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Peter Martin
From left: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hold a news conference in Brisbane on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 29, 2023
U.S. to expand military footprint in Australia
Changes include frequent visits of U.S. submarines to Australia, rotation of U.S. Army watercraft and collaborating on guided missile production.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 27, 2023
U.S. denies any role in Russia uprising as allies watch and wait
In his first public comments about the matter, U.S. President Joe Biden said it was still too soon to make any conclusions about the revolt by Wagner Group mercenaries.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 22, 2023
Biden’s ‘dictator’ comment undercuts painstaking China diplomacy
The remark was the sort of jibe that may sound like nothing more than a schoolyard taunt but suggests Chinese President Xi Jinping doesn’t have legitimacy or the support of his own people.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 12, 2023
In bid to ease tensions, top Biden aide and Chinese diplomat meet
The meeting appears to signal that the sides are working to ease strains which led to a breakdown in even the most routine communication.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 26, 2023
Pentagon draws lessons from Ukraine war as it eyes possible conflict with China
'There are many advantages we’ve gained for a potential Pacific challenge from the Ukraine conflict,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 14, 2023
U.S. left red-faced over 21-year-old’s alleged tie to intelligence leak
Washington is going to have a hard time explaining how the biggest U.S. intelligence leak in a decade may have been committed by an airman in a junior role.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2023
China hits Micron with review of chips, citing security risks
Beijing said it will conduct the review into America’s largest chipmaker to ensure the integrity of China's information infrastructure supply chain and national security.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 29, 2023
Biden aide speaks with China counterpart as tension spikes
The previously unreported call took place before a stop in the U.S. by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen en route to Central America, a trip that’s likely to further inflame Beijing’s ire.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 17, 2023
U.S. says video of drone encounter shows Russia ‘flat-out lying’
The 42-second video, filmed from the bottom of the MQ-9 Reaper, shows a jet approach in a clear blue sky, release a plume of fuel then swerve away.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 24, 2023
U.S. to bolster its small force on Taiwan in a signal to China
The U.S. military presence in Taiwan will grow to between 100 and 200 troops, up from about 30 a year ago.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 24, 2023
U.S. confronts China over companies’ ties to Russian war effort
A finding that Chinese companies were supporting the invasion would have troubling implications for U.S. policy toward Beijing as Washington seeks to stabilize ties.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jan 7, 2023
The U.S. keeps offering China its COVID vaccines. China keeps saying no.
China has rebuffed repeated offers to share advanced vaccines as it battles a COVID-19 wave, a rejection that's frustrated American officials concerned about a resurgence of the pandemic.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 19, 2022
U.S. rejects China’s claims over Taiwan Strait as concerns grow
Washington fears this may be a deliberate effort to muddy the legal interpretation of the sea in ways that could suggest that Beijing regards it as an internal waterway.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 17, 2022
Biden-Xi call is under consideration amid U.S.-China tensions
Ukraine, Taiwan and human rights are among the many sore points in U.S.-China relations, and the two nations have also been jockeying for greater influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jun 13, 2022
U.S. makes Asia inroads by playing down need to oppose China
Washington has sought to boost its support in the region by reassuring nations they don't need to join a coalition against China, drawing a stark contrast with Beijing's threats.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 13, 2022
China alarms U.S. with private warnings to avoid Taiwan Strait
Chinese military officials in recent months have repeatedly asserted that the Taiwan Strait isn't international waters during meetings with U.S. counterparts.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 9, 2022
U.S. sees path to more sway in Asia as Xi’s efforts stall
Determined not to be distracted by the war in Ukraine, administration officials say China has provided an opening for the U.S. to solidify relationships in Asia.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jun 4, 2022
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forces Biden to rewrite U.S. security plan
The new draft emphasizes the importance of both Europe and Asia to U.S. national security interests, a shift from an earlier version that focused more squarely on China and Asia.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 27, 2022
Antony Blinken aims at Xi in speech vowing to shape the global order
The top U.S. diplomat's comments were unusually direct, and his public remarks mirror the administration's classified China strategy, sources said.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 18, 2022
U.S. seeks to wean India from Russian weapons with arms-aid package
The package under consideration would include foreign military financing of as much as $500 million.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals