-strongest-level?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:43:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan dramatically ramped up security as US President Donald Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, with 18,000 police officers on duty and a specialist emergency response team on constant alert for the American leader’s three-day visit. An incident on Friday suggested that elevated levels of security for the occasion are warranted, with a police officer stationed outside the US embassy in central Tokyo attacked by a man with a knife. The man, who has been arrested, was stopped after police believed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330476/japan-high-alert-trumps-visit-amid-concern-over-lone-wolf-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330476/japan-high-alert-trumps-visit-amid-concern-over-lone-wolf-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang With US President Donald Trump having kicked off his visit to Asia, new collaborations in shipbuilding with Japan and South Korea are set to advance amid ongoing port-fee disputes with China, as Washington seeks to counter Beijing’s dominance in the maritime sector. The US government has committed to reviving its nearly defunct shipbuilding industry through strategic partnerships, with key allies Japan and South Korea – major shipbuilding countries – welcoming the initiative with open... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330484/counter-china-trumps-asia-trip-shore-maritime-alliances-japan-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330484/counter-china-trumps-asia-trip-shore-maritime-alliances-japan-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:00:32 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Japan for three days from Monday for his first in-person talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said. Trump is slated to visit Japan for the first time in about six years. Takaichi, who won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election on October 4, became Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba. Kihara, Japan’s top government spokesman, said at a regular press... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329884/trump-meet-japans-takaichi-emperor-naruhito-during-3-day-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329884/trump-meet-japans-takaichi-emperor-naruhito-during-3-day-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 04:40:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy. “Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the US-Japan economic relationship and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent said on social media after the two met on Wednesday. Bessent and Kato met on the sidelines of the annual International... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329187/after-india-us-tells-japan-stop-importing-russian-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329187/after-india-us-tells-japan-stop-importing-russian-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 02:43:27 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have urged US President Donald Trump to visit their cities during his coming trip to Japan, in a symbolic appeal for him to witness the consequences of nuclear war first hand. While observers view such a visit as improbable given the political risks, the mayors’ appeal highlights growing concern over the erosion of the nuclear taboo, a concern echoed in the letter’s warning about rising global tensions and the dwindling number of hibakusha, or atomic bomb... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328879/japans-atom-bombed-cities-want-trump-see-what-unfolded-under-mushroom-cloud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328879/japans-atom-bombed-cities-want-trump-see-what-unfolded-under-mushroom-cloud?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita Sanae Takaichi’s victory in Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race marks not just the rise of the country’s first female prime minister in waiting, but also a symbolic shift in Japan’s ideological compass. Long known as a staunch conservative and nationalist, Takaichi’s ascent signals the possible end of the centrist pragmatism that characterised the Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida years. Her win sets Japan on a trajectory that could reshape its domestic economy, foreign policy and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328185/how-sanae-takaichis-rise-could-reshape-japan-and-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328185/how-sanae-takaichis-rise-could-reshape-japan-and-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi With Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, economists warn her policies may have “mixed” results: expansionary measures that spur growth but exacerbate fiscal strain, and coalition partners who temper a more hawkish stance on China amid a push for higher military spending. The 64-year-old conservative was elected leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday, paving the way for her to become the next prime minister as head of a coalition government –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328021/mixed-bag-how-japans-pm-waiting-may-fuel-growth-defence-and-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328021/mixed-bag-how-japans-pm-waiting-may-fuel-growth-defence-and-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Sapphire Dingler was shaken as the dark past emerged before her. Dingler, a US master’s student in public history at Southern New Hampshire University, was sifting through newly digitised American archives when she stumbled upon testimony about a Japanese doctor’s grisly wartime experiments on Western prisoners in Tokyo. The doctor was Hisakichi Tokuda, a young and ambitious physician inspired by Unit 731, an imperial Japanese Army base in northern China infamous for biological warfare and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3327526/us-records-shed-light-forgotten-western-victims-japans-wwii-human-experiments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3327526/us-records-shed-light-forgotten-western-victims-japans-wwii-human-experiments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen The US military’s expanded joint cyber and AI-integrated exercises with Japan and South Korea pose a risk to regional security, a Chinese military commentary has warned. The opinion piece – by Ji Cheng from the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences and published in the PLA Daily on Tuesday – referred to the growing pace and complexity of various multilateral military exercises held in recent weeks. “[The exercises] … have gone beyond traditional military cooperation and are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327478/chinas-military-sees-threat-expanded-us-drills-japan-and-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327478/chinas-military-sees-threat-expanded-us-drills-japan-and-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:00:20 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A top contender to lead Japan’s ruling party suggested that a trade renegotiation with the US could be on the table if the deal does not serve Japan’s interests. “We must stand our ground if anything unfair that is not in Japan’s interests comes to light in the process of implementing the deal,” Sanae Takaichi said on Sunday with regard to a US$550 billion Japanese investment fund that was part of an agreement to lower US tariffs. “That includes a potential renegotiation.” The right-leaning... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327136/japan-pm-hopeful-takaichi-signals-review-trade-deal-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327136/japan-pm-hopeful-takaichi-signals-review-trade-deal-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:34:34 +0000