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China’s PLAN staged a ceremonial handover of the “Sea Tiger” honor from Cold War veterans to the crew of the modern frigate Honghe, using storytelling and ritual to link small-boat heroism to contemporary naval professionalism. The event highlights Beijing’s effort to fuse historical legend with technical modernization to strengthen morale and operational culture in a rapidly upgrading navy.

Licheng County in Shanxi held a ceremony on January 28 to escort home the remains of three Anti‑Japanese War martyrs to Sichuan and Hebei after DNA testing and field investigations identified them. The repatriations reflect a larger, state‑led effort to resolve unidentified wartime dead using forensic science, with implications for family closure, local governance and national memory politics.

Chinese military and paramilitary units have carried out winter training across multiple theatres—testing air-defence, mobility, medical evacuation and small-unit tactics under severe weather. The exercises aim to eliminate seasonal readiness gaps, sharpen high-altitude and cold-weather skills, and publicly demonstrate sustained operational capability.

Open‑source data show the U.S. moved at least 42 heavy transport aircraft into the Middle East between January 18–26, with flights delivering matériel to hubs across the region. The operation, paired with a carrier strike group entry, is a significant logistics surge intended to preposition capabilities and signal deterrence amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Turkish authorities say they have dismantled an espionage network they allege was directed by Iranian intelligence, arresting six people, including defence-industry executives, accused of planning drone transfers to Cyprus and surveilling Incirlik Air Base. The case raises NATO security concerns given Incirlik's role and underlines the use of encrypted communications and commercial cover in contemporary intelligence operations.

State media footage of the Southern Theater Air Force’s high‑tempo drills showcased a ‘take off and fight’ readiness aimed at compressing scramble‑to‑engagement timelines. The exercises reflect broader PLA efforts to integrate platforms and shorten decision loops, with implications for deterrence, regional signaling and the risk of inadvertent escalation.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office clarified that Taiwanese retired military personnel do not qualify for the same veterans’ concessions granted to PLA veterans, after a social-media incident at a mainland scenic spot. Beijing pointed to targeted tourism incentives for first-time visitors from Taiwan instead, a policy designed to encourage visits without altering institutional distinctions between the two sides’ armed forces.

A People’s Armed Police detachment in Guilin hosted a school open day combining honors displays, hands‑on drills and rescue stories to promote national‑defense education among primary school pupils. The event illustrates how Chinese security forces use community outreach to cultivate patriotism, public legitimacy and ties between youth and uniformed services.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said NATO must not negotiate with the U.S. on behalf of Denmark or Greenland, insisting sovereignty is a non‑negotiable red line. While open to closer bilateral cooperation with Washington on Arctic security, Copenhagen is coordinating with European partners to safeguard legal and political control over Greenland.

China will host APEC’s first senior officials meeting and related events in Guangzhou from February 1–10, launching the country’s 2026 APEC presidency under the theme of an Asia‑Pacific community for common prosperity. The meetings aim to operationalize priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation ahead of the leaders’ informal summit in November.

India introduced an "animal platoon"—including camels, horses, birds of prey and military dogs—at its Republic Day parade, combining ceremonial tradition with practical security roles. The display serves both domestic nation-building and soft-power signalling, while raising questions about animal welfare and the place of non-mechanised assets in a modernising military.

The United States has told Israel that preparations for possible military action against Iran should be completed within two weeks, while retaining the option to act sooner if ordered by President Trump. The deployment of the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and other assets has heightened risks around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where Iran says it monitors and controls maritime passage and would treat third-party use of territory against Iran as hostile.

A sudden spike in orders for the decade‑old iPhone 4S on Chinese e‑commerce platforms — exceeding 100,000 in about 30 days and including listings priced as low as ¥55 — highlights robust demand for ultra‑cheap smartphones in lower‑tier markets. The surge underscores growth in the refurbished and grey‑market ecosystem, raises questions over authenticity and consumer protection, and presents mixed consequences for Apple’s premium strategy.

UBI Research forecasts OLED monitor shipments rising to 3.2 million units in 2025, a 64% increase from 2024, with growth expected to stay above 50% this year. Improvements in yields and rising demand from gaming and creative markets are driving the expansion, signalling a shift toward premium OLED adoption in the monitor sector.

Xiaomi will add its SU7 Ultra to Gran Turismo 7 on January 29, the first Chinese-brand car to appear in the GT series. The move is a strategic play to build international brand recognition, leverage gaming audiences, and position Xiaomi’s EVs as serious contenders in performance and design.

Amazon has announced nearly 16,000 job cuts as it seeks to curb costs and redeploy resources toward cloud, advertising and artificial-intelligence initiatives. The move reflects a broader industry shift from pandemic-era expansion to a focus on profitability and automation, with implications for employees, customers and competitors.

Lantu has unveiled four new models for 2026—covering SUV, FUV and MPV segments—with each vehicle fitted with Level‑3 autonomous driving hardware. The Taishan Ultra will lead the rollout with deliveries slated for March, and a luxury MPV priced around RMB 500,000 is planned for later in the year. The announcement signals a hardware‑led push into autonomous driving, but commercial success depends on software, regulation and consumer acceptance.

Sichuan authorities have detained Xiong Haitao, the ultimate controller of three listed A‑share companies, prompting stock selloffs and reviving controversy over a disputed 2005 privatisation of Dongcai Technology's predecessor. The probe, led by the provincial supervision commission rather than the securities regulator, raises broader governance and contagion risks for Chinese markets and firms with opaque controlling‑shareholder structures.

Hong Kong stocks rallied on Wednesday, led by gold miners, property developers and electric-vehicle makers, pushing the Hang Seng up 2.58%. Spot gold hitting new highs drove a miners' rally even as investors cheered signs of regulatory easing for some developers and continued strength in domestic EV and semiconductor names.

Zhenghe Ecology corrected a typographical error in its earnings preview after initially misstating the forecast year, but the corrected guidance revealed a projected Rmb120–140 million net loss for 2025. The company, which has recorded losses since 2022, cited delayed revenue from Beijing projects, project settlement cuts and poor second-half collections; it also withdrew a Rmb129 million payment lawsuit earlier in December 2025.