China and Japan are two of Asia’s most powerful nations and the region’s biggest trading partners. Yet centuries of intense rivalry mean their economic embrace can never be taken for granted. Disputes can flare up for all kinds of reasons,

China's bond yields have plunged to all-time lows in recent weeks, drawing parallels to Japan's "lost decades," a long period of economic stagnation.

China, the global growth engine for the last 20 years, now boasts lower long-term bond yields than Japan, the former poster child for deflationary economic stagnation. This may signal that the "factory to the world" faces the real risk of "Japanification.

On Christmas Day, authorities in Estonia and Finland noted the sudden interruption of the Estlink 2 undersea electricity cable linking their two nations - just as ship tracking data showed the Cook Islands-registered "Eagle S" passing outbound from Russia’s Baltic coast en route to Egypt.

With China facing a deflationary spiral and uncertain economic prospects, lower interest rates alone wouldn’t be enough to kick the economy back into high gear.

After a powerful earthquake struck China's remote Tibet region and killed at least 126 people, an old video of a cyclist panicking as tremors shook the buildings around him spread globally in social media posts that falsely linked it to the disaster.

Japan’s biggest automakers pledged cooperation in tech-focused areas to survive in the rapidly evolving global industry, just as two of its largest car brands begin negotiating a deal that would effectively split the country’s industry in two.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has begun a tour of Malaysia and Indonesia as part of his effort to further strengthen defense and economic ties with Southeast Asia as threats from China rise in the region.

Japanese "panda fans" can easily embark on spontaneous trips to China with a "simple click," while young people in South Korea embrace the new trend of "Shanghai weekend getaways," the culturally rich and historic streets of Shanghai have become a must-visit destination for South Korean tourists.

A top Civil Affairs Ministry official stressed new reforms must be rolled out over the next decade to be effective.

China remains as Japan's largest trading partner, with over 13,000 Japanese companies operating in the country. Iwaya emphasized that supporting the activities of Japanese private enterprises remains a key priority, and Japan seeks to advance its relationship with China in a constructive manner.