Liu Zhen

Zhen joined the SCMP in late 2015. She previously worked with Reuters in Beijing.

Three years after publishing his book The Hundred-Year Marathon, Michael Pillsbury’s views have been picked up by Washington officials as “evidence” to support their arguments. Photo: Tory Ho

Diplomacy

This book may be the reason Trump and his hawks are targeting China

16 Oct 2018 - 11:48am 112

China’s military has recruited specialists from the private sector to work on missile development projects. Photo: PLA Daily

Military

China’s military recruits private experts to work on defence projects

12 Oct 2018 - 11:38pm 3

The China-developed Wing Loong II will be built by Chengdu Aircraft Corp and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. Photo: Handout

Military

China, Pakistan to build 48 strike-capable Wing Loong II drones

10 Oct 2018 - 4:25pm 6

Researchers tested three different design shapes and monitored the performance of each, CCTV reported. Photo: Sina.com.cn

Military

China takes step towards precision warheads for nuclear weapon

29 Sep 2018 - 11:31pm 50

Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter planes, which are covered by the proposed new arms deal. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Beijing tells US to cancel US$330 million Taiwan arms deal

25 Sep 2018 - 11:35pm 124

Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s deputy prime minister, said he hopes to sign a deal to work with China on its belt and road plan before the end of the year. Photo: Bloomberg

Diplomacy

Italy aims to be China’s first G7 partner on belt and road

22 Sep 2018 - 2:16pm 25

China’s purchase from Russia of Su-35 fighters, like this one, and a surface-to-air missile system, have resulted in sanctions by the United States. Photo: PLA

Military

What Russian weapons are being bought by China?

21 Sep 2018 - 5:55pm 19

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) with the Pakistani chief of staff Qamar Javed Bajwa. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

China urges Pakistan to maintain trust between two sides

20 Sep 2018 - 10:38pm 3

The Chinese navy has begun a nationwide scouting programme for candidates to become pilots of its carrier-based J-15 fighter jets. Photo: navy.81.cn

Military

China’s navy begins national search for trainee top-gun pilots

19 Sep 2018 - 12:39am 3

Russian, Chinese and Mongolian national flags fly from armoured vehicles during joint military exercises on Thursday in eastern Siberia. Photo: AP

Military

Russia rolls out advanced weapons during Vostok 2018 with China

15 Sep 2018 - 10:00pm 16

Mitsuhiko Fujii kicked the memorial after delivering a letter of protest. Photo: Facebook

Diplomacy

Japanese nationalists apologise for comfort woman statue kick

13 Sep 2018 - 5:02pm 19

Icebreaker could pave the way for nuclear powered super ship but for now it’s all about exploration and scientific surveys

Military

China breaks the Arctic ice with launch of new research vessel

12 Sep 2018 - 5:13pm 5

Islamabad’s new leaders tell China’s visiting foreign minister they want to review US$62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Diplomacy

Pakistan wants to review US$62 billion infrastructure plan with China

11 Sep 2018 - 3:54pm 6

The Royal Thai Navy signed a deal to buy an S26T submarine derived from the PLA Navy’s Yuan-class boat (pictured) last year. Photo: Handout

Military

China starts work on US$411 million submarine for Thai navy

6 Sep 2018 - 5:41am 31

The removal of the Philippine Navy’s flagship from the Half Moon Shoal by two commercial tugboats is praised as ‘a good ending for all parties’

Diplomacy

China ‘relieved’ at removal of Philippine ship from South China Sea

5 Sep 2018 - 10:34pm 5

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan’s relationship with China has returned to a “normal track”. Photo: Kyodo

Diplomacy

Hopes high as China push likely to seal huge Asian free-trade deal

3 Sep 2018 - 4:20pm 78

BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the Philippines’ largest naval ship, ran aground while on a routine patrol in the region. Photo: Twitter

Military

Beijing sends coastguard vessels after Philippine warship runs aground

31 Aug 2018 - 11:28pm 56

Currency and destination names changed on carrier’s site in ‘flexible workaround’

Diplomacy

United has solved Beijing’s ‘one China’ problem – and Taiwan is grateful

30 Aug 2018 - 5:16pm 74

The Liaoning is undergoing its first major revamp since it was commissioned in 2012. Photo: Weibo

Diplomacy

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier gets brand new command centre

28 Aug 2018 - 2:33pm 33

A PLA rocket launch drill in a high-altitude area. Photo: wemedia.ifeng.com

Diplomacy

China ‘developing electromagnetic rocket with greater fire range’

27 Aug 2018 - 6:59pm 76

China is the second-biggest spender on defence after the United States. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

Seven Chinese defence firms in world’s top 20, think tank says

25 Aug 2018 - 10:23pm 14

The company holds a minute’s silence for the three men who lost their lives, calling on all staff to learn from them and work hard to make China’s navy world-class. Photo: Weibo

Diplomacy

Naval tech experts drown trying to save research platform in typhoon

24 Aug 2018 - 6:23pm 6

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe pledge to continue to build trust during latter’s visit to New Delhi

Diplomacy

China and India promise to preserve peace on their borders

22 Aug 2018 - 10:34pm 6

President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pictured during the North Korean leader’s visit to China in May. Photo: AFP

Politics

Xi Jinping reported to be visiting North Korea next month

18 Aug 2018 - 11:36pm 9

China will launch a series of satellites to monitor the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Chinese satellites to keep real-time watch on South China Sea

16 Aug 2018 - 3:28am 22

Police found US$365 million in counterfeit banknotes at the home in Lixin, Anhui province. Photo: cqcb.com

Society

Pair accused of printing fake cash ‘to pay for daughter’s medical bills’

12 Aug 2018 - 6:52pm 4

Chinese workers aged under 23 spend an average of just seven months in their first job, according a LinkedIn survey. Photo: Handout

Society

Young Chinese workers stay in first job for just 7 months, LinkedIn says

12 Aug 2018 - 5:22pm 1

Video shows them in convoy of red convertibles dressed in red cheongsam

Society

Hainan cadres reprimanded over lavish street parade for married women

12 Aug 2018 - 4:45pm

China launches the Gaofen-11 satellite on a Long March 4B rocket from Taiyuan in Shanxi province on July 31. The country is said to have made progress in developing its space capabilities. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

US’s ‘Space Force’ takes rivalry with China, Russia out of this world

11 Aug 2018 - 11:36pm 16

China said on Monday it had completed a successful test of its Starry Sky-2 hypersonic waverider aircraft. Photo: Handout

Diplomacy

China wanted to impress the US with its Starry Sky-2 demo

9 Aug 2018 - 12:17am 34

The hypersonic Starry Sky-2 aircraft blasts off from an undisclosed location in northwest China on Friday. Photo: Science and Technology Daily

Diplomacy

China’s hypersonic aircraft can fire nukes at 6 times the speed of sound

8 Aug 2018 - 8:52pm 127

China has launched four Type 055 guided-missile destroyers in the past 13 months and is building four more. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

Five things to know about China’s home-built destroyer

6 Aug 2018 - 10:40am 37

The air force said a squadron of J-16s took part in a combat exercise along with J-10, J-11B and Su-30 aircraft. Photo: Weibo

Diplomacy

China’s new fighter jet ‘targeting Taiwan’ may soon be combat ready

30 Aug 2018 - 1:22pm 55

Southeast Asian nations have been increasing their coastal forces in response to China’s aggressive maritime strategy, according to a report by an Australian think tank. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

Nations strengthen coastguards to counter Beijing in South China Sea

7 Aug 2018 - 2:25pm 25

Beijing’s “Belt and Road Initiative” includes many multibillion dollar transport and power projects across Asia, Africa and Europe. Photo: Bloomberg

Diplomacy

China dismisses US investment ‘vision’ for Indo-Pacific as incidental

1 Aug 2018 - 12:39am 34

Members of the Philippine navy run past a warship during a 2016 ceremony. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

China donates warships to Sri Lanka and Philippines

31 Jul 2018 - 10:41pm 18

China's J-20 stealth fighter in action at an air show in Guangdong province in 2016. Photo: EPA-EFE

Diplomacy

How China’s J-20 ‘Powerful Dragon’ compares to the US F-22

30 Aug 2018 - 1:21pm 178

The US embassy says a suspect was wounded in an explosion outside the compound on Thursday afternoon. Photo: Handout

Diplomacy

Chinese police identify suspect in US embassy blast in Beijing

27 Jul 2018 - 6:05am 39

Soybean is one of the American products to be hit by Chinese tariffs. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

The US-China trade war just got hotter with cold cash farm subsidies

26 Jul 2018 - 1:42am 18

In the past couple of years, there has been a significant boom in a nationalistic pride that maintains that China is returning to the world’s centre-stage, according to a Chinese analyst. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

China ‘needs to heed overseas unease’ about nationalist pride

13 Jul 2018 - 10:37pm 42

China fell two places to 27th in an annual survey of soft power. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

China’s human rights record, military aggression hit its soft power

13 Jul 2018 - 8:31pm 20

新Jim Mattis and Xi Jinping meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

China won’t concede an inch, Xi Jinping tells US defence chief Mattis

28 Jun 2018 - 12:02am 162

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is greeted with a floral bouquet as he arrives in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

Mattis' visit unlikely to ease tensions over South China Sea and Taiwan

27 Jun 2018 - 11:44am 5

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is set to arrive in China on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

5 things to watch for during US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis’ China trip

25 Jun 2018 - 10:29pm 25

A Nanjing family became the target of online abuse after the father killed a neighbour’s dog. Photo: Weibo

Society

Chinese police investigate threats against family over dog killing

26 Jun 2018 - 5:06am 1

A Chinese man was sentenced to eight months in prison for threatening a feng shui master with a knife. Photo: Alamy

Society

Chinese feng shui master held at knifepoint over ‘vile’ suggestion

24 Jun 2018 - 6:39pm 3

Thousands of coffins were handed over in Gaoan county, Jiangxi province, last week as China promotes cremation. Photo: Thepaper.cn

Society

Chinese county collects 5,000 coffins as it tries to lay burials to rest

24 Jun 2018 - 5:04pm