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Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is not backing off from comments about Taiwan that enraged China. Many of Japan’s voters like her stance.

President Lai Ching-te says the spending, which must be approved by the island’s legislature, would fund purchases of arms from the United States.

President Lai Ching-te declared there was ‘no room for compromise on national security’ in face of escalating harassment and espionage
Beijing’s threats to Taiwan are “intensifying” and its preparations to invade are speeding up, Taiwan’s government has said while announcing a $40bn special defence budget and a swathe of measures to counter Chinese attacks.
The Taiwan president, Lai Ching-te, said there was “no room for compromise on national security”, and he was committed to boosting Taiwan’s defences in conjunction with US support.

The ash cloud drifted over northern India, causing some flight delays and cancellations, and continued toward China.

Villagers demonstrate against drive for alternative funeral practices instead of burial to preserve land resources
Protests have erupted in China’s southern Guizhou province, the latest in a string of rural demonstrations that have seen incidents of unrest increase by 70% compared with last year.
The protests in Shidong town started over the weekend in response to a directive from local authorities that people should be cremated rather than buried after their death.

With Japan’s new leader refusing to back down from China’s show of force and claims on Taiwan, Xi Jinping picks up the phone to try to pry the U.S.-Japan alliance apart.

China closed off Japanese seafood imports after Japan’s new leader declared strong support for Taiwan. Suddenly, sushi is everywhere on Taiwanese social media.

Chinese purchases of American soybeans are "right on schedule", U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday, citing an agreement for Beijing to buy 87.5 million metric tons of the U.S.

In an unusual move, Xi Jinping, the leader of China, called President Trump. The two spoke about trade, Taiwan and Ukraine, according to separate official statements.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and Xi told Trump that its return was an ‘integral part of the post-war international order’
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump that Beijing’s claims to Taiwan remain unchanged, in a phone call that came amid rising tensions over the self-governing island.
Xi told Trump on Monday that Taiwan’s return to China was an “integral part of the postwar international order” forged in the joint US-China fight against “fascism and militarism”, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

The two leaders discussed trade, Ukraine and Taiwan in their first phone call since meeting in South Korea last month.

The Trump administration expects to announce an aid package for U.S. farmers within two weeks and a deal on Chinese soybean purchases, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday, without ...