This month, Defense Scoop reported that the US Navy is rapidly expanding its use of unmanned surface vessels (USV) as part of a long-term effort to transform nearly half of its surface fleet into robotic platforms by 2045, senior officials said. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium, US Navy leaders detailed how the service is accelerating investment, experimentation and operational integration of sea drones to support a hybrid manned-unmanned force under its Surface Force Vision 2045 strategy.
fredag 23. januar 2026
US hoping sea drones can narrow China’s naval edge
As the US Navy races to field a hybrid manned–unmanned fleet built around swarms of robotic surface vessels, the effort underscores both an ambitious attempt to reshape naval warfare and a sobering response to China’s growing numerical and industrial advantage at sea.
This month, Defense Scoop reported that the US Navy is rapidly expanding its use of unmanned surface vessels (USV) as part of a long-term effort to transform nearly half of its surface fleet into robotic platforms by 2045, senior officials said. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium, US Navy leaders detailed how the service is accelerating investment, experimentation and operational integration of sea drones to support a hybrid manned-unmanned force under its Surface Force Vision 2045 strategy.
This month, Defense Scoop reported that the US Navy is rapidly expanding its use of unmanned surface vessels (USV) as part of a long-term effort to transform nearly half of its surface fleet into robotic platforms by 2045, senior officials said. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium, US Navy leaders detailed how the service is accelerating investment, experimentation and operational integration of sea drones to support a hybrid manned-unmanned force under its Surface Force Vision 2045 strategy.
Accelerationist State: China’s biopharma revolution
The continuous stream of drug approvals by Chinese pharmaceutical companies should be a source of awe to any global innovation investor. There are multiple reasons that have led to the current point. However, one key contributor is China’s drug approval policy transformation, which is one of the most under-discussed and massively impactful policy narratives of our era.
The history of the global pharmaceutical industry has largely been a monologue, spoken by the West and listened to by the East. For the better part of the post-war era, the United States, through the engines of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), served as the world’s laboratory.
The history of the global pharmaceutical industry has largely been a monologue, spoken by the West and listened to by the East. For the better part of the post-war era, the United States, through the engines of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), served as the world’s laboratory.
TikTok was thriving in the U.S., even before a joint venture saved it from a potential ban
TikTok has just announced a new U.S. venture that will keep it operating there after years of concerns about its links to China. But even as it was nearly banned and faced scrutiny from officials, the short-video platform still dominated in 2025.
The app, owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance, was the second-most-downloaded app across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store in the U.S. in 2025, according to Sensor Tower data, defying a near-ban in the market. Another ByteDance app, CapCut, ranked fourth, with the video editing tool climbing three places from a year ago.
Other China-linked apps also had strong showings across U.S. app stores in 2025, with major e-commerce players like Temu and Shein thriving even as they were targeted by policy changes, Sensor Tower data showed.
The app, owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance, was the second-most-downloaded app across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store in the U.S. in 2025, according to Sensor Tower data, defying a near-ban in the market. Another ByteDance app, CapCut, ranked fourth, with the video editing tool climbing three places from a year ago.
Other China-linked apps also had strong showings across U.S. app stores in 2025, with major e-commerce players like Temu and Shein thriving even as they were targeted by policy changes, Sensor Tower data showed.
Why experts question whether China’s one-child policy was necessary in the first place
China’s one-child policy, one of the harshest attempts at population control the world has seen, forced abortions on women, made sterilization widespread and led to baby daughters being sold or even killed, because parents wanted their only child to be a male.
Now, experts say, the question is whether it was all necessary. China’s birth rate fell to record lows last year and its population has fallen for four years in a row, official statistics showed this week. Authorities, alarmed by the prospect of a shrinking workforce and an aging population, scrapped the policy in 2015.
“It’s hard to escape the fact that China demographically shot itself in the foot,” said Mei Fong, the author of the 2016 book, “One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment.”
Now, experts say, the question is whether it was all necessary. China’s birth rate fell to record lows last year and its population has fallen for four years in a row, official statistics showed this week. Authorities, alarmed by the prospect of a shrinking workforce and an aging population, scrapped the policy in 2015.
“It’s hard to escape the fact that China demographically shot itself in the foot,” said Mei Fong, the author of the 2016 book, “One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment.”
Japan will hold an early election next month as Takaichi aims to capitalize on her popularity
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house of parliament on Friday, paving the way for an early election on Feb. 8. The move is an attempt to capitalize on her popularity to help the governing party regain ground after major losses in recent years, but it will delay parliamentary approval for a budget that aims at boosting a struggling economy and addressing soaring prices.
Takaichi, elected in October as Japan’s first female leader, has been in office only three months, but she has seen strong approval ratings of about 70%.
Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party could still face some challenges as it reels from a series of scandals about corruption and the party’s past ties to the Unification Church. But it’s not clear if the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance can attract moderate voters, while opposition parties are still too splintered to a pose a serious threat to the LDP.
Takaichi, elected in October as Japan’s first female leader, has been in office only three months, but she has seen strong approval ratings of about 70%.
Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party could still face some challenges as it reels from a series of scandals about corruption and the party’s past ties to the Unification Church. But it’s not clear if the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance can attract moderate voters, while opposition parties are still too splintered to a pose a serious threat to the LDP.
2 Tiananmen vigil organizers plead not guilty in Hong Kong national security trial
Two organizers of Hong Kong’s long-running vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown pleaded not guilty Thursday, while a third pleaded guilty before the trial brought under a national security law that has largely erased dissent in the city.
Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged with inciting subversion in September 2021 under the China-imposed national security law. Prosecutors allege “ending one-party rule,” what the group had long called for, was against China’s constitution.
Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty and a hearing for arguments over defense witnesses was scheduled to resume Friday. They face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Ho entered a guilty plea and was convicted by Judge Alex Lee, who said the court will handle his plea for a lighter sentence after the trial, which is expected to last 75 days.
Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty and a hearing for arguments over defense witnesses was scheduled to resume Friday. They face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Ho entered a guilty plea and was convicted by Judge Alex Lee, who said the court will handle his plea for a lighter sentence after the trial, which is expected to last 75 days.
Hong Kong vigil organizer says she was seeking democracy, not end to Communist Party rule
A prominent activist who organized Hong Kong’s decades-old vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square military crackdown on democracy protesters said Friday that her group’s demand for “ending one-party rule” was a call for democratization, not for an end to the Communist Party’s leadership in China.
Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, stated in court Friday during a trialbrought under a national security law that virtually silenced dissent in the city. She was charged with inciting subversion in September 2021 under the law Beijing imposed following massive anti-government protests in 2019. She was accused of inciting others to organize, plan or act through unlawful means with a view to subvert the state power.
Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, stated in court Friday during a trialbrought under a national security law that virtually silenced dissent in the city. She was charged with inciting subversion in September 2021 under the law Beijing imposed following massive anti-government protests in 2019. She was accused of inciting others to organize, plan or act through unlawful means with a view to subvert the state power.
torsdag 22. januar 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: The Chinese Wind Turbines Trump Couldn't Find
In the White House, there are no fact-checkers. That is why things were bound to go wrong when Donald Trump took the podium in Davos yesterday.
“China makes almost all the wind turbines in the world, and yet I haven’t been able to find a single wind farm in China,” he said, tossing his head confidently.
“The Chinese are very smart. They make them and sell them for a fortune. They sell them to the stupid people who buy them, but they don’t use them themselves … They just put them up to show people what they could look like, but they don’t spin, they don’t do anything.”
What nonsense.
China is not only the world’s largest producer of wind turbines; it is also the world’s largest consumer of wind power. The biggest manufacturer, Goldwind, employs more than 11,000 people in China and abroad. Around 3,000 of them work in research and development. Several other producers are close behind, and competition is fierce.
“China makes almost all the wind turbines in the world, and yet I haven’t been able to find a single wind farm in China,” he said, tossing his head confidently.
“The Chinese are very smart. They make them and sell them for a fortune. They sell them to the stupid people who buy them, but they don’t use them themselves … They just put them up to show people what they could look like, but they don’t spin, they don’t do anything.”
What nonsense.
China is not only the world’s largest producer of wind turbines; it is also the world’s largest consumer of wind power. The biggest manufacturer, Goldwind, employs more than 11,000 people in China and abroad. Around 3,000 of them work in research and development. Several other producers are close behind, and competition is fierce.
What to know about Greenland’s role in nuclear defense and Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’
In a hypothetical nuclear war involving Russia, China and the United States, the island of Greenland would be in the middle of Armageddon.
The strategic importance of the Arctic territory — under the flight paths that nuclear-armed missiles from China and Russia could take on their way to incinerating targets in the United States, and vice versa — is one of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump has cited in his disruptive campaign to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark, alarming Greenlanders and longtime allies in Europe alike.
Trump has argued that U.S. ownership of Greenland is vital for his “Golden Dome” — a multibillion dollar missile defense system that he says will be operational before his term ends in 2029.
The strategic importance of the Arctic territory — under the flight paths that nuclear-armed missiles from China and Russia could take on their way to incinerating targets in the United States, and vice versa — is one of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump has cited in his disruptive campaign to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark, alarming Greenlanders and longtime allies in Europe alike.
Trump has argued that U.S. ownership of Greenland is vital for his “Golden Dome” — a multibillion dollar missile defense system that he says will be operational before his term ends in 2029.
Man who assassinated former Japan leader Abe with homemade gun sentenced to life in prison
The man who killed Japan’s ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK reported. The ruling concludes a trial over an assassination that shocked Japan – where gun violence is rare – and put the spotlight on an influential religious sect.
Tetsuya Yamagami shot Abe in broad daylight with a gun he fashioned at home, while the former leader was giving a campaign speech on a street in the western city of Nara in 2022. Abe had stepped down as prime minister in 2020 over health reasons. But he was still politically active and wielded enormous influence as Japan’s longest-serving premier.
Tetsuya Yamagami shot Abe in broad daylight with a gun he fashioned at home, while the former leader was giving a campaign speech on a street in the western city of Nara in 2022. Abe had stepped down as prime minister in 2020 over health reasons. But he was still politically active and wielded enormous influence as Japan’s longest-serving premier.
China meets initial soybean purchase goal, but Trump’s shifting trade policy could disrupt deal
China has fulfilled its initial commitment to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S., but it’s not clear if the trade agreement announced in October can withstand President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting trade policy as American farmers are still dealing with high production costs.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on any country that buys from Iran, which would include China. Then last weekend he threatened to impose 10% tariffs on eight of America’s closest allies in Europe if they continue to oppose his efforts to acquire Greenland.
So the administration’s trade policy continues to change quickly, and Iowa State University agricultural economist Chad Hart said that could undermine the trade agreement with China and jeopardize the commitment by the world’s largest soybean buyer to purchase 25 million metric tons of American soybeans in each of the next three years.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on any country that buys from Iran, which would include China. Then last weekend he threatened to impose 10% tariffs on eight of America’s closest allies in Europe if they continue to oppose his efforts to acquire Greenland.
So the administration’s trade policy continues to change quickly, and Iowa State University agricultural economist Chad Hart said that could undermine the trade agreement with China and jeopardize the commitment by the world’s largest soybean buyer to purchase 25 million metric tons of American soybeans in each of the next three years.
China stays resilient in first year of Trump 2.0
Days before US President Donald Trump marked his first year back in the White House on Tuesday, China released a series of economic data showing signs of resilience against trade pressure from the United States.
The world's second-largest economy reported 5% economic growth for 2025 on Monday, meeting the government's annual target. Data released last week also showed a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion for the year. Analysts say the surplus, driven by dumping exports on non-US markets, indicates that Chinese products remain globally competitive on price and that Beijing has managed to cushion the blow of Trump's trade policies.
"[The Trump administration] may have entered the office thinking that they could use their economic leverage to push China in certain policy directions," said Amanda Hsiao, a China studies director at the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"In fact, Beijing has its own pieces of leverage that match Washington's as well."
The world's second-largest economy reported 5% economic growth for 2025 on Monday, meeting the government's annual target. Data released last week also showed a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion for the year. Analysts say the surplus, driven by dumping exports on non-US markets, indicates that Chinese products remain globally competitive on price and that Beijing has managed to cushion the blow of Trump's trade policies.
"[The Trump administration] may have entered the office thinking that they could use their economic leverage to push China in certain policy directions," said Amanda Hsiao, a China studies director at the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"In fact, Beijing has its own pieces of leverage that match Washington's as well."
South Korea’s former leader jailed for 23 years in martial law case
South Korean court ruled Wednesday that the ill-fated imposition of martial law by the then President Yoon Suk Yeol constituted an act of rebellion, as it sentenced his prime minister to 23 years in prison for his involvement.
Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the first Yoon administration official convicted of rebellion charges in relation to the martial law imposition in December 2024. The verdict is expected to set the stage for upcoming rulings involving Yoon and his other associates, who also face rebellion charges.
Han, who was appointed by Yoon, served as one of the three caretaker leaders during the martial law crisis that led to Yoon’s impeachment and eventually his removal from office.
Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the first Yoon administration official convicted of rebellion charges in relation to the martial law imposition in December 2024. The verdict is expected to set the stage for upcoming rulings involving Yoon and his other associates, who also face rebellion charges.
Han, who was appointed by Yoon, served as one of the three caretaker leaders during the martial law crisis that led to Yoon’s impeachment and eventually his removal from office.
Carney’s China trip shows energy is Canada’s gateway to Asia
Canada has a lot to gain in Asia. From his attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in October 2025 to his recent visit in Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s diplomatic trips to Asia show that Canada has both an interest and a need to enter the huge Asian market.
The Indo-Pacific region is now the world’s main economic engine, contributing up to 60% of global growth. While Japan and South Korea recorded growth rates of between 1% to 2% for 2025, China is maintaining a growth rate of 4.2%, India of 6.6% and the ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam) are growing at a rate of 4.3%.
The Indo-Pacific region is now the world’s main economic engine, contributing up to 60% of global growth. While Japan and South Korea recorded growth rates of between 1% to 2% for 2025, China is maintaining a growth rate of 4.2%, India of 6.6% and the ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam) are growing at a rate of 4.3%.
Hong Kong: Organizers of Tiananmen vigil put on trial
Three former leaders of a disbanded group that organized vigils marking Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests went on trial in Hong Kong on Thursday, half a decade after their 2021 detention.
The annual memorial event was once legal in China-ruled Hong Kong, and celebrated as a symbol of the relative freedom there. But it was stamped out in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic using a new national security law imposed from Beijing.
Police guarded the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Thursday amid considerable public and press interest in the case. Lee Cheuk-yan, 68, Albert Ho, 74, and Chow Hang-tung, 40, are three former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.
The annual memorial event was once legal in China-ruled Hong Kong, and celebrated as a symbol of the relative freedom there. But it was stamped out in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic using a new national security law imposed from Beijing.
Police guarded the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Thursday amid considerable public and press interest in the case. Lee Cheuk-yan, 68, Albert Ho, 74, and Chow Hang-tung, 40, are three former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.
As Trump sows division, China says it’s the calm, dependable leader the world needs
As US President Donald Trump primed his arrival in Davos by sowing discord with allies – ramping up threats to take control of Greenland, vowing to levy tariffs on opponents of that bid, and leaking private messages from European leaders – Beijing took the cue to position itself as an alternative global leader.
And there’s a growing audience willing to listen.
Hours after Trump’s broadside, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng took the stage at the annual Alpine meet to insist that Beijing “has consistently acted on the vision of a community with a shared future and remained steadfast in supporting multilateralism and free trade.”
And there’s a growing audience willing to listen.
Hours after Trump’s broadside, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng took the stage at the annual Alpine meet to insist that Beijing “has consistently acted on the vision of a community with a shared future and remained steadfast in supporting multilateralism and free trade.”
Can China rely on domestic oil after Iran, Venezuela shocks?
China gets up to a fifth of its imported oil from Iran and another 4 to 5% from Venezuela, often through clandestine channels to skirt United States sanctions — or at least it did before recent disruptions. US President Donald Trump's move earlier this month to unseat Venezuela’s longtime leader, Nicolas Maduro, redirect its oil to the US and impose 25% tariffs on Iran-linked trade has raised serious questions about energy security in the world's second-largest economy.
Oil prices briefly spiked on fears that China’s discounted Iranian supplies could be hit, while experts warned that US seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers may further constrict flows.
Oil prices briefly spiked on fears that China’s discounted Iranian supplies could be hit, while experts warned that US seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers may further constrict flows.
mandag 19. januar 2026
Greenland crisis is Asia’s crisis, too
Asia should pay close attention to what markets are signaling on the Greenland crisis. Distance offers no protection in a global system where trade, capital and confidence remain tightly interlinked. Moves this week across asset classes show investors are treating this episode as more than a political sideshow. Gold hitting record highs alongside falling global equities reflects a judgment call by markets.
Investors don’t reposition portfolios simply because of headlines. They do so when intent appears credible and consequences appear acceptable. Capital shifts when escalation sits within the realm of probability.
Asia faces direct exposure because its economic model remains closely tied to conditions in the US and Europe. History shows that when confidence weakens across those economies, the effects travel quickly through trade volumes, earnings and investment decisions across the region. Asia doesn’t need to sit at the center of a dispute to absorb impact.
Investors don’t reposition portfolios simply because of headlines. They do so when intent appears credible and consequences appear acceptable. Capital shifts when escalation sits within the realm of probability.
Asia faces direct exposure because its economic model remains closely tied to conditions in the US and Europe. History shows that when confidence weakens across those economies, the effects travel quickly through trade volumes, earnings and investment decisions across the region. Asia doesn’t need to sit at the center of a dispute to absorb impact.
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