Defending champions China were drawn in the same group in Sydney Tuesday as three-time winners North Korea for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, while powerhouse Japan will take on Vietnam, India and Taiwan.

Two-time champions Japan have been handed a relatively straightforward path to the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup knockout round after avoiding some potentially tricky ties. The draw for next year's tournament,

The country appeared to signal an openness to talks, but said it must be recognized as a nuclear power and would not discuss abandoning its arsenal.

North Korea is openly warning the U.S. to recognize it as a nuclear power or abandon hopes of future diplomacy. Backed by Russia, Pyongyang says denuclearization is off the table and that Washington’s expectations are outdated.

North Korea said on Tuesday the United States must accept that reality has changed since the countries' summit meetings in the past, and no future dialogue would end its nuclear programme, state media KCNA reported.