China
‘Shocked’ China demands U.S. release Maduro after ‘trampling’ Venezuela’s sovereignty. China’s Sun Lei told an emergency UN Security Council meeting that the U.S. raid seizing Nicolas Maduro and his wife violated international law and must end. Sun said Washington should ensure their safety and release them, and he rejected any “world police” role. U.S. envoy Mike Waltz called it a law-enforcement action, while Russia and UN chief Antonio Guterres warned about instability and precedent. Mark Magnier, South China Morning Post, January 5
TikTok-ban critic with ‘economic patriotism’ agenda to lead Democrats on House China panel. The House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, picked California Representative Ro Khanna to become the top Democrat on the House China select committee, replacing Raja Krishnamoorthi. Khanna opposed the TikTok divestment push and has urged delaying the ban while keeping lines of communication with Beijing open. He called for “economic patriotism” focused on rebuilding U.S. industry, securing critical minerals, and leading on AI while confronting fentanyl. Bochen Han, South China Morning Post, January 5
China, Pakistan reaffirm ties as US outreach to Islamabad deepens. China and Pakistan pledged to deepen ties and expand cooperation, including an upgraded CPEC and broader trade and financial collaboration. The joint statement praised Pakistan’s security measures for Chinese personnel and urged visible, verifiable action against terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The pledges came as U.S.-Pakistan relations warm under President Donald Trump, including counterterrorism cooperation and $397 million for an F-16 monitoring program. Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo, Reuters, January 5
Japan
CDP to issue new perspective on Japan’s security legislation. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said it will compile by spring a new perspective on security legislation that allows collective self-defense. The party may review a platform clause calling for the abolition of provisions it says are unconstitutional in the 2015 law. The move aims to show a realistic approach and support cooperation with the Democratic Party for the People and Komeito. The Japan Times, January 5
Japan’s new Upper House lawmakers have ¥30.82 million of assets on average. A tally showed the 125 lawmakers elected to Japan’s Upper House in July held assets averaging ¥30.82 million. The average was ¥5.47 million higher than for members elected in 2022. The number reporting at least ¥100 million doubled to eight. The Japan Times, January 5
Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan remains open to dialogue with China after her Nov. 7 Taiwan-contingency remarks strained ties and prompted Beijing’s travel advisory. She pledged diplomatic efforts on Venezuela without stating a view on the U.S. operation that seized President Nicolas Maduro. She set a goal of more than 50 trillion yen in AI investment and said she will lower the debt-to-GDP ratio. Kyodo News, January 5
South Korea
South Korea's Lee seeks to develop strategic cooperative partnership with China. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told Chinese President Xi Jinping that their summit is an opportunity to restore South Korea-China relations. Lee said the two governments will work to make their strategic cooperative partnership an irreversible trend. The talks took place during Lee’s first trip to Beijing since he took office in June. Joyce Lee, Reuters, January 5
Lee, Xi share view on importance of resuming talks with N. Korea: security adviser. National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said President Lee Jae Myung and Xi Jinping agreed that dialogue with North Korea should resume and that both sides will explore creative measures for peace. Lee raised the need for cooperation after North Korea launched ballistic missiles hours before his arrival in Beijing. Wi said the leaders agreed on annual meetings and expanded defense communications to build mutual trust. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, January 5
Disciplinary committee to convene against 7 senior officers involved in martial law. The Defense Ministry said it will convene a disciplinary committee for seven general-level officers linked to Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3, 2024 martial law bid. They were among 34 officers on a bus ordered from the army headquarters in Gyeryong to Seoul by ex-army chief Park An-su. The bus turned back about 30 minutes after departure, and Brig. Gen. Kim Sang-hwan was demoted last month. Lee Minji, Yonhap News Agency, January 5
Vietnam
Vietnam's annual growth reaches 8% as trade surplus with US hits record despite tariffs. Preliminary data put Vietnam’s 2025 GDP growth at 8.02%, up from 7.09% in 2024, as exports held up despite 20% U.S. tariffs imposed from August. Exports rose 17% to about $475 billion, with shipments to the United States at $153 billion and a Vietnam-reported surplus near $134 billion. Imports from China hit a record $186 billion as Washington accused Hanoi of transshipment, while inflation averaged 3.31% and foreign investment disbursements rose 9% to $27.6 billion. Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen, Reuters, January 5
Thailand
Chuan believes likely election winners already offered money to vote for next PM. Former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai said a party seeking to lead the next coalition approached likely winners with cash offers to back its prime minister nominee. He said Nipit Intharasombat reported receiving such an offer but did not know who made it. Chuan warned vote buying is intensifying and could fuel corruption as politicians try to recoup spending. The Nation, January 5
Hoaxes 'rife' as poll nears. The People’s Party and Pheu Thai said misinformation is distracting voters ahead of the Feb. 8 general election. The People’s Party list candidate Rukchanok Srinork said critics keep attaching claims about Section 112 and the military to the party. The Pheu Thai candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat said claims that the next prime minister is predetermined and rivals are “grey” are meant to polarize voters. Bangkok Post, January 5
Anutin shrugs off southern poll results. Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul said a Nida Poll in Songkhla will not change the party’s campaign plans. The survey of 1,067 voters Dec. 20-25 put Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva top for prime minister at 40.67%, with 24.18% undecided and Anutin at 12.56%. Anutin said support rose from 0.6%-0.7% in 2019-2023 to 10%-20% in some polls, and said teams have visited communities since 2025. Mongkol Bangprapa and Apinya Wipatayotin, Bangkok Post, January 6
Myanmar
Myanmar junta proxy party dominates Rakhine elections. Local sources said the military-backed USDP defeated veteran Rakhine politicians Dr Aye Maung and U Ba Shein in the Dec. 28 Upper House races in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu. The junta election commission has not released official results, and 56 wards and village tracts in those towns were excluded from the vote. Lin Thit, The Irrawaddy, January 5
Cambodia
Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire 'gradually' being implemented, says China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire is being implemented gradually. The ministry urged both sides to ensure a comprehensive, lasting ceasefire, spokesperson Lin Jian said. Lin said Thailand has returned 18 soldiers to Cambodia after a second ceasefire agreed at the end of December. Ryan Woo and Xiuhao Chen, Reuters, January 5
Philippines
Marcos signs P6.793T 2026 budget. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. enacted the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act in Malacañang. He said the budget aligns with medium- and long-term development plans and will support education, health, food security, social security, and jobs, but enforcement and accountability will decide results. Congress ratified the bill on Dec. 29, and an executive review delayed enactment, leaving the government on a reenacted budget briefly. Kristina Maralit, The Manila Times, January 53
Marcos vetoes 7 of 10 unprogrammed items. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion 2026 budget and vetoed P92.5 billion in seven of 10 unprogrammed appropriations. The veto cut unprogrammed funds to P150.9 billion, the lowest since 2019, and Marcos said they are “not blank checks” and will not be misused for discretionary spending. He kept P97.306 billion for foreign-assisted projects, P3.6 billion for risk management, and P50 billion for AFP modernization. Dexter Cabalza, Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 6
Indonesia
China remains Indonesia's top export destination in Jan-Nov 2025. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said China was Indonesia’s top export destination from January-November 2025, with $58.24 billion, or 23.80% of total exports. The United States ranked second at $28.14 billion (11.50%) and India third at $16.44 billion (6.72%), led by shipments of iron and steel, mineral fuels, and nickel products to China. Total exports reached $256.56 billion, up 5.61% year on year. ANTARA News, January 5
Malaysia
Malaysia to push for two-term limit for prime ministers, further reforms. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government will table a bill to cap prime ministers at 10 years. He said parliament will also consider splitting the attorney-general’s legal-adviser role from the public prosecutor post and introducing an ombudsman law. Anwar added that a freedom of information law is planned as his administration faces renewed calls to curb corruption and improve governance. Danial Azhar, Reuters, January 5
Taiwan
Taiwan prosecutors file new indictments in Tokyo Electron trade secrets case. Prosecutors filed additional indictments against Tokyo Electron Taiwan and three suspects over the alleged theft of TSMC trade secrets. They sought prison terms of seven years for a former TSMC employee surnamed Chen, eight years and eight months for another former TSMC employee also surnamed Chen, and one year for a former Tokyo Electron Taiwan employee surnamed Lu. They also sought an added T$25 million fine on top of a request for up to T$120 million and said the unit’s cloud storage still contained TSMC secrets. Wen-Yee Lee, Reuters, January 5
TPP leader Huang signs resignation to implement party's two-year rule. Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang said he signed a resignation letter under the party’s two-year rule for at-large legislators. He said his term ends in January and resignations will be filed Jan. 31, allowing replacements to take office in February. Huang said he will lead the caucus as chairman and will run for New Taipei mayor on Nov. 28. Chen Chun-hua and James Thompson, Focus Taiwan, January 5
10-member European parliament group visits Taiwan. The European Parliament delegation led by Michael Gahler is visiting Taiwan from Sunday through Friday and will meet President Lai Ching-te and other senior officials. The delegation will meet Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and officials from the Legislative Yuan and security, economic, and defense agencies. Talks with academics and NGOs will cover disinformation, cyberattacks, resilience, and Taiwan-EU cooperation, and the group will visit Kinmen. Joseph Yeh, Focus Taiwan, January 5
U.S. ‘decapitation’ strike on Venezuela sparks PLA copycat fears in Taiwan. The U.S. raid that captured Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his wife and moved them to New York is raising debate in Taiwan about copycat risks. The deputy defense minister, Hsu Szu-chien, said Taiwan has prepared for all contingencies and urged quicker defense-budget reviews. Experts said PLA drills simulated strikes to paralyze command structures and warned Taipei not to dismiss a leadership “decapitation” scenario. Lawrence Chung, South China Morning Post, January 5
Kazakhstan
Tokayev calls nuclear power a correction of Kazakhstan’s “historical absurdity”. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said building several nuclear plants corrects the “historical absurdity” of exporting uranium without using it to generate domestic electricity. He cited an Oct. 2024 referendum backing nuclear power and said Kazakhstan plans at least two plants, with a third to follow. He said nuclear energy is needed for data centers, supercomputers, and digitalization, and the country will train specialists abroad. Dmitry Pokidaev, The Times of Central Asia, January 5
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has “only just begun” reforms, says Saida Mirziyoyeva. Saida Mirziyoyeva said Uzbekistan has only just begun large-scale reforms and warned against expecting rapid results. She cited weak infrastructure, uneven regional development, and tight public finances, and listed priorities including water management, education, healthcare, the business climate, and judicial-legal reform. Stephen M. Bland, The Times of Central Asia, January 5
East Asia
Trump’s Strikes on Venezuela Will Not Embolden China to Invade Taiwan. Trump ordered attacks in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, prompting debate about Taiwan. Xi Jinping’s calculus rests on China’s confidence in military success and acceptable cost. U.S. precedent plays a limited role. Beijing uses coercion to pressure Taiwan toward talks, with invasion risk tied to capability. The Venezuela raid offers no model for Taiwan because China seeks long term rule and would need mass troop landings, city seizures, and martial law for twenty three million people. China treats Taiwan as an internal matter, and sovereignty norms carry little weight in Beijing. U.S. leaders would act on national interest, and allies would weigh regional security. The raid may spur Taiwan to harden leadership protection and continuity of government plans. David Sacks, Council on Foreign Relations, January 5
America’s raid on Venezuela reveals the limits of China’s reach. Nicolás Maduro met senior Chinese envoys hours before U.S. troops seized him, a shock that tested China’s claim to global influence. Venezuela has received about $106bn in Chinese official loans and grants since 2000, and China buys crude that absorbs most export demand under U.S. sanctions. Beijing touts multipolarity and an all-weather partnership, and Venezuela bought Chinese radars and other arms, but China offered words without a shield. The Trump administration’s new security strategy vows to block non-hemispheric rivals in the region as China expands sites in Cuba, a deep space station in Argentina, and stakes in ports near the Panama Canal. Some Chinese analysts urge a focus on trade and restraint on investments that raise security tensions. The Economist, January 5
What Maduro’s arrest means for China’s influence in Latin America. U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores on January 3, prompting China’s foreign ministry to condemn the action and call for their release. Donald Trump said the United States will run Venezuela until a transition and will bring American firms to restore oil infrastructure. Maduro had met China’s Latin America envoy a day earlier, and China and Venezuela had signed over 600 agreements, so Beijing fears losses in projects, loans, and regional standing. Chinese commentary expects Latin American partners to weigh U.S. sensitivities when working with China. Reaction split between ridicule of Maduro’s collapse and concern about a default on about $10 billion in Chinese loans, plus claims of U.S. infiltration. Yu Zeyuan, ThinkChina, January 5
China’s Shifting Calculus in the South Caucasus: Cases of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Beijing has raised the South Caucasus from peripheral status to a priority for trade routes, investment, and political ties. The Middle Corridor linking the Black Sea with Central Asia has gained value after the war in Ukraine weakened the Russia route through sanctions and risk. Georgia and Azerbaijan draw China via the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, highways, and Caspian and Black Sea ports. The TRIPP deal outlines a Syunik link that can open Armenia, which sought SCO membership and signed a strategic partnership with China. Beijing seeks overland options beyond sea chokepoints and expands activity into green energy and electric vehicles in Azerbaijan. Engagement will hinge on Ukraine’s outcome as Russia, the EU, Iran, and the United States compete for influence. Emil Avdaliani, China Observers, January 5
A Self-Serving Global Survey. The Global Times Research Institute released a 2025 global survey that claims foreign approval of Xi Jinping Thought and related slogans. The project says it polled 51,700 people in 46 countries from August to October 2025 and circulated findings through state media and official social media accounts. The survey claims support for slogans such as a shared future for mankind and lucid waters and lush mountains, plus party discipline, reform, and people-centered governance. State media descriptions say the survey introduced policies before asking for views, which can shape responses. The survey places China ahead of the United States in preference, a result at odds with Pew findings cited for spring 2025. The survey text, question wording, and data have not appeared, highlighting polling as a tool for propaganda. David Bandurski, China Media Project, January 5
APEC offers China a chance to revitalise integration. China will chair APEC in 2026, offering a platform to push Asia Pacific integration through services and digital trade. Services account for a large share of output and jobs, and trade in services has risen at a high rate, led by digitally deliverable offerings such as software, finance, and creative content. Variation in services regulation, data movement rules, and competition policy raises transaction costs and limits productivity. APEC works through voluntary commitments, guidelines, and technical cooperation, supported by tools such as a services trade restrictiveness index and a Services Competitiveness Roadmap. Comparative indicators place China within restrictive members in key services and digital areas. Priorities include published diagnostics, capacity building, shared principles for trusted data flows and AI risk management, and an FTAAP workstream that compares rules across RCEP and CPTPP. Christopher Findlay and Wenxiao Wang, East Asia Forum, January 5
North Korea searches for a path out of international isolation. Kim Jong-un faced few domestic challenges in 2025 as party and military loyalty held and nuclear and missile upgrades bolstered legitimacy. North Korea cut contact with Seoul under a “hostile two states” line despite Lee Jae-myung curbing leaflet balloons and frontline loudspeakers. Missile tests fell from 21 in 2024 to eight in 2025. Washington signaled interest in renewed talks and sanctions relief, but Pyongyang gave no reply. Russia ties grew through troop and munitions support for food and energy aid. China ties improved after the 2025 summit, with diplomacy and rising trade. In 2026, a Party Congress and economic plan may bring West Sea risks and a campaign for recognition of nuclear status. Chung-in Moon and Eun-ju Choi, East Asia Forum, January
South Korea's 'militant democracy' authoritarianism. Militant democracy frames self-defense as suppression of perceived enemies, and it is shaping South Korean politics after Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law decree in December 2024. The Democratic Party under President Lee Jae Myung pairs moral language about insurrection with legal moves such as a proposed special court division, raids on religious groups tied to conservatives, and data matching of church adherents with party lists. Prosecutors opened inquiries into the chief justice whose rulings hurt Lee, raising doubts about judicial independence. COVID-era investigations of Shincheonji show how extraordinary powers can target minorities. Pluralism depends on accountability with restraint rather than permanent retribution politics. Joseph Yi and Wondong Lee, Nikkei Asia, January 5