The Japanese government is taking uncomfortable steps to prepare its citizens for a possible future war that its military would not be able to avoid.

China’s top leaders are signaling they are on alert for a potential flareup of tensions in global commerce as they draw up economic plans for next year, after amassing a record trade surplus despite the tariff war with the US.

China’s massive lead in clean technologies has shifted the climate fight from one of big pledges and international diplomacy toward a technological revolution in cheaper energy, analysts say.

We’re now starting to see a second China shock play out, one that looks different. This time, barred from the U.S. market by tariffs, and unable to sell enough to consumers at home, China is redirecting more of its exports to developing countries. It’s also setting up its own factories in some of these countries.

What does China achieve in using such blunt economic weapons in bilateral spats? It is tempting to dismiss these as acts of petulance or even self-harm. Rarely do countries meekly back down in the face of China’s punishment.

While exports from China to the U.S. have fallen for most of the year, shipments have surged to other places, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the European Union.

Japan is threatening China militarily which is "completely unacceptable", Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his German counterpart, after Japan said that Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft.

A radar lock-on, used to guide missiles, is considered a serious escalation compared with routine surveillance, an expert said.