🇨🇳🇯🇵 A New Tech War Looms Between China and Japan

Rival nations prepare for a high-tech battle in Asia

Mar 07, 2025

∙ Paid

Of the many volatile relationships in the world, one of the most fraught is China-Japan.

As China rises into a global economic power, the relationship is shaking more than ever. Beijing is taking steps to assert its dominance in a neighborhood where Japan and the US have called the shots for years, prompting radical ideas like Japan’s prime minister Shigeru Ishiba proposing an “Asian NATO” based on America's changing position in the world.

From China banning the import of Japanese seafood to Japan buying 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles (and Toyko seeking the world’s third-largest military budget), tensions are inching in a dangerous direction. The distance between Beijing and Tokyo is growing, and optimism is hard to come by.