Author: Media Library

Japan’s latest defence white paper’s emphasis on adaptivity and scale of drones signals its intention to seek asymmetric capabilities against China in the event of a conflict, while drawing lessons from Ukraine, according to experts. The 610-page document released on Tuesday highlights the need to integrate unmanned systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies across the Japan Self-Defence Forces as Tokyo confronts an increasingly complex security environment. While Japan has invested in drones and AI for years, the white paper marks a notable shift in emphasis, framing autonomous systems…

Since the mid‑2000s, China has established itself as Africa’s principal bilateral financier for large infrastructure projects, including railways, bridges, dams and ports. But as the loans involved reach maturity, Beijing has transitioned from a net provider of funds to a net collector. Drawing on data from Boston University’s Global Development Policy Centre and its own calculations, Oxford Economics Africa said in a new analysis that Chinese loan commitments dropped from a peak of US$28.8 billion in 2016 to US$2.1 billion in 2024, representing the lowest level in almost two decades.…

The Philippine National Police and their counterparts in a coastal Chinese province have agreed to deepen intelligence sharing and crack down on international crimes, in a rare display of cooperation between the nations as they butt heads in the South China Sea. Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jnr hosted Wang Xizhang, the executive director general of Fujian’s Public Security Department, on Tuesday, according to the official Philippine News Agency. The two sides emphasised the importance of addressing evolving security threats through sustained dialogue, intelligence sharing and capacity-building initiatives, the agency reported.…

Ferry routes have been suspended, construction halted, fishermen evacuated and drones deployed to patrol over the sea as China’s coastal provinces prepare for the landfall of Typhoon Dolphin, the fourth typhoon to reach the country this summer. By Friday morning, the typhoon was about 820km from China’s east coast and was expected to land from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning somewhere between Zhejiang province in eastern China and northern Fujian, the National Meteorological Centre said. The centre maintained a yellow alert, the third-strongest on a four-tier scale, warning of strong…

00:00 00:00 1.00x South China Morning Post

China is expanding its role in the fight against HIV/Aids in Africa by funding new projects and backing local medicine manufacturing as part of its signature health initiative, the Health Silk Road. Pepfar was a major bilateral American initiative providing life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare support for millions of people in developing countries. Instead, Washington has signed bilateral health agreements with some African countries, though a few such as Zambia and Zimbabwe declined to sign the deals over worries about data sovereignty and sensitive health information sharing. Following a recent…

South China Morning Post

Germans have emerged as some of Europe’s most hawkish voters on China, more likely to consider Beijing as a rival or an adversary than in any other major EU country, a new survey has shown. Published amid a bout of soul-searching in Berlin over whether to back a tougher approach towards China on trade, the findings suggest that the country’s citizens might not be opposed to such a shift. A combined 49 per cent of German people polled considered China to be primarily a rival or an adversary, way ahead…

No longer confined to disputed islands or historical memory, the rivalry between Beijing and Tokyo has evolved into a fight for the global microphone, as both countries try to define each other’s international identity. Amid an escalating diplomatic crisis, China is intensifying its rhetoric against what it calls Japan’s “new militarism”, using World War II-era history to rally regional and global sympathy for its position. In stark contrast, Japan has rejected the label as “false claims”,… South China Morning Post