China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said Monday, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island.

Tensions are simmering in Asia as military maneuvers near the disputed island spark fears of a looming conflict

China's military modernization and self-reliance reshape global arms trade, though political barriers limit exports beyond traditional allies.

China's People's Liberation Army recently labeled U.S. and Japanese destroyers as "enemy vessels" in a military display.

Fu Tong and his wife Elaine To were among the first demonstrators in Hong Kong to be charged with rioting in 2020 after pro-democracy and anti-China protests started in 2019 in the former British colony.

China has blasted the U.S. for issuing AI chip export control guidelines, stopping the sale of chip design software to China, and planning to revoke Chinese student visas.

Regional officials, diplomats and analysts warned of China's growing influence in Latin America and urged Paraguay to safeguard its democratic sovereignty as it considers potential economic agreements with Beijing.

As part of a broader address on the risks of division between China and the United States, Macron told the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting that if Russia was allowed to take a

The US defence secretary called on Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war.

China's sovereignty claims cover most of the South China Sea, overlapping with those of other regional powers.