Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at how the Japan-China rift is impacting South Korea, potential U.S. intervention over Iran’s rising death toll, and continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to her home prefecture of Nara on Tuesday, marking the second time that the two leaders have met since Takaichi took power last October. Tokyo hopes the two-day summit will bolster bilateral ties amid Japan’s deepening rift with China. But Seoul’s unwillingness to take a side may deny Takaichi the win she’s hoping for.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at how the Japan-China rift is impacting South Korea, potential U.S. intervention over Iran’s rising death toll, and continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to her home prefecture of Nara on Tuesday, marking the second time that the two leaders have met since Takaichi took power last October. Tokyo hopes the two-day summit will bolster bilateral ties amid Japan’s deepening rift with China. But Seoul’s unwillingness to take a side may deny Takaichi the win she’s hoping for.

Japan’s relationship with China began to deteriorate in November, when Takaichi—just one month after taking office—characterized a possible future Chinese attack on Taiwan as a “survival-threatening situation” that could permit Japan to take military action. The statement sparked a slew of retaliatory measures from Beijing, including travel bans, export restrictions, and the summoning of Japan’s ambassador.

Takaichi has not backed down in the face of Chinese threats and has instead looked to South Korea for support. However, Seoul remains hesitant to give up its ties with Beijing, particularly as South Korea seeks China’s assistance in pursuing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula; last week, Lee........

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