Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New York late at night on September 21, planning to hold talks with Trump on September 22. The visit aims to coordinate stances on China ahead of a US-China summit and discuss the burden of US military stationing costs in Japan.
On September 18, in the semi-finals of the men's basketball tournament at the Nagoya Asian Games, the Chinese men's basketball team lost 77 to 97 to the Japanese team, setting a record for the largest margin of defeat against Japan. Because the match coincided with the September 18 incident anniversary, Chinese media heavily hyped nationalist sentiment before the game. The crushing defeat and videos of Chinese fans crying at the scene were widely circulated afterward, triggering strong discontent and emotional venting among domestic netizens.
On September 17, Japan's Asahi Kasei Corporation reported that former employee Shoichi Furukawa was arrested for allegedly violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by leaking semiconductor packaging material manufacturing secrets to Shandong Shengquan New Materials Co., Ltd. Asahi Kasei plans to sue both parties and demand the destruction of the relevant materials. The compromised secrets involve manufacturing data for epoxy resin curing agents.
On September 19, an LED advertising truck produced through crowdfunding by supporters in Nagoya, Japan, cruised through the downtown area and held a candlelight memorial at Hisaya Odori Garden, calling for justice for abused animals.
The first F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet designated for permanent assignment to Kadena Air Base left Boeing's St. Louis plant in late August and flew to the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing for subsequent preparation work.
In September 2026, the "Tokyo Chinese Film Week," held annually for 20 years, announced the cancellation of its planned October event. The organizers stated that due to comprehensive consideration of the situation and the hosting environment, it would be difficult to hold the event this year, without specifying the exact reasons. Previously, both the Beijing International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival did not hold "Japanese Film Weeks" this year.
The Chinese Embassy in Japan announced on September 11 that, based on the principle of reciprocal visa fees, visa fees for Japanese citizens traveling to China will be significantly increased starting from September 14. The fees for single-entry, six-month multiple-entry, and one-year multiple-entry visas will all see substantial increases, ranging from 6 to 7 times the original amount. However, the policy of visa exemption for short-term stays in China for holders of ordinary passports will not be affected for the time being.
U.S. envoys Wittkoff and Kushner arrived in Doha, will meet the Qatari prime minister and other mediators, and continue regional dialogue on the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran.
Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, causing at least 12 deaths and 40 injuries; areas including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv were attacked.
Zelensky said the Ukrainian army attacked the Dubna satellite communications center in the Moscow region for the second time, an facility located more than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
China's Ministry of Commerce placed 20 Japanese entities on the dual-use export control list and added another 20 Japanese entities to a watchlist; the Japanese government lodged a stern protest and demanded the measures be withdrawn.
The Reagan President Foundation and Institute released a summer 2026 poll, with 82% of respondents worried that China is involved in fentanyl flowing into the United States, 81% concerned about surveillance of U.S. citizens, and 80 concerned about China buying U.S. land.
Australia and Vanuatu signed an economic and security cooperation agreement, stipulating that Vanuatu's territory will not be used for foreign military bases, and Australia will provide AUD 500 million in aid over 10 years.
Iran's first of several drone attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz triggered an escalation of armed hostilities in the Gulf region and prompted a military response from the United States.
The Presidential Office's Social Defense Resilience Committee in Taiwan held a tabletop exercise simulating scenarios where the China Coast Guard demands declaration from vessels entering and exiting Taiwanese ports, followed by gradual inspection, boarding, search, and seizure of ships.