Military defence

'Corruption probe' general helps pen defence book

29 Apr 2013

General Xu Caihou, a former vice-chairman of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission - the top body that commands the country's armed forces - wrote a preface for a book authored by Wang...

5:22AM

Gleanings from China's defence budget

21 Apr 2013

China's defence budgets and white papers usually prompt questions about transparency, which begs the question of how much foreign analysts already know about force disposition, strength, equipment...

4:56AM

Letters to the Editor, April 11, 2013

11 Apr 2013

The collision last Friday night between a Cheung Chau ferry and a barge off Hei Ling Chau was not unexpected, since this area is criss-crossed by many fast ferries to Macau and the islands, and...

3:03AM

2 comments

PLA takes higher profile in disputed waters

31 Mar 2013

The People's Liberation Army has stepped up publicity of its military activities in the South China Sea since the change of leadership last month, a move analysts say is intended to send a message...

6:06AM

3 comments

Taiwan to test defences with live-fire drill in strait

27 Mar 2013

Taiwan unveiled plans for its biggest live-fire military exercise since 2008, aimed at reviewing the island's defence capability against a simulated mainland invasion.

5:31AM

Taiwan has missile that can reach mainland, ex-defence chief says

17 Mar 2013

Michael Tsai, defence minister in the former government of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, wrote that the military successfully developed the missile back in 2008, The Liberty...

5:59AM

Opinion

Tom Holland

Attempts to diversify China's reserves have been a disaster

4:45AM

Howard Winn

China is like the EU; provinces are its member states

5:26AM

Russia gets cosy again in cold war port

Hanoi may never allow Moscow the major naval base and listening post it developed during the cold war, but the visit of the Russian defence minister this week confirmed expanding plans for a...

5:52AM

Beijing on back foot in radar row with Japan, analysts say

"The drawbacks for China are that it sets this new leadership in the world's eyes as hawkish, hard-line troublemakers," said Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of...

4:57AM

3 comments

Qing dynasty naval defeat 'a warning' for PLA

At a sea-power workshop at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law late last year, PLA representatives and naval experts said they were worried that the problems and failures of the...

4:58AM

JAPAN

Japan deploys destroyers for N Korea rocket

Japan on Thursday dispatched three destroyers to waters over which North Korea says its satellite-bearing rocket will travel.

4:37PM

NORTH KOREA

North Korea completes rocket installation

North Korea has completed installing a long-range rocket on its launch pad, ahead of its planned launch this month in defiance of widespread international condemnation, a report said on Wednesday...

3:59PM

NORTH KOREA

Russia, China urge North Korea to drop rocket launch plan

Russia and China urged North Korea on Monday not to go ahead with a plan for its second rocket launch of this year, with Moscow saying any such move would violate restrictions imposed by the UN...

9:28AM