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 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.

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.

China has been one of Russia's closest partners since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, with Moscow describing its relations with Beijing as a partnership " without limitations or taboos ." The two countries have closely cooperated on military matters, including joint patrols and bilateral drills, to bolster their readiness.

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.

China's exports topped forecasts in November, driven by a surge in shipments to non-U.S. markets as manufacturers deepen trade ties with the rest of the world in light of President Donald Trump's prohibitively high tariffs.

2025 has been both telling and turbulent for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), exposing some structural contradictions even while it tried to project global influence through high-profile diplomacy. On balance, it has been a year of constrained gains, growing uncertainty, and a mounting succession crisis that will only intensify in 2026.

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.