Pretoria's Western allies are upset by South Africa hosting upcoming joint naval exercises with Russia and China. Historical ties between Moscow and the ruling ANC may explain President Ramaphosa's stance.

The relationship between the U.S. and China has always been characterized by mistrust. The world's two largest economies view each other as rivals, and their latest dispute was ignited by a white balloon that China flew over U.S. territory. The US government says that its Air Force shot down a spy balloon that American media describes as part of a global Chinese surveillance system.

South Africa has begun military exercises with both China and Russia as part of a routine army drill. The joint training has drawn immense criticism from the West, coming nearly one year on from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Though Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to protect his country's own interests, political analysts are debating whether he's leaning towardsWashington or operating in a "multipolar" world.

The 12-point position paper on the war in Ukraine comes amid Western accusations Beijing is considering supplying arms to Russia.

Lukashenko will visit China from February 28 to March 2. China says it wants to work with Belarus to deepen mutual trust.

US intelligence chief William Burns says there appear to be doubts in Beijing about China's ability to successfully invade Taiwan. However, he said it was still important to take the threat to the island very seriously.

The Japanese government said it intends to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles from the US. Tokyo recently updated its largely pacifist security policy, citing the challenges posed by China.

Youth unemployment in China hit nearly 20% last year as lockdowns took their toll. Many young people are rejecting a return to the daily grind, while those seeking security in the public sector have hit a dead end.

VW's chief of China operations says he "verified the facts" about accusations that one of the company's car plants in Xinjiang relied on the forced labor of Muslim Uyghur workers.

The disappearance of Chinese banker Bao Fan has renewed concerns about Beijing's crackdown on entrepreneurs. Experts say the trend will cause investors to lose confidence in China.

The chancellor addressed parliament one year after promising to upgrade Germany's armed forces with a massive one-off fund. In a speech to parliament, he called on China to push for Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine.