US-Japan Alliance
Trump Backs Takaichi in Xi Meeting, Signals Japan-Centric Asia Strategy
Public defense of Japanese PM during Beijing summit marks operational shift toward regional coalition-building against China.
Japan’s Constitutional Revision Push Enters Active Phase as Takaichi Secures Supermajority
Prime Minister moves to legitimise military expansion through Article 9 amendment, backed by 316-seat Diet majority and 57% public support.
Japan’s Military Renaissance Hits 2% GDP Spending Target a Year Early
Tokyo deploys hypersonic missiles and autonomous coastal defenses while Beijing retaliates with export controls on Japanese defense contractors.
US Signs First Commercial Cobalt Refinery Deal, Targeting China’s 75% Processing Monopoly
EVelution Energy's $850 million Mitsui offtake agreement marks the first attempt to build domestic cobalt refining capacity as IRA compliance deadlines loom and battery demand accelerates.
China Deploys Dual Naval Operations Within 48 Hours After Japan’s Taiwan Strait Transit
PLA warships conducted coordinated exercises and a first-announced Yokoate Waterway transit in direct response to Japanese destroyer passage and defense policy shifts, escalating East China Sea tensions.
Tokyo Declines Hormuz Escorts as Japan Pivots Defense Focus to China
Prime Minister Takaichi signals Japan will not deploy naval forces to Middle East despite US pressure, exposing fractures in allied cohesion and prioritizing Taiwan contingency over energy route protection.
Japan Deploys 1,000km Strike Missiles to East China Sea Islands
Type-12 anti-ship batteries now operational on Kyushu, marking Tokyo's first permanent stand-off capability in contested waters—a decade after Beijing forced the strategic shift.
Japan Arms Island 110km From Taiwan in Historic Military Pivot
Type-03 air defense missiles headed to Yonaguni by 2031 as Tokyo abandons post-war restraint and locks in collective defense pact with Washington.