In-depth daily coverage of military tensions, territorial disputes, and security developments across the Asia-Pacific region including the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia.
Kim Jong Un was unanimously re-elected as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Day 4 of the Ninth Congress, which also adopted party rule revisions and removed several senior figures from the Central Committee including former Supreme People's Assembly chairman Choe Ryong Hae and nuclear program architects Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol. The Royal Navy's HMS Anson arrived at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, marking the first-ever maintenance of a UK nuclear-powered submarine in Australia under AUKUS Pillar I, while Australia's HMAS Toowoomba completed a Taiwan Strait transit that drew Chinese tracking operations. PLA activity around Taiwan dropped sharply over the weekend, with only 2 aircraft sorties and 6 PLAN vessels detected on February 22, well below the preceding period's 8 sorties. Myanmar's multi-front civil war continued across at least ten active fronts, including a KIA-attributed FPV drone strike on a passenger aircraft at Myitkyina Airport and the Chin Brotherhood's capture of the last junta base in Falam. No new South China Sea confrontations were confirmed. A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Sabah, Malaysia at extreme depth with no casualties.
On Day 4 of the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong Un was unanimously re-elected as General Secretary on February 22, with confirmation published by KCNA on February 23, according to Al Jazeera and France 24. The congress, which opened February 19 with approximately 5,000 delegates, adopted revisions to WPK party rules and reviewed the work of the Central Committee over the preceding five-year term.
The most significant signals came through personnel changes on the newly elected Central Committee. Removed from the body were several once-powerful figures: Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly standing committee and formerly considered the second most powerful figure in the regime; Marshals Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol, key figures in North Korea's nuclear weapons program; and Kim Yong Chol and Ri Son Gwon, who had led inter-Korean and US-DPRK diplomacy during the 2018 to 2019 engagement period. The party stated that under Kim's leadership, nuclear-based war deterrence had been improved to handle any form of conflict. Xi Jinping sent congratulations on February 23, calling for a new chapter in China-DPRK relations. No missile tests occurred on February 22; the most recent launches dated to January 27, according to the Security Council Report's February forecast.
In South Korea, protests continued across Seoul following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's life sentence for insurrection handed down February 19. A far-right group held a demonstration at Gwanghwamun demanding Yoon's release, while progressive groups mounted counter-demonstrations. No major clashes were reported on February 22.
The Royal Navy's Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine HMS Anson arrived at HMAS Stirling on February 22, marking the first-ever maintenance activity on a UK nuclear-powered submarine in Australia, according to the Australian Department of Defence. The arrival represents a concrete Pillar I milestone for the AUKUS trilateral security pact. Australian personnel will work alongside UK and US counterparts on maintenance and familiarization activities. Two Royal Australian Navy officers are embedded aboard the vessel, and more than 50 Australians are now embedded within the UK Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
The arrival enabled combined AUKUS Pillar I and Pillar II testing: interoperability trials of Australia's Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vehicle with the UK submarine, and testing of anti-submarine warfare AI algorithms fitted to RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. This followed the completion of maintenance on USS Vermont (SSN 792) at HMAS Stirling, the first Virginia-class maintenance availability conducted outside the United States. Both events prepare the ground for the Submarine Rotational Force-West establishment at HMAS Stirling from 2027.
Days earlier, Australia's HMAS Toowoomba completed a Taiwan Strait transit on February 20 to 21, reported publicly on February 22. China's PLA carried out tracking and monitoring operations throughout, according to The Japan Times. Taiwan reported the Anzac-class frigate was spotted west of the Penghu Islands near the strait's median line, and its embarked helicopter approached the median line, prompting radio warnings from Taiwan's armed forces. The transit came immediately after a trilateral maritime exercise with the United States and Philippines off Luzon.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported a notable decrease in PLA activity over the weekend. For the February 21 to 22 reporting period, Taiwan detected 2 PLA aircraft sorties and 6 PLAN vessels, with only one sortie crossing the Taiwan Strait median line into Taiwan's northern Air Defense Identification Zone. This represented a sharp drop from the February 20 to 21 period, which recorded 8 PLA sorties (all crossing the median line) and 7 PLAN vessels. By Sunday evening into Monday morning, PLA aircraft activity fell to zero with only 5 PLAN vessels tracked, according to Taiwan MND data republished by GlobalSecurity.org and ANI.
The reduced tempo appears consistent with weekend training cycle patterns. For broader context, PLA averaged 5.4 median line crossings per day in January 2026, the fewest since before President Lai's inauguration, according to The Japan Times. This is well below the December 2025 Justice Mission exercises that saw more than 100 aircraft deployed in a single day. ROC forces maintained combat air patrols, naval deployments, and coastal missile system readiness throughout.
No single discrete combat event was confirmed specifically for February 22 in Myanmar, a pattern consistent with Sunday reporting cycles and the one to three day lag typical of conflict reporting from areas under communications blackouts. However, active fighting was confirmed across at least ten fronts as of that date, per the MoeMaKa "Myanmar Spring Chronicle" published February 22.
The most notable development in the preceding days was the February 20 FPV drone strike on a Myanmar National Airlines ATR-72-600 at Myitkyina Airport as passengers boarded flight UB662. Multiple suicide drones struck the aircraft with RPG-type warheads, causing shrapnel damage and a small fire, according to DroneXL and MoeMaKa. All passengers evacuated safely. The junta accused the Kachin Independence Army (KIA); the KIA denied responsibility. That same night, artillery shells struck residential areas in Myitkyina's Sitar Pu ward, injuring a mother and child. This was the second drone strike on an aircraft at the airport in February 2026.
In Rakhine State, the Arakan Army continued besieging Kyaukphyu and Sittwe, the only two major towns still held by the junta. Air and naval strikes killed at least 15 civilians in Kyaukphyu around February 20, according to Myanmar Now. In Chin State, the Chin Brotherhood captured the last junta base in Falam (Infantry Battalion 268) around February 17 to 19 after a five-month offensive, gaining full control of the town. The junta suffered approximately 200 deaths including 9 officers at major rank during two months of fighting there, according to Myanmar Now.
The junta's counteroffensive showed mixed results. Forces continued advancing toward Tagaung in Mandalay Region, recapturing villages between Thabeikkyin and the resistance-held town, according to Myanmar Now. In Karenni State, a three-month column drive reached Hpasawng on February 15, prompting Karenni forces to destroy the Salween River bridge. The Bo Nagar surrender to the junta around February 19 was described by resistance sources as having unsettled the broader Spring Revolution by exposing PDF unit locations and supply networks.
In Karen State, heavy fighting raged around Myawaddy, where junta forces backed by airstrikes pounded positions near the Thai border. Shrapnel struck nine Thai houses, prompting Thailand's defense minister to order a seven-day border closure at Mae Sot, according to The Irrawaddy. China-brokered ceasefires with the TNLA and MNDAA held in northern Shan State, creating the only quiet front in the country's multi-front conflict. The United Nations Secretary-General marked the fifth anniversary of the February 2021 military takeover by noting that nearly four million people remain internally displaced, and the USCRI reported the junta controls only an estimated 21% of national territory.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published details on February 22 of the US-Japan Extended Deterrence Dialogue held February 18 in Washington. The session addressed China's nuclear weapons buildup, North Korea's advancing missile program, and included tabletop exercises and deterrence-by-denial discussions, according to GlobalSecurity.org. A joint communiqué released February 21 affirmed the dialogue's expanded scope under the US-Japan defense guidelines updated in 2025.
The Japan Times published analysis on February 22 of Prime Minister Takaichi's push for security reforms following her recent election mandate. Her agenda includes lifting restrictions on lethal arms exports (approved in draft by the LDP Security Affairs Committee on February 20), increasing defense spending toward the 2% GDP target (Japan's FY2026 defense budget reached a record $58 billion, a 9.4% increase), and deepening alliance integration with the United States.
No South China Sea confrontation was confirmed on February 22. In the Philippines, no combat incidents were reported on Sunday, though the preceding week saw the killing of NPA commander Bonifacio Lutawan on February 15 and two rebel surrenders on February 21 in Northern Mindanao. The Armed Forces of the Philippines estimates fewer than 900 NPA fighters remain nationwide. A peace monitor warned on February 21 that the stalled Bangsamoro transition process could fuel ISIS-affiliated activity, citing a late January ambush by the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group that killed four Philippine Army soldiers, according to Muslim Network TV.
In Indonesia, the security situation in Papua remained tense following the February 11 killing of two Smart Air pilots by TPNPB-OPM fighters at Koroway Batu Airport. Four suspects were arrested February 16, and 11 of Papua's pioneer airports remained suspended as of February 22, according to The Online Citizen. Twenty-three security incidents involving armed separatist groups had been recorded in Papua since January 2026.
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 16:57 UTC approximately 55 kilometers northwest of Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia, at an extreme depth of 620 kilometers. No damage, casualties, or tsunami warning resulted, though tremors were felt across Southeast Asia, according to Newsweek and DEFCON Alerts. In Thailand's Deep South, the BRN insurgency remained at elevated threat levels throughout Ramadan (which began February 19), though no specific attack was confirmed for February 22.