Taiwan
Taiwan remains on high alert after the completion of large-scale Chinese military maneuvers "Mission Justice 2025". Despite the withdrawal of PRC ships, the island's coast guard continues enhanced monitoring of fleet movements.
New Year is already being celebrated in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. An hour before that, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan welcomed the holiday.
In his New Year's address, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that the country had reached "new heights" in economy, technology, and defense. He emphasized the inevitability of Taiwan's annexation and reaffirmed the course for an internal party purge.
China calls for a new model of interaction with the US, seeking to solidify a warming in relations, but emphasizes its unchanged position on Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated his support for the "healthy, stable, and sustainable development" of relations, without compromising on issues of core interests.
China has launched live-fire military exercises around Taiwan after the US announced a major arms package for the island. The exercises, dubbed "Mission Justice-2025," involve the army, navy, air force, and rocket forces, serving as a "stern warning" against separatist forces.
A powerful earthquake measuring 6. 6-7 magnitude, the strongest since 1999, has been recorded in Taiwan. It occurred off the northeastern coast, causing tremors across the island but without significant damage or casualties.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees on synchronizing sanctions with Great Britain against 8 individuals and 40 legal entities involved in the deportation of children and the supply of components for Russian weapons. Ukraine also imposed sanctions against 8 military leaders of South Sudan in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
China announced sanctions against 20 US defense companies and 10 top executives over arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions include freezing the companies' assets in China and banning individuals from doing business.
The Japanese government has planned a record defense budget of over 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) to strengthen its defense capabilities amid tensions with China. The country is also developing long-range missiles and the SHIELD drone system to protect its coast.
The Pentagon claims that China is undertaking a "historic" military buildup, making the US more vulnerable. This casts doubt on Trump's plans for limiting the nuclear arsenals of the US, China, and Russia.
The United States has approved an $11. 1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest ever arms package for the island. The move comes amid increasing military pressure from China and includes HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The US Senate has approved a national defense bill worth almost $900 billion, which includes $800 million for Ukraine for 2026-2027. The funds will be distributed in equal parts for the procurement of weapons.
Japan will be without giant pandas for the first time in half a century, as twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei return to China. This symbolically ends an era of "panda diplomacy" amid deteriorating Japan-China relations.
The adaptation of the Iranian-made drone with a Soviet air-to-air missile is aimed at hitting Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft that hunt Russian drones.
US B-52 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew over the Sea of Japan alongside Japanese F-35 and F-15 fighters. This was a response to joint China-Russia exercises in the region, as well as increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan.
Near Okinawa, Chinese fighter jets locked fire control radar systems on Japanese military aircraft. Japan claims it was a provocation, while China states it was interference with training.
In early December, China and Russia held the third round of joint anti-missile drills on Russian territory. The drills were not aimed at any third party.
The Trump administration has published a new national security strategy that focuses on an updated "Monroe Doctrine," criticizes immigration and Europe, and intensifies confrontation with China. The document blames mass migration for global problems and claims that Europe undermines peace in Ukraine.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed the country's unchanged position on respecting China's view on Taiwan, which sparked discussions among Chinese social media users. Her statement refers to the 1972 joint communiqué, despite previous statements about a possible threat to Japan in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
French President Emmanuel Macron will make his fourth state visit to China this week. Europe is seeking to strike a balance between economic and security threats from Beijing and its dependence on the world's second-largest economy.
Samsung Electronics has released its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, priced at 3. 59 million won ($2,440.17). The model with a 10-inch display will go on sale on December 12 in South Korea, and later in China, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, and the US.
The number of possible cases of African swine fever among wild boars is increasing in Spain, threatening pork exports. Countries are already imposing import restrictions, and a third of export certificates have been blocked.
Catalonia has closed the Collserola natural park near Barcelona after six wild boars were found dead from African swine fever. This is the first outbreak of the disease in Spain since 1994, leading to restrictions on Spanish pork imports by some countries.
The Japanese government denied reports that Donald Trump advised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to provoke China over Taiwan. This was a response to publications by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, which claimed such advice.
The Taiwanese government has announced a special defense budget of $40 billion and measures to counter Chinese attacks. President Lai Ching-te stated that there would be no compromises on national security issues.
The US says Xi Jinping is trying to build an alternative world order, relying on allies among anti-democratic states such as Russia and North Korea. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission published its annual report with dozens of recommendations.
China warned it would crush any attempts by foreign powers to interfere in Taiwan's affairs after Japan announced the deployment of missiles on an island near Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan as its territory and does not rule out the use of force to establish control.
This UAV was first demonstrated in June this year by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the escalation of the Iranian-Israeli conflict.
US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April. In response, Trump invited Xi Jinping to the US for a state visit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, discussing the status of Taiwan as a key element of the post-World War II international order.