A new investigation has claimed China is "rehearsing" an invasion of Taiwan using merchant cargo ships and civilian ferries. The Reuters probe drew on vessel movements and satellite imagery of military exercises conducted this summer.

China’s latest aircraft carrier has officially entered service after extensive sea trials, according to Chinese state media, with experts saying the ship will help the world’s largest navy expand Beijing’s sphere of influence farther beyond its own ...

Lop Nur, has evolved into the centre of a vast programme that spans experimental aircraft, space weapons, and the most rapid nuclear expansion on the planet.

China’s consul general Xue Jian in Osaka was the first to respond, reposting a news article about Ms Takaichi’s comments on social media with the caption, “cut off a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation”, which many understood as a threat to the Japanese prime minister.

From China’s point of view, the Japanese Prime Minister’s remarks on Taiwan test a red line - a trigger that sets this dispute apart from past flare-ups, analysts say.

The immediate catalyst for the current deep freeze was a controversial statement by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

WHEN great powers squabble, small states pay the price. And in today’s Asia, the spat is no longer a polite diplomatic dance. It’s an increasingly public, sharp-edged confrontation between Japan and China.