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Threat Status Indo-Pacific Region

The U.S. national security community is increasingly focused on threats emanating from the Indo-Pacific. Threat Status at The Washington Times delivers daily and big-picture coverage of the region — from China's expanding military to high-stakes economic and technology developments and the plight of democracy among America's allies.

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Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, on Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool) ** FILE **

Backing Japan over China radar lock on jets

- The Washington Times

The State Department on Tuesday offered its first muted backing for Japan over an incident last week involving a threatening radar illumination of two Japanese fighter jets by two Chinese fighters.

An wounded Thai soldier is carried to be transferred to a hospital, in Surin province, Thailand, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, following clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

New Thailand-Cambodia border fighting shows no sign of stopping

- Associated Press

Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating Wednesday, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people in strained conditions as more flooded into temporary shelters.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during a policy meeting at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Lee Jeong-hoon/Yonhap via AP)

South Korea to require advertisers to label AI-generated ads

- Associated Press

South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with artificial intelligence technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deep-faked celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles (from left), Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen at the State Department, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Rubio and Hegseth meet Australian counterparts with China expected to be focus

- Associated Press

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are meeting their Australian counterparts Monday in Washington for annual talks expected to focus on Indo-Pacific security and countering China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, including in the South China Sea and directed at Taiwan.

People read the candidates information at a polling station near the site of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong votes in legislative election after deadly fire

- Associated Press

Hong Kong voters are casting ballots Sunday in their second legislative election since a 2021 overhaul of the system eliminated the pro-democracy opposition in the Chinese territory.

An aerial view of the burnt buildings after a deadly fire that started Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Friday, Nov. 28 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Hong Kong police arrest man for posts about deadly fire

Associated Press

Hong Kong’s national security police arrested a man on Saturday in the first publicly confirmed arrest relating to criticism of authorities over a high-rise apartment blaze that killed at least 159 people.

Power utility lines are seen, Oct. 6, 2021, in Pownal, Maine. Federal energy regulators on Monday, May 13, 2024, approved a long-awaited rule to expand the amount of renewable energy such as wind and solar power that is transmitted to the electric grid, a key part of President Joe Biden’s goal to decarbonize the economy by 2050. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

China threat to U.S. electric grid increases

- The Washington Times

China’s government has penetrated networks used to control the U.S. electric grid and could use the covert access to shut down the flow of electricity to Americans in a crisis or conflict, grid experts warned Congress this week.

In this photo provided by North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Worker's Party, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

What North Korea has learned fighting for Putin in Ukraine

- Special to The Washington Times

In August, North Korean state media released photos of Kim Jong-un bowing before the portraits of soldiers killed in Ukraine, hugging grieving families and pinning medals on returning troops. In a rare display of public mourning, the North Korean leader described the fallen as “great heroes” and “martyrs,” his “heart aching” at their loss.