Kina

Venezuela Operation Magnifies Pentagon's Shift West—and away from China

POLITICO

The Trump administration’s use of American military might to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro cemented its hard power pivot to the Western Hemisphere—an action that has raised fears within the Pentagon that China’s rise will go unchecked.

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China coast guard’s ‘increasingly severe’ presence near Japanese islands breaks another record

By 

Brian McElhiney and Keishi Koja

Stars and Stripes • January 5, 2026

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The Japan coast guard warns Chinese coast guard vessels away from the Senkaku Islands in April 2024. (Ishigaki city)

Chinese coast guard vessels sailed near the Senkaku Islands 357 times last year, setting a record for the fourth year in a row amid increased tension between Beijing and Tokyo.

In 2024, China’s coast guard was spotted 355 times in the contiguous zone around the uninhabited island group, which is administered by Japan, a spokeswoman for Japan’s coast guard said by phone Monday. That year in turn broke 2023’s record of 352 sightings.

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2025 was a big year for China's military, it's only going to continue

The year 2025 has been a major mask slip moment for the scale, scope and reach of Beijing's military modernisation efforts, with Australia and its partners put on notice, but this is just the beginning.