HONG KONG -- China will suspend imports of Japanese seafood, according to ABC News partner NHK, escalating a diplomatic dispute triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments suggesting Tokyo could take military action if China attacks Taiwan.

Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office warns against foreign interference in island as Taipei announces new defence spending.

From China’s point of view, the Japanese Prime Minister’s remarks on Taiwan test a red line - a trigger that sets this dispute apart from past flare-ups, analysts say.

A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's "shadow navy" of civilian ships is training to help in a mass landing of troops and materiel on the island.