Top Asia Pacific Breaking News Stories

BEIJING (AP) – China’s People’s Liberation Army said Wednesday that it “successfully completed” two days of military exercises in the waters off Taiwan, concluding a set of high-powered maneuvers aimed at asserting its sovereignty over the island – actions that ratcheted up tension in East Asia during 2025’s waning days. In a New Year’s Eve announcement, the PLA said that the operation it called “Justice Mission 2025” had “fully tested the integrated joint operations capabilities of its troops.” “Always on high alert, the troops of the Theater Command will keep strengthening combat readiness with arduous training, resolutely thwart the attempts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatists and external intervention, and firmly safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Senior Capt.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Drummers pounded in the New Year and a stampede of computer-generated horses was shown over a section of the Great Wall as China and the rest of East Asia marked the start of 2026. Temple bells rang across Japan, and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise. Hong Kong held subdued celebrations following a recent fire that killed 161 people at an apartment complex. Sydney saluted the new year with joy and defiance, as the famous Harbor Bridge crackled with fireworks less than three weeks after Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025.

BEIJING (AP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hailed his country’s technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors while once again insisting his country would annex self-ruled Taiwan. During his New Year’s Eve address broadcast Wednesday evening by state media, Xi praised the country’s advancements in key sectors including military tech and space exploration. Images ranging from humanoid robots performing kung fu to new hydropower projects rolled on the screen as he spoke. “We sought to energize high-quality development through innovation,” Xi said while thanking Chinese people for contributing to the country’s economic growth over the past five years.

TOKYO (AP) – Japan is barreling forward with efforts to significantly boost its military capabilities to stand up to China’s growing threats by doubling annual arms spending. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military assistance in Asia and a military hawk and ultra-conservative takes over Japan’s leadership. Japan says it is still a peaceful nation and the buildup is necessary for a more self-reliant military that can better deter China. But Beijing and other critics see Japan as deviating from its postwar peace pledge, pointing to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement soon after taking office that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response.

NAGASAKI, Japan (AP) – Hundreds of prisoners of war from Allied countries were held at brutal Japanese camps in Nagasaki when the United States dropped an atomic bomb 80 years ago. Their presence during the Aug. 9, 1945, bombing is little known, and family and researchers have been collecting and publishing testimonies to tell the stories of these often unrecognized victims. In September, dozens of relatives of Dutch POWs and descendants of Japanese bombing survivors came together to commemorate both those who were abused at the camps and the tens of thousands of Japanese who were killed that day. The dead included at least eight captives at one of the Nagasaki camps.

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistan’s Prime Minister spoke by telephone with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday to express his “complete solidarity” with the Kingdom following this week’s Saudi bombing of Yemen’s port city of Mukalla, the prime minister’s office said. According to the statement, Shehbaz Sharif also stressed the need to maintain regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening long-standing fraternal ties, which the statement said had “attained new heights in recent months.” The statement quoted Crown Prince Mohammed as thanking Sharif for the call and reiterating Saudi Arabia’s desire to expand cooperation with Pakistan in areas of mutual interest.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held for five months, fulfilling the terms of a ceasefire agreement the two countries signed to end bitter fighting along their border. The release was stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, signed Saturday by the defense ministers of the two countries at the same border checkpoint between Thailand’s Chanthaburi province and Cambodia’s Pailin province where the soldiers were released. “The repatriation of the 18 Cambodian soldiers was undertaken as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building, as well as in adherence to international humanitarian principles,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – A deep-sea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 began in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, reviving efforts to solve one of aviation’s greatest mysteries more than a decade after the jet vanished with 239 people on board. Malaysia’s Transport Ministry said Wednesday that a search vessel, the Armada 86 05, arrived at a designated search area with two autonomous underwater vehicles. The location of the search area was not disclosed in the statement. It said the vessel had prepared for the search in Fremantle Port in Western Australia. The government did not specifically mention Ocean Infinity, the company that helmed a previous search and had long been slated to lead the new one.

More than a decade ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished without a trace, sparking one of aviation’s most baffling mysteries. Despite years of multinational searches, investigators still do not know exactly what happened to the plane or its 239 passengers and crew. On Wednesday, the Malaysian government said a vessel began a new search operation for the missing plane, reigniting hopes the aircraft might finally be found. A previous, massive search in the southern Indian Ocean, where the jet is believed to have gone down, turned up almost nothing. Apart from a few small fragments that washed ashore, no bodies or large wreckage have ever been recovered.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – Huge crowds flocked to the area outside Bangladesh’s national parliament building in the capital Wednesday to attend the funeral prayers for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died a day earlier at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. People from Dhaka and elsewhere streamed toward the venue on Manik Mia Avenue, outside the parliament building, starting early morning. Witnesses said many cried, calling Zia their “mother” as they arrived at the venue. Some traveled overnight from rural areas to join the prayers. In neighborhoods kilometers (miles) away, crowds also spilled into major streets to pray as a sea of people raised hands and prayed.