Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday played down tension with China over the East China Sea, saying U.S. efforts to strengthen maritime security in South East Asia were part of a normal process to help allies defend themselves better.

• December 17, 2013

Japan and Southeast Asian countries called for freedom of the air and sea on Saturday, as China's military assertiveness raises regional tensions and after U.S. and Chinese warships narrowly avoided collision in the disputed South China Sea.

• December 14, 2013

Senior U.S. and Chinese officials will hold annual trade talks in Beijing next week, China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an array of long-held tensions.

• December 13, 2013

Japan will set up a new amphibious military unit and deploy unarmed surveillance drones in its southwest, where it faces a row with China over disputed islands, according to drafts of the nation's latest defense plans seen on Wednesday.

• December 11, 2013

Commentaries by two of China's most influential news outlets suggesting that the country's air pollution crisis was not without a silver lining drew a withering reaction on Tuesday from internet users and other media.

• December 10, 2013

China will soon rate the performance of local governments partly by how much debt they incur, as Beijing tries to wean the country off heavy government investment, state media said.

• December 9, 2013

China's parliament has declared that Japan has no right to criticize the establishment of a Chinese air defense zone which it said was in accordance with international law, state media reported on Saturday.

• December 7, 2013

A $6.4 billion gas project being built by Chevron CVN.X in China is facing further delays due to disagreements with partner PetroChina (0857.HK) over how to develop the technically tricky fields, three industry sources said.

• December 6, 2013