China’s next five-year economic development plan will be unveiled at its largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People’s Congress, on March 5. The plan, which covers 2026 to 2030, will likely outline the CPC’s aim to shift the Chinese economy toward boosting domestic consumption.
However, with high youth unemployment at home and an unpredictable global economic situation, the Chinese government is unlikely to give up on low-level consumption. This ...
Category: Asia Pacific
China Remains Undeterred in the Grey Zone
By Sam Mullins The final days of 2025 saw Taiwan surrounded by Chinese warships, aircraft and coast guard vessels in what the Chinese Ministry of Defense described as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and foreign interference. ...
Myth and Misperception: Does China Always Bully Its Neighbors Over Territorial Disputes?
In this edition of M&M, I want to discuss how China handled its territorial disputes with Vietnam. This is an important topic considering China and Vietnam currently have disputes over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, and that they once fought a war over the disputed land border ...
Japan, Philippines Sign New Security Pacts as Regional Tensions Rise
By Mikhail Flores The Philippines and Japan signed two defence pacts on Thursday, including a deal allowing their forces to exchange supplies and services, with both countries seeking to strengthen security cooperation in response to rising regional tensions. The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, ...
APEC Offers China a Chance to Revitalize Integration
By Christopher Findlay and Wenxiao Wang As the chair of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2026, China has a chance to revitalize Asia-Pacific integration around services and the digital economy. With services accounting for most output and employment across ...
South Korea’s Lee Says Urged Xi to Help Curb North’s Nukes
By Agatha Cantrill with Kang Jin-kyu in Seoul South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he had urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help him curb Pyongyang's nuclear programme and suggested a freeze in its development of weapons of mass ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
South Korea’s Lee to Meet Xi With Trade, Pyongyang on the Agenda
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Monday with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, with closer economic ties as well as the recalcitrant North on the agenda. Lee is the first South Korean leader to visit Beijing in six ...
China Launches Military Drills Simulating Blockade of Taiwan Ports
By Peter Catterall with Joy Chiang in Taipei China launched live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday that it said would simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island's key ports, prompting Taipei to condemn Beijing's "military intimidation."
Japan’s Only Two Pandas to Be Sent Back to China: Reports
Two pandas at a Tokyo zoo will be returned to China in January, Japanese media said on Monday, potentially leaving Japan without the beloved animals for the first time in half a century. Loaned out as part of China's "panda diplomacy" ...
U.S., Japan Defense Chiefs Say China Harming Regional Peace
By Hiroshi Hiyama Beijing's actions are "not conducive to regional peace", Japan's defense minister and U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth agreed during a call after Chinese aircraft locked radar on Japanese jets near Taiwan, Tokyo said Friday.
Japan, NATO Share ‘Grave Concern’ Over China, Russia Flights: Tokyo
NATO chief Mark Rutte and Japan's defence minister shared their "grave concerns" about recent joint patrols by Chinese and Russian aircraft, Tokyo said. The incident on Tuesday came as Japan-China relations worsen after comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan ...
South Korea Scrambles Jets After Russian, Chinese Planes Approach
South Korea said it had sent up fighter jets on Tuesday after seven Russian and two Chinese military aircraft entered its air defense zone. The Russian and Chinese aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) around 10 am local ...
China’s Aerial Confrontations With Japan and Philippines Stoke Regional Anxiety Amid U.S. Silence
Tensions surged over the weekend after two dangerous mid-air confrontations between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets and another with a Philippine aircraft over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Tokyo and Beijing on Monday sought to portray the other ...