45 h. ago China’s quantum warfare weapons; ‘rising star’ quits US: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese military says it is developing over 10 quantum warfare weapons The People’s Liberation Army said more than 10 experimental quantum cyber warfare tools were “under development”, many of which were being “tested in front-line...

Events

64 h. ago Japan, Philippines sign new defence pacts amid surging China tensions

Japan, Philippines sign new defence pacts amid surging China tensions  Al Jazeera

Events

69 h. ago Japan, Philippines tighten ties with new defence pact amid China tensions

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...

Events

69 h. ago Chinese military says it is developing over 10 quantum warfare weapons

China’s military says it is using quantum technology to gather high-value military intelligence from public cyberspace. The People’s Liberation Army said more than 10 experimental quantum cyber warfare tools were “under development”, many of which were being “tested in front-line missions”, according to the official newspaper Science and Technology Daily. The project is being led by a supercomputing laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology, according to the report, with a...

Events

4 d. ago Japan PM seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist

Japan PM seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist  South China Morning Post

Events

5 d. ago China taps export controls veteran amid trade tensions with US, Japan

China taps export controls veteran amid trade tensions with US, Japan  Reuters

Events

5 d. ago Chinese arms exporters may be the big winners in any Pakistan

Reported discussions between Riyadh and Islamabad over a potential deal involving fighter jets co-developed by China and Pakistan could be a “big win” for Beijing’s arms exports to the Gulf region, analysts said. However, doubts remained over whether such an agreement would actually proceed on the grounds that the JF-17 was in such marked contrast to Saudi Arabia’s Western-centric air force. A Reuters report on Thursday that cited two Pakistani sources said Islamabad and Riyadh were in talks for...

Politics

7 d. ago Have investors missed the boat on Japan’s property market amid tensions with China?

Japan’s property market was less likely to deliver significant rewards to investors because of heightened geopolitical tensions with China, more than a tightened monetary policy, according to analysts. “The yield spread is likely to narrow as cap rates are unlikely to widen,” said Chinatsu Hani, head of research at Tokyo-based CBRE. “However, spreads should remain in positive territory.” The Bank of Japan in March last year began unwinding its nearly decade-long negative interest rate policy –...

Economics

7 d. ago Heightened tensions with China rattle Japan’s property market: analysts

Heightened tensions with China rattle Japan’s property market: analysts  South China Morning Post

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong slams attempts to ‘smear’ government ahead of Jimmy Lai mitigation

A top Hong Kong official has condemned attempts by external forces and “anti-China absconders” to “smear” the government ahead of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s mitigation hearing, saying the former media boss’ conviction showed that any plots to undermine national security will fail. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said on Saturday that such smear campaigns during Lai’s national security trial were proof that Hong Kong still faced risks that could not be taken...

Politics

8 d. ago How PLA could use ‘decapitation’ strike to counter Taiwan’s ‘porcupine’ strategy

Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare plan – also known as the “porcupine” strategy – could pose a significant threat to a PLA campaign against the island, a mainland Chinese military magazine has warned. But the People’s Liberation Army could counter that strategy with an American-style “decapitation” strike, according to the article in the November issue of Naval and Merchant Ships. It analysed how the porcupine strategy played out in Taiwan’s annual military exercise in July – known as Han Kuang –...

Events

9 d. ago Amid historical tensions with Japan, Hong Kong must engage for the future

I attended a memorial service last month for victims of the Nanking massacre, held at the Hong Kong government offices in Admiralty. Such occasions are solemn reminders of history’s darkest moments, forcing us to pause and reflect on the scale of the tragedy that unfolded after the city was seized on December 13, 1937, and the broader suffering inflicted on China during World War II. Government figures estimate that military and civilian casualties exceeded 35 million, with 21 million lives...

Events

1 week ago Chinese President Xi Jinping urges Seoul to be ‘patient’ over North Korean nuclear talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “patience” over North Korea’s nuclear programme, the South’s president, Lee Jae Myung, said on Wednesday. Speaking during a visit to Shanghai, Lee said he had asked Xi to act as a “mediator for peace” on the Korean peninsula, including on the nuclear issue. He said all channels between the North and South had been blocked and there was “zero trust” between the two sides. “President Xi noted the efforts until now and said patience is needed,” Lee said. He...

Politics

1 week ago Bid to change Taiwan law that prompted Beijing to warn of war risk falls at first hurdle

A controversial plan to change Taiwan’s law governing relations with mainland China, which critics said could edge the island towards “de jure independence”, appears to have collapsed within days. The failure of the draft legislation to even reach the legislature’s agenda committee underscored the sensitivity of the issue amid mounting pressure from Beijing, which warned on Sunday that a declaration of independence would mean war. The initiative to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the...

Events

1 week ago The Chinese Military Is Built for Politics, Not Fighting Wars

The Chinese Military Is Built for Politics, Not Fighting Wars  lawfaremedia.org

Events

1 week ago Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain

Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain  Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS

Events

1 week ago The collapse of Venezuela’s air defense exposes the limitations of Chinese military systems in the face of the U.S. operation

The collapse of Venezuela’s air defense exposes the limitations of Chinese military systems in the face of the U.S. operation  Zona Militar

Events

1 week ago Will Beijing look to US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro for lessons on Taiwan?

The US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro will be closely studied by Beijing, which has signalled its ability to target Taiwan’s leadership in the latest PLA exercises near the island, according to analysts. The operation – carried out on Saturday by the US Army’s elite Delta Force, the military’s top special missions unit – was described by Chinese analysts as a “textbook” strike with high precision and minimal casualties. “The planning and execution were highly refined,” said Fu...

Politics

2 w. ago South Korean president visits China following Beijing’s rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan

South Korean president visits China following Beijing’s rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan  The Hill

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese military affairs experts analyze US strikes in Venezuela and operation to capture Maduro

Chinese military affairs experts analyze US strikes in Venezuela and operation to capture Maduro  Global Times

Events