Japan Times

A powerful U.S. missile system deployed to Japan for joint exercises with the Self-Defense Forces will be stored indefinitely at a key military base in Okinawa Prefecture from mid-October, the Japan Times reports. The open-ended arrangement, rather than withdrawal after training, is likely to fuel debate in Okinawa over the growing U.S. military footprint and tensions with China and North Korea.

A Japan Times commentary argues that Beijing's greatest weakness is not pressure from international actors but growing awareness among the Chinese population itself. The piece suggests the ruling Communist Party fears domestic scrutiny and an increasingly questioning public more than external criticism, rethinking common assumptions about what the Chinese government actually fears.

Japan's Defense Ministry is planning a new framework to back startups developing unmanned aerial vehicles and related products, according to the Japan Times. The initiative would give emerging defense technology firms a clearer route into supplying the Self-Defense Forces, reflecting Japan's broader push to strengthen its domestic defense industrial base and catch up on drone capabilities amid regional security concerns.

South Korea has traditionally avoided any suggestion of involvement in a potential conflict over Taiwan, keeping its policy deliberately vague to balance ties with the United States and China. Writing in The Japan Times, observers argue that maintaining this discretion is becoming increasingly difficult as regional tensions rise and pressure grows on Seoul to clarify its stance.