Japan weighs rebranding energy, AI as defense spending under Trump pressure asia.nikkei.com/politics/def… via @NikkeiAsia
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday, a day ahead of a key anniversary, traveling via a newly opened bridge linking the two countries, according to Seoul. ebx.sh/aUfAuX
Replying to @allie_matthias
@allie_matthias and I have a new piece out previewing next week's CCP plenum. Happy Friday!
brookings.edu/articles/xis-p…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Japan eyes private-sector H3 launches to compete with SpaceX
Mitsubishi Heavy considered for possible transfer of launch operations
s.nikkei.com/4zPGo6b
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
DM Koizumi hits back after Russia threatens retaliation for TerraDrone providing Ukraine with interceptor drones. Koizumi sees “no problem” in Japan firms acting this way so long as they remain within Japanese law. He notes RU’s military coop with DPRK. sankei.com/article/20261023-…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Palmer Luckey warns China won’t stop at Taiwan… and believes Beijing is already building a historical narrative to justify territorial claims over Okinawa, the Philippines, and other Pacific territories. 🇺🇸🇨🇳🇹🇼🇯🇵
“This is my crazy theory, and people can disagree with me. But nobody in history has ever built a gigantic amphibious landing force, used it once, and then dismantled it—except for the United States.
If China takes Taiwan, I think they’re immediately going to hop over to Okinawa, parts of the Philippines, and maybe parts of Vietnam as well.
Xi Jinping has been talking about the Ryukyu Islands, where Okinawa is located, and historical tributary relationships with China.
They’re not bringing up ancient history just because they love wandering through national archives looking at obscure tributary states.
They’re constructing a national narrative that would allow them to convince their people to start with Taiwan—and then go after more of America’s Pacific allies.”
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Nothing demonstrates better the utter chaos of US leadership these days. Forget worrying about Rutte and "Daddy". You cannot count on anything anyone in the US says these days. If European leaders don't crap in their pants and get moving over what has happened these past 10 days, we're in serious trouble: thedailybeast.com/trumps-sec…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
🇩🇪 NEW: INTERNAL GERMAN SECURITY REPORTS REVEAL SCALE OF SUSPECTED HYBRID THREATS
Confidential reports from Germany’s Joint Hybrid Defence Centre (GAZH), obtained by investigative outlet CORRECTIV, reveal hundreds of suspected sabotage, espionage and other hybrid incidents across Germany in 2026.
According to the documents, by 19 August authorities had recorded:
• 1,034 drone overflights of critical infrastructure, military installations and defence companies
• 163 suspected sabotage incidents, involving railways, Bundeswehr facilities, power substations, energy infrastructure and communications towers
• 25 espionage investigations opened, including 13 involving cyberespionage, alongside 39 preliminary investigations
• 12 suspected cases of illegal procurement of technology or expertise related to weapons of mass destruction. Russia was listed as the destination country in seven cases.
The reports also document 20 incidents of transnational repression between 17 June and 19 August, including nine attributed to Iran and three to Russia.
The figures offer a rare glimpse into the scale of the threats being investigated by German authorities.
IMPORTANT: These figures represent recorded incidents, suspicions and investigations - not 1,034 confirmed hostile drone operations or 163 proven acts of foreign sabotage. Attribution remains unresolved in many cases.
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
I spent ages this morning doing my sums on China's September's trade data but kept having to redo them because I thought - surely they can't be right?
China's trade surplus with Germany grew 201.7% in Sept alone (vs Sept 2025)
With EU up 52.3%
With France up 251.8%
Crazy!
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
China has made upgrades to its military base at Djibouti that should significantly enhance its ability to monitor military activity across the Middle East and Africa, a report by a U.S. think tank has said. ebx.sh/foGZy0
Takaichi targets continuity with first Cabinet reshuffle japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/0…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Japan to develop drone-based quantum sensors to detect submarines
Tokyo wants domestic mass production of device as China enhances fleet
s.nikkei.com/46QH6U2
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Japan, S. Korea, U.S. forces start joint exercise, rapped by N. Korea english.kyodonews.net/articl…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
BREAKING: Japan's foreign reserves fell by a record $79.6 billion in August, to the lowest level since 2022.
This comes as the country has launched massive Yen-purchasing initiatives to strengthen the weakening currency against the US Dollar.
Japan gov't eyes ODA for upgrading Indonesia's fishing ports: english.kyodonews.net/articl…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
This is beyond reprehensible.
According to The Washington Post, while Witkoff and Kushner were supposedly in Moscow trying to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, they were also discussing potentially large U.S.-Russian economic projects with the Kremlin. (One thing to watch closely: whether any U.S.-Russian economic deal emerging from these negotiations creates direct or indirect financial benefits for Trump-linked businesses or members of his family.)
Putin’s foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said that “economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America were discussed in considerable detail.”
Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, Putin is showing little willingness to abandon his maximalist demands, and the two men Trump has ostensibly "entrusted" with negotiating a settlement are simultaneously discussing potentially large U.S.-Russian economic projects with the Kremlin.
Then Witkoff sits across from Putin, a war criminal, and tells him that, when they retire and look back on their lives, their conversations with him will be “right at the top” of their incredible memories.
Utterly disgusting.
The Washington Post reported the economic discussions today, citing Ushakov. Reuters has independently reported that economic cooperation was discussed in detail during the three-hour meeting.
To call these "negotiations" is laughable. A more apt description would be: two hucksters meet a war criminal to do business.
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
China is about a decade and a half behind in developing EUV tools, according to a top executive at Germany’s Zeiss, a key supplier in the global semiconductor industry
Cut this in half, and then a few....
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Wow. New survey of 1,300 German companies on China:
• 83% of manufacturers face rising Chinese competition; 50% say pressure is strong/very strong
• 55% back tougher EU trade measures against China, even if they themselves suffer
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
Nikkei reports that PM Takaichi aims to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on the occasion of major global summitry like the UNGA, ASEAN-related summits, APEC, and G20 — preferably before or after Xi's visit to Washington in late September.
nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA2…
Elli Pohlkamp retweeted
News on Japan: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believes Japan’s government and central bank will take action that leads to a stronger yen, CNBC reported Monday, signaling a strong chance of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike in September. Read More: bit.ly/4qQRyV1


















