January 11 - January 17
China
The Ministry of Commerce said strengthening export controls and supply-chain security are its top priorities in 2026. In a statement released after its annual work conference, the ministry said it plans to enhance legal frameworks and what it called the “safety net for opening up.” Recent actions implementing these priorities include reviewing Meta’s $2.5 billion acquisition of the AI start-up Manus and banning dual-use exports to Japan's military end users.
China proposed the coastal city of Xiamen to be home of the secretariat of the new High Seas Treaty, which entered into force on Jan. 17. Belgium and Chile also have bid to host the secretariat. The treaty aims to protect marine life in waters beyond countries’ exclusive economic zones, which account for nearly half of the planet’s surface. Threats include harmful fishing practices, shipping, plastic pollution, over-fishing and deep sea mining.
The State Administration for Market Regulation launched an investigation into Trip.com for allegedly abusing its dominant market position. The company could face a fine of up to 10 percent of annual sales under China's anti-monopoly law. A Yunnan homestay association complained in December about coercive clauses, arbitrary commission hikes, and traffic blocking.
Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping ordered renewed attention to stopping illegal construction of luxury villas and private resorts in a July speech that was published Jan. 15 in the Communist Party journal Qiushi. Xi linked such developments to corruption and environmental damage.
Xi Jinping told a plenary meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection that China “cannot afford to lose” the fight against corruption. In 2025, the commission detained a record sixty-five officials at the vice minister level or above. Xi called for new methods of identifying and punishing corruption.
The government of Sansha, the prefecture-level city that has titular jurisdiction over the disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, is seeking to hire eleven community workers to handle day-to-day governance on eight disputed reefs and islands. Beijing reportedly wants to expand civilian administration over the territory to strengthen its claim. Military veterans who are Communist Party members are preferred. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei also claim these waters.
The State Administration for Market Regulation summoned six polysilicon producers and the China Photovoltaic Industry Association after receiving complaints that the companies were coordinating output, sales, and prices. The regulator said their behavior was monopolistic and ordered the companies to stop agreeing on capacity, production, sales, or prices. The firms must submit rectification plans by January 20.
The Ministry of State Security warned that foreign entities are stealing geographic data through covert mapping operations. The ministry cited cases of employees transferring classified data to networked computers, illegal outsourcing to unauthorized companies, and foreign forces disguising espionage as business or research activities. It called for stricter data security measures and urged citizens to report suspicious surveying activities.
The National Administration of State Secrets Protection warned that foreign intelligence agencies are targeting defense personnel with honey traps after a military project manager was sentenced to ten years for espionage. A spy posing as a business representative lured the manager into a sexual relationship during a work trip abroad and blackmailed him into leaking classified documents.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong High Court rejected human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung's challenge to a prison rule requiring female inmates to wear trousers in summer while males may wear shorts. Chow, who has been detained since September 2021 on national security charges, argued the policy constitutes sex discrimination. The court ruled the policy was based on prison management experience and that inmates with health issues can request exceptions.
The High Court court concluded mitigation hearings for Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and eight co-defendants but the three-judge panel did not set a sentencing date. Lawyers for Lai, 78, asked for a lighter sentence because of his age and health problems, including hypertension and diabetes. Lai was convicted last month of two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of sedition and faces up to life in prison. Court observers were required for the first time to register their identity cards with police before entering the courtroom.
Former legislator Eddie Chu was released from Stanley Prison after serving four years and five months for participating in an unofficial primary election in 2020, which the court ruled was part of a plot to block the legislative budget process and force the chief executive's resignation. Chu was convicted of conspiring to subvert state power. Thirty other pro-democracy politicians convicted in the case remain imprisoned.
The government announced two proposals to enhance safety in building renovation projects following the November 2025 Wang Fuk Court fire that killed at least 161 people. Labor Secretary Chris Sun proposed a smoking ban at construction sites, replacing current site-specific regulations. Development Secretary Bernadette Linn proposed requiring Buildings Department approval for maintenance plans and mandatory use of Urban Renewal Authority-selected contractors for subsidized renovations.
Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed to increase cooperation in economic security, AI, defense, fighting transnational crime, and identifying the remains of Korean forced laborers from Japan’s occupation of Korea. Lee, who was visiting Japan only days after a visit to China, said he reminded Takaichi of the importance of three-way cooperation with China. He said he and Takaichi agreed to work together for North Korea’s denuclearization.
The Japan Legal Support Center, a public legal aid corporation, launched a program offering free legal representation to crime victims and bereaved families with assets of less than ¥3 million (US$19,000). The program focuses on cases involving murder, dangerous driving causing death, sexual offenses, and serious injuries. Lawyers will prepare damage claims, negotiate settlements, file lawsuits, and accompany victims to meetings with investigators.
The government reportedly plans to submit a bill exempting businesses from obtaining consent when acquiring sensitive personal information for limited purposes such as training AI programs. Current law requires consent for obtaining or sharing such information, but the government is concerned these requirements could slow AI development. The proposed bill also introduces profit-based fines for misusing large amounts of personal data and requires parental consent for collecting information from children ages fifteen and younger.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority will conduct on-site inspections at Chubu Electric Power Co. in January after finding the utility falsified seismic data to pass safety screenings for restarting the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. The regulator cancelled its restart review for reactors 3 and 4 and required the company to submit materials on the wrongdoing by the end of March.
Koreas
Prosecutors requested the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for leading an insurrection by declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, trying to seize the National Assembly, and ordering the arrests of lawmakers and political enemies. South Korea has not executed anyone in nearly thirty years and it was deemed unlikely that Yoon will be executed. Prosecutors also sought life imprisonment for Yoon’s defense minister and twenty years for his chief of the National Police Agency. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to deliver its verdict on Feb. 19.
A special counsel team sought fifteen years in prison for former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min on insurrection charges stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law declaration. Lee is accused of failing to prevent the illegal decree and ordering police and fire agencies to cut power and water to media outlets critical of the administration. He also faces perjury charges for denying these actions during Yoon's impeachment trial. The court is scheduled to announce its verdict on Feb. 12.
The opposition People Power Party proposed amending the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection to require online commenters to disclose their nationality. It alleged that more than 65,000 comments on X criticizing the party originated in China. The Democratic Party rejected the proposal, accusing conservatives of stirring anti-China sentiment ahead of June local elections.
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that licensing fees from foreign-registered patents are taxable domestically if the technology is used in local manufacturing. The court rejected US patent holder Optodot Corp.'s argument that royalties from nineteen US-registered patents were not South Korean-source income under the bilateral tax treaty, upholding about $341,000 in taxes on fees from Samsung SDI. The ruling reverses the court's position since 1992 that patent income belongs to the country where the patent is registered.
Taiwan
The opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan opened public hearings to discuss impeaching President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). The Nationalist or Kuomintang Party (KMT) and Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP) blame Lai for the unprecedented refusal of Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to countersign a revised budget allocation law in December. Cho said the bill was unconstitutional. The hearings are the start of a lengthy process that the opposition hopes will force Lai to submit to questioning in the legislature, and culminate in the legislature voting on impeachment in May. However, the KMT and TPP lack the two-thirds majority needed to impeach.
After months of negotiations, Taiwan and the US reached an agreement under which the US will reduce tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent, from the 20 percent that President Trump imposed last year. In return, Taiwanese semiconductor, energy, and AI companies will invest at least US$250 billion in production capacity in the US and the Taiwanese government will guarantee $250 billion in credit for the companies. Companies that are building chip fabs in the US will enjoy reduced or no tariffs on chips they export to the US during construction.
The Ci’aotou District Court approved the detention of CTi News reporter Lin Chen-you and five current and retired military personnel suspected of leaking military information to unspecified Chinese individuals. Prosecutors alleged that Lin paid service members thousands to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars. Lin, who covers the legislature for CTi News and hosts a YouTube political program.
The Shilin District Court sentenced Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun to seven years and ten months in prison for corruption. Chen was convicted of claiming NT$3.84 million (US$121,440) in public subsidies for friends or relatives whom she falsely said worked as her assistants; and of receiving NT$700,000 (US$22,138) in bribes from developers to pressure city officials to expedite building permits. Chen remains in office pending appeal.
The National Development Council announced that relaxed work and residency requirements for foreign professionals took effect this month. Foreigners can work in Taiwan without a work permit for two years after graduation from a university in Taiwan, while graduates from the world's top 200 universities can apply for a two-year work permit without employer sponsorship. Foreign nationals who obtain degrees from Taiwan universities can enjoy fast-tracked permanent residency.
The Shilin District Prosecutors Office indicted two Taiwanese nationals on charges of recruiting more than seventy engineers for Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co. without government approval, violating the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.
The Hualien District Court approved the incommunicado detention of Guangfu Township chief Lin Ching-shui on suspicion of negligent manslaughter and falsifying evacuation reports in connection with a barrier lake breach in September 2025. Nineteen persons died. Prosecutors alleged that Lin and three other township employees failed to actively evacuate residents after the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency issued alerts on Sept. 21 and 22, then submitted false evacuation reports to the Hualien County Government.