Hot wars frequently happen where they are least expected, or while attention is diverted elsewhere. The North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the 1998–99 Kosovo conflict, and other armed hostilities surprised many by their eruption and intensity. The world has been fixated on Ukraine…

Chinese vessels entered Japan’s waters in the East China Sea at two separate locations on Thursday, prompting Tokyo to lodge protests against Beijing. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top Japanese government spokesperson, said Japan conveyed “strong concern” and lodged a protest against China through diplomatic channels after a Chinese military ship intruded into Japan’s waters. According to the…

Russia and China completed joint naval drills in the East China Sea from Dec. 21-27, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their call on Dec. 30 that Moscow seeks to strengthen military ties with Beijing. These developments followed the joint air exercise that included nuclear-capable bombers flying over the Sea of…

The Australian defence minister has said the department of defence will not discuss a recent allegation that the Chinese military shadowed an Australian warship as it sailed through international waters on its way to perform military exercises with the Japanese navy. This comes after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on July 14, alleged that a defence source…

The Chinese People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships were spotted circling around Japan for days from June 12, involving two Chinese guided-missile destroyers and one supply ship, Japan’s Defense Ministry said on June 30. The ministry said in a statement (pdf) that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) detected three Chinese navy ships sailing 130 kilometers…

The Chinese military is deploying its most advanced fighter jet to hotly contested regions in the East and South China Seas, according to Chinese state media. The J-20 stealth fighter jet will begin its deployments as part of training sessions, per Chinese state-owned media outlet Global Times. A Chinese colonel said that the deployments ensured…

Chinese and Russian strategic bombers held a joint patrol in the Asia-Pacific region on Nov. 19, the third of its kind between the two countries, the Chinese and Russian defense ministries announced in a joint release. Two H-6K bombers from China and two Tu-95MC bombers from Russia were sent to carry out a joint patrol…

A U.S. warship enters the East China Sea and heads close to China’s biggest city after a Chinese aircraft carrier passed through an important Japanese waterway. Amid Beijing’s increasing aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the German defense minister says the West “must not be the weaker one.” Major League Baseball expands its contract with a Chinese…