China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said Monday, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island.

Security and geopolitics analyst Ankit Panda also warns China and Russia could team up and use European conflicts to make a grab for the disputed territory of Taiwan. Panda said China was once home to 'just' 200 warheads back in 2019, but reports claim that number has since skyrocketed to 700.

China's military modernization and self-reliance reshape global arms trade, though political barriers limit exports beyond traditional allies.

China's People's Liberation Army recently labeled U.S. and Japanese destroyers as "enemy vessels" in a military display.

Fu Tong and his wife Elaine To were among the first demonstrators in Hong Kong to be charged with rioting in 2020 after pro-democracy and anti-China protests started in 2019 in the former British colony.

“These practices seriously violate the consensus,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement, referring to a China-U.S. joint statement in which the United States and China agreed to slash their massive recent tariffs, restarting stalled trade between the world’s two biggest economies.

While the U.S. remains a “very important” strategic partner, the Beijing-claimed island “fully recognizes” the need to strengthen its defense capabilities, a Defense Ministry official said.

As part of a broader address on the risks of division between China and the United States, Macron told the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting that if Russia was allowed to take a

Regional officials, diplomats and analysts warned of China's growing influence in Latin America and urged Paraguay to safeguard its democratic sovereignty as it considers potential economic agreements with Beijing.

The US defence secretary called on Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war.

Tensions are simmering in Asia as military maneuvers near the disputed island spark fears of a looming conflict