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Japan and Philippines Accuse China of Dangerous Military Actions, Heightening Regional Security Tensions

Japan and the Philippines have recently accused the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China of “dangerous military conduct,” underscoring sharply rising security tensions in the region. Japan reported that Chinese warplanes from the carrier Liaoning locked their fire-control radar on Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F‑15 fighters twice near Okinawa — an act Tokyo described as reckless and hazardous to international air safety. Meanwhile, the Philippines alleges that Chinese forces fired warning flares at one of its patrol aircraft over a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The incidents occurred just weeks after Japan’s new prime minister suggested the possibility of collective self-defense in response to a crisis in Taiwan, a stance that has already drawn a sharp reaction from Beijing. Both Tokyo and Manila have formally protested the latest actions, demanding that China take measures to prevent such behavior from recurring.

Source: VOA, December 9, 2025
https://www.voachinese.com/a/japan-and-the-philippines-accuse-china-of-dangerous-military-conduct-escalating-security-pressure-on-us-allies-20251208/8091444.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

PLA Trains Lower-Echelon Commanders in Joint-Operations Leadership

People’s Daily republished an article from PLA Daily, reports that a PLA Army brigade recently conducted an online command-and-control confrontation exercise, during which a battalion-level combined-arms commander directed multiple combat elements to execute coordinated strikes.

The brigade’s leadership said similar training has now become routine as they work to strengthen joint-operations proficiency among lower-echelon commanders, enabling them to synchronize ground forces with aviation, long-range strike, and special operations units. Recent exercises revealed gaps—including weak integration between air-landing and assault elements, and suboptimal fire-control decisions—which the program aims to address.

By training officers in air-sea situational awareness, route planning, target designation, and multi-domain coordination, the brigade seeks to shift junior commanders from narrow, ground-centric thinking toward a more comprehensive joint-operations mindset.

Source: People’s Daily, December 1, 2025
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2025/1201/c1011-40614677.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

CSIS: Wargame Simulation Indicates Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Unlikely to Succeed if Taiwan, U.S., and Japan Respond Jointly

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments regarding a potential “Taiwan contingency” have prompted a strong reaction from Beijing. Analysts argue that this response reflects more than diplomatic friction—it reveals China’s underlying concerns about U.S.–Japan military cooperation in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict. Japanese media, citing former Maritime Self-Defense Force officer and current military analyst “Major General Wolf,” note that these concerns rest on concrete strategic simulations rather than conjecture.

A 2023 wargame assessment by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) examined 24 potential invasion scenarios. In the simulations, China secured victory in only two, and only when the United States and Japan failed to coordinate their actions. In nearly every other case, joint U.S.–Japan involvement significantly diminished the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) chances of occupying Taiwan.

Experts distill the formula for preventing a successful takeover into three interdependent factors: Taiwan’s determination to defend itself, U.S. military intervention, and Japanese logistical and basing support. All three components, they argue, are essential. China’s sharp response to Takaichi’s remarks underscores this strategic reality—robust trilateral alignment among Taiwan, the United States, and Japan would make a PLA victory in the Taiwan Strait highly improbable.

Source: Secret China, December 3, 2025
https://www.secretchina.com/news/b5/2025/12/03/1091482.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: China and ASEAN Countries Accelerate Integrated Market Development Efforts

Chinese government news outlet People’s Daily reported that China and ASEAN member states are deepening cooperation in digital payments, e-commerce, AI, and supply-chain networks under an upgraded Free Trade Agreement, the “FTA 3.0 Protocol.”

The Thai central bank has integrated the country’s PromptPay system with major Chinese mobile payment platforms, including Alipay and WeChat Pay, enabling seamless QR-code payments for Chinese visitors. Huawei Cloud has “enhanced local transaction stability,” while Thai hospitals have begun using AI-powered translation tools to better serve Chinese-speaking patients.

Singapore has rolled out an AI travel assistant, offering itineraries in Chinese. China and Malaysia have jointly launched an AI-focused training academy integrating big data and generative AI into workforce development. Meanwhile, JD Logistics has established a major supply hub in Malaysia and is expanding its services into Vietnam.

Industrial cooperation is also strengthening, People’s Daily reports. China-ASEAN automotive collaboration now spans raw materials, production, and sales, “supported by unified standards and regional logistics networks.” At the border, China and Vietnam are building a smart port at Youyi Pass, “enabling 24-hour, zero-wait customs clearance to further streamline trade flows.”

Source: People’s Daily, December 3, 2025
https://world.people.com.cn/n1/2025/1203/c1002-40616109.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

Greenland Seeks “Democratic Partners” for Rare-Earth Development, Not Open to Join Development With China

Greenland Premier Nielsen told Japanese media Nikkei on November 19 that Greenland is seeking partners from “sound democracies” to jointly develop its rare-earth resources, expressing interest in collaboration with Japan, the EU, and the United States. He noted that EU countries are already engaged in raw-material projects on the island and expressed hope to strengthen those partnerships.

Despite China’s global dominance in rare-earth production, Nielsen emphasized that China is not being considered as a partner. Greenland has received no investment requests from Chinese companies and does not view China as a future collaborator. Instead, the island is focused on working with allies and like-minded nations.

Denmark, the EU member state responsible for Greenland, is also unlikely to support Chinese investment, given the EU’s efforts to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals. According to EU officials, most of the minerals designated as strategic by the European Commission are found in Greenland, prompting the island to prioritize joint projects with Europe and Japan.

Source: Epoch Times, November 22, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/25/11/22/n14641177.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

DW Chinese: China’s Manufacturing PMI in Contraction for Eighth Consecutive Month

Data recently released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed the Chinese manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reached 49.2 in November, remaining below the 50-point threshold that marks expansion from contraction. This indicates China’s manufacturing sector declined for the eighth consecutive month, Deutsche Welle Chinese reports.

The latest data shows that Chinese companies have been struggling to recover since the pandemic. Furthermore, the U.S.-China trade dispute has severely impacted many factories and manufacturing sectors. Looking at the sub-indices, production output remained at 50.0, showing a stagnant year-over-year growth; both the new orders and new export orders indices improved compared to October, but still did not return to the expansion range above 50.

The PMI for Chinese small manufacturing companies rose by two percentage points in November, reaching a near six-month high of 49.1. This improvement may be attributed to the resilience of the export sector and the recent reduction of high tariffs by U.S. President Trump, which has partially alleviated the export pressure on Chinese products.

China’s policymakers now face a dilemma: continue pushing through difficult structural reforms, or should they introduce more stimulus policies to boost domestic demand?

Source: Deutsche Welle Chinese, November 30, 2025
https://tinyurl.com/2m42mc5m

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

LTN: Taiwan Blocks Chinese Social Media App “Red Note” for One Year

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that the Taiwanese Interior Ministry has announced a one-year ban on the popular Chinese social media app Red Note, citing a crackdown on fraud.

Governments around the world expressed deep concern about cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with Chinese apps like Red Note and TikTok, as well as the growing prevalence of disinformation campaigns on such apps. Furthermore, Chinese regulations require Chinese-operated companies to store data domestically within China and to allow the Chinese government full access to that data. Beijing actively monitors and censors content that it deems unfavorable, a practice experts say can influence public opinion.

Red Note has rapidly gained popularity among young people in Taiwan in recent years, reaching three million users, or 13% of Taiwan’s population of 23 million. This Red Note platform has raised concerns among Taiwanese officials, as Red Note has been involved in 1,706 fraud cases within the past two years. The Taiwanese Ministry of the Interior said that Red Note is a “malicious platform” that “transmits users’ personal data to certain locations in China,” and that Red Note is illegal in Taiwan as the platform “did not appoint a legal representative in Taiwan, comply with local laws and regulations, and fulfill [other] legal obligations.”

Source: LTN, December 6, 2025
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5269356

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Lianhe Zaobao: One-Third of Surveyed EU Companies Plan to Stop Procurement in China

A new survey released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China shows that one-third of surveyed EU chamber of commerce member companies are considering shifting their sourcing out of China and are seeking new supply chain arrangements. The shift is primarily motivated by uncertainty around the U.S.-China trade war as well as tightening Chinese export controls.

The survey, conducted from November 6 to 24, involved 131 member companies of the EU chamber of commerce. The survey revealed that 32 percent of respondents planned to shift their procurement outside of China due to Beijing’s export controls; and 39 percent indicated that the Ministry of Commerce of China was processing export licenses slower than the promised 45 days.

The survey also showed that nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated their overseas production facilities rely on Chinese components affected by export controls; 50 percent indicated that the products of their suppliers or customers have already been or will soon be included in the scope of controls.

In October of this year, China announced stricter export controls on rare earths, shocking global markets and exacerbating European companies’ concerns about further disruptions to supply chains. Of the 131 companies surveyed, 75 indicated that they had been affected by the relevant controls. For now, the U.S. and China have not yet formally signed an agreement, and the EU is also trying to include itself in the relevant arrangements.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, December 1, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20251201-7899734

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend