Tag - china

 
 

CHINA

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping via video link from Moscow on Feb. 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 15, 2026
China expanding aid for Russia’s war, Western officials say
The war couldn’t continue without ongoing Chinese support, particularly the export of dual-use components and critical minerals used in Russian drone production.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 14, 2026
With eye on China, Koizumi stresses importance of rules-based order
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also pledged not to “shut down any channels” of communication as ties with China remain in a deep freeze.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 14, 2026
China FM tells EU diplomats not to blame Beijing for bloc’s problems
Wang Yi made the comments at a meeting with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Advertising promoting ByteDance's cloud and AI service platform Volcano Engine and chatbot Doubao hangs at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Feb. 5.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Feb 14, 2026
All-in on AI: what TikTok creator ByteDance did next
The tech giant created China’s most popular chatbot, Doubao, which has built up more than 100 million daily users since its inception in 2023.
Japan's Fisheries Agency patrol vessel Hakuo Maru (left) and Chinese fishing vessel Qiong Dong Yu 11998 are seen in waters off Nagasaki Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2026
Japan releases arrested Chinese fishing boat captain, reports say
The captain was released after China guaranteed payment of cash collateral, public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported.
Employees work on an electric vehicle production line at a factory in China
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Feb 14, 2026
As Trump shreds climate rules, China’s emissions start to fall
This week’s major climate news played out on a split screen with the world’s two superpowers signaling different paths for the future.
A man walks past the Alibaba logo displayed at its booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing last July.
WORLD
Feb 14, 2026
U.S. withdraws newly updated list of firms allegedly aiding China’s military
The publication and hasty withdrawal of ⁠the list comes as U.S. President Donald ​Trump’s administration has sought to avoid antagonizing China.
A government building in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward housing the fisheries agency
JAPAN
Feb 13, 2026
Japan seizes Chinese fishing vessel and arrests captain
The incident happened inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture, 165 kilometers south-southwest of the island of Meshima.
Vehicles parked at an Audi dealership in Shanghai. German exports to China fell 9.3% in 2025 — while Chinese exports to Germany have surged.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 13, 2026
‘China shock’: Germany struggles as key market turns into business rival
Germany’s annual trade deficit with China hit a record of around €89 billion ($106 billion) last year, according to preliminary official data.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at her ruling party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Lower House election.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2026
After another historic victory, Takaichi takes command
Not only is she the country’s first female prime minister and a symbol of a new Japan, her career also marks a break from traditional politics.
An honor guard from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army shouts during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2025.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 13, 2026
CIA makes new push to recruit Chinese military officers as informants
The spy agency rolled out ‌a video depicting a disillusioned mid-level Chinese military officer, part of a U.S. campaign to ramp up human intelligence gathering on Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025.
WORLD
Feb 13, 2026
Trump pauses China tech bans ahead of Xi summit
The measures include a ban on China Telecom’s U.S. operations and restrictions on sales of Chinese equipment for U.S. data centers.
Mercedes-Benz cars at a Panavto dealership in Moscow on Dec. 19. A Russian car dealer has said that most foreign cars sold in the country are imported through China regardless of where they are built.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 12, 2026
Thousands of foreign cars sold to Russia through China, circumventing sanctions
Automakers from regions imposing sanctions say they prohibit sales to Russia and that the trade happens against their will.
Shiseido's stock surged as much as 15% in Tokyo trading on Thursday, the biggest intraday gain since May 2018.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2026
Robust earnings set off Shiseido’s biggest stock rally in almost eight years
Once a formidable global challenger, Shiseido is cutting costs, prioritizing core brands and adjusting its lineup amid its toughest business conditions in decades.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 12, 2026
Taiwan leader warns countries in region are ‘next’ in case of China attack
President Lai Ching-te warned in an exclusive interview that countries in the region would be China’s next targets should Beijing seize Taiwan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election win is fueling regional backing for Japan to take on a bigger defense role as Asian nations seek balance against China and shifting U.S. policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 12, 2026
Most in Asia want a stronger Japanese security presence — except for China
A more confident Tokyo complicates Beijing’s preferred regional order. For many of Asia’s middle powers, that makes Japan an appealing counterweight.
Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, after his conviction on charges of of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces,” at the Apple Daily newsroom in Hong Kong on Aug. 12, 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 12, 2026
Hong Kong journalists face ‘precarious’ future after Jimmy Lai jailed
Media bosses “increasingly see themselves as an extension of the government propaganda arm,” said Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
A police officer stands guard in a room full of ballot boxes, before dispatching them to voting centers, ahead of the national election in Dhaka.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 11, 2026
U.S. plans to pitch defense alternatives in Bangladesh to counter China
China recently signed a defense agreement ​with Bangladesh to build a drone factory near the India border, worrying foreign diplomats.
As U.S.-China tensions ease, Beijing gains diplomatic space to adopt a tougher posture toward Tokyo, testing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s leadership.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Feb 11, 2026
Challenges for Japan during the U.S.-China ‘truce’
Leaders in Beijing — and some in Washington — have a shared vision of U.S.-China co-leadership of the global order.
A soldier speaks to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Hsinchu, Taiwan, last July.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 11, 2026
Taiwan says defense budget delay jeopardizes collective deterrence against China
Officials in Taipei say a failure to pass the government’s nearly $40 billion defense budget would “seriously weaken” the island’s defense buildup.

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival