Japan
Prospects for East Asia (ex-China) in 2023
Japan and South Korea's leaders are both unpopular and politically weak, even as their region grows more dangerous
East AsiaTokyo may allow export of lethal arms
Japan's government is discussing options for relaxing restrictions on the export of lethal weapons
JapanWeakened Kishida must face a strengthened Xi
The first face-to-face meeting between Chinese and Japanese leaders since 2019 will take place in the coming days
ChinaGermany-Japan security cooperation will increase
Germany and Japan are formalising bilateral security cooperation
GermanyNew plan may extend lifetimes of Japan's reactors
The government proposes to abolish a 60-year limit on the operating lives of nuclear reactors
JapanPyongyang's missiles will spur Japanese defence reform
North Korea has test-fired a missile over Japan for the first time in five years
JapanSeoul stalls on US pressure to decouple from China
South Korea has much to lose from succumbing to US pressure to decouple from China in key tech supply chains
South KoreaGDP growth will slow across East Asia
China’s manufacturing PMI edged up but the services PMI fell, and export-led manufacturing fell in Japan and South Korea
Japan
