Rare to see quid pro quo laid out as plainly as in this op-ed by China's envoy in Warsaw "China presented Global Governance Initiative, based on the principle of practical action, thus responding to Poland's significant interest in exporting poultry meat to the Chinese market."

Beijing airport terminal 3 finally has a bar! And it’s not bad. (It’s only 2.5 years since the end of Covid Zero)

A new op-ed from me on China's WWII! @asianstudies.org www.asianstudies.org/why-does-chi...

Japanese school in Shenzhen remains on alert a year after stabbing trib.al/MXx0FVH

If Japanese companies are purchasing key parts of undersea cables from China, they will be encouraged to switch suppliers, a move to shore up the country's economic security. trib.al/oTDsEed

Rough few weeks to be an Asian ally of the US: on.ft.com/3JYZ1zX

I don’t think Japan looks like that. And it certainly doesn’t join up with Sakhalin. And the Philippines just got erased. Maybe a Department of Maps is needed too. www.war.gov/About/

Japan and Australia have been rapidly building up their defence ties over the last few years, and that’s set to continue with the RAN buying its first ships from Japan. (Link is free to read) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

If you didn’t get enough of China’s military parade yesterday, you can tune in to hear my colleagues and I talk about it and the rest of the news out of China this week. (I hope I am coherent - I think I got a bit of heatstroke yesterday in the square.) www.bloomberg.com/sessions/202...

icymi www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

A look at Tokyo’s efforts to escape rare-earth dependence on China may help inform today’s newfound fans of industrial policy in Washington.

Chairman Mao fulfills a dream role: Farmer

Canberra not looking too bad.

Japanese automakers are passing on the additional U.S. tariff charges to American consumers, a change from their strategy of absorbing the impact. According to trade data, the drop in unit prices for U.S.-bound autos began to level off in July. trib.al/93hWoUo

Australia is sending billions to the Trump administration to boost America’s own submarine production rates - but according to the govt agency we’re not allowed to know the payment schedule/any refund rules. New freelance piece for @deepcutnews.bsky.social www.deepcutnews.com/p/australia-... #AUKUS

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-Lung's latest trip to Japan has put a damper on Sino-Japanese ties, with Beijing canceling at the last minute a bilateral meeting of agriculture ministers.

BREAKING: China has sanctioned two Lithuanian banks in response to the listing of two Chinese banks in the latest package of Russia sanctions www.mofcom.gov.cn/zwgk/zcfb/ar...

There’s a former American football tight end called Cole Hunt, but let’s agree not to spoonerize that name. There’s also a Canadian painter called Jim Robb, but we should leave that well alone too.

Very interesting article on recent Japanese ambassador to China’s views. I’m surprised MOFA was opposed to Tarumi-san visiting a Japanese citizen in gaol in China. Very different to how Australia acted in a similar situation. asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Int...

Interesting details on the case of a Japanese detained in China.

It's been an extraordinary long day, but I wanted to try to pull together the most important developments in an extremely significant Japanese election. Take a look here: open.substack.com/pub/observin...

Follow @tobiasharris.bsky.social for more, his thread is here: bsky.app/profile/tobi...

Fun weekend mountain biking up in the holes north of Beijing. Bikes have come a long way since I last rode downhill.

Hard to overstate how low expectations are in Brussels ahead of the EU China summit Official just now: "The deliverable is a substantive, open, direct, good, constructive conversation between the two of us on every aspect of this relationship" Sounds like me meeting my friend in the pub tonight

The Australian PM’s visit to China is almost over, after talks on the economy, a visit to the Great Wall and parting pandas today. Listen to me chat about it here: www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2...

China has denied that its warplanes risked collisions with Japanese surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea last week, calling “close-in reconnaissance and harassment” by Tokyo “the root cause” of the incidents.

In May, the founder of an American company who imports shoes from China faced a $80,000 tariff bill. So she froze hiring and added an online checkout fee to help cover the cost. But she hasn't moved production out of China. Not because she hasn't tried, but because it wasn't a viable option.

A district court in Beijing will hand down a ruling on Wednesday for a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma, who has been charged with espionage in China.

“A Sydney councillor-turned-MAGA influencer, who faced suspension from the Liberal (conservative) Party after swearing at a TV journalist, has won Donald Trump's nomination to become #US ambassador to Malaysia…’ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

The real news here is that Bessent says countries are going to go back to the April 2nd level by August 1st now instead of July 9th...can the people running this country please stop living 30-day-tariff-pause to 30-day-tariff-pause

This is quite surprising. Japan to export used destroyers to the Philippines: www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Good article on shipbuilding in Japan: www.ft.com/content/6302...

China will block European firms from selling into the medical device sector in China, even if the product is made in China: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Just bought @heguisen.bsky.social’s new book. Am looking forward to it arriving in a few days.

also just your daily reminder that no matter how small it is, no matter whether it uses wings or multiple rotors, if your precision weapon is guiding itself over a long distance to hit a target... ... it is a cruise missile. it is not a drone. this is a hill you, not I, will die on

Brutal equation: Chinese foreign minister suggests Russia's war in Ukraine suits Beijing's strategic needs just fine so long as it keeps the US from turning attention eastwards. @fbermingham.bsky.social @kajakallas.bsky.social

In recent months, we have lost a significant portion of our funding. Yet we remain committed to helping the world better understand China at this critical juncture in global politics. We are asking for your help to keep our websites up and running. giving.chinadigitaltimes.net/page/serverc...

Reuters story here on the cognac makers' deal www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Possibly my best received story in about two years. Editors keep emailing me to tell me they loved it. :) www.crikey.com.au/2025/06/26/b...

Apparently the number of students at Japanese schools in China is down 11% this year, the Nikkei reports. I guess Japanese children being murdered or attacked makes people not want to stay. www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZ...

US wants Asian allies spend 5% of GDP on defense, Pentagon says https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/US-wants-Asian-allies-spend-5-of-GDP-on-defense-Pentagon-says

The Pentagon has set a “global standard” for Japan and other U.S. allies to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense, in the first official confirmation that Washington is asking Tokyo to pump up its defense budget even further. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06...

I would love to be there when they find out that *girls* can do a better job: cq.ifeng.com/c/839nWEGibXj

this is a really fun conversation!

Well it’s damn hot in #Beijing today. Hello Real Summer! Forecast to be still 35 degrees at 9pm, well after the sun has gone down. #China

Japan to form think tank with eye on Trump tariffs and Taiwan https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-to-form-think-tank-with-eye-on-Trump-tariffs-and-Taiwan

Just in: EU member states just approved punitive measures against China on its international procurement instrument

Robert Jefferson, also known as The Kamakura Gardener, offers soothing missives via YouTube about gardening, cooking and slow living.

Chongqing cemetery serves as serene Cultural Revolution warning https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Chongqing-cemetery-serves-as-serene-Cultural-Revolution-warning

Welcome to the Bluesky home of Japan Foresight, the Japan-focused political risk consultancy started by @tobiasharris.bsky.social.