https://www.scmp.com/rss/267382/feed Minnie Chan is an award-winning journalist, specialising in reporting on defence and diplomacy in China. Her coverage of the US EP-3 spy plane crash with a PLA J-8 in 2001 near the South China Sea opened her door to the military world. Since then, she has had several scoops relating to China's military development. She has been at the Post since 2005 and has a master's in international public affairs from The University of Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China must strike a balance and work with other powers if it is to play an active mediation role in the Israel-Gaza war, according to Middle East experts attending a high-profile security forum in Beijing. Experts from China, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan joined a discussion panel at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on a new security architecture for the Middle East, which they agreed needed to be built on a multipolar geopolitical framework. They urged the major powers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239906/israel-gaza-mediation-role-will-require-china-work-other-powers-xiangshan-forum-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239906/israel-gaza-mediation-role-will-require-china-work-other-powers-xiangshan-forum-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:43:09 +0000 The Pentagon missed a “good opportunity” to send US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, where he could have met top brass of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and resumed long-stalled dialogues between senior military officials, a Chinese lieutenant general has said. “Does he really want to meet senior Chinese officials? If he genuinely wanted to make contact, then he should have come,” He Lei, former vice-president of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239871/lloyd-austins-absence-xiangshan-forum-missed-opportunity-pentagon-says-chinese-general?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239871/lloyd-austins-absence-xiangshan-forum-missed-opportunity-pentagon-says-chinese-general?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:07:37 +0000 Soon after President Xi Jinping took the helm of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), he kicked off the biggest overhaul the world’s largest fighting force had seen in decades. The shake-up, which began in 2015, sought to move China’s military away from a Soviet-style, army-oriented structure towards one that was more suitable for joint operations, closer to the US model. Over the past eight years, Xi has conducted a massive anti-corruption drive that has seen more heads roll than during the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239550/ongoing-military-overhaul-chinas-pla-has-one-goal-mind-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239550/ongoing-military-overhaul-chinas-pla-has-one-goal-mind-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 22:00:16 +0000 As Beijing gears up for a high-profile security forum expected to showcase its leverage in the Global South, observers are hoping it will also help war-torn developing states find a way towards peace and development. “Today’s world is full of violence, and poverty is the key reason leading to these bloody conflicts. The poorer the country, the more violence there is,” eminent Chinese political economist Zheng Yongnian told a warm-up event on Sunday for the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. “It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239588/why-chinas-xiangshan-forum-where-global-south-can-find-security-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239588/why-chinas-xiangshan-forum-where-global-south-can-find-security-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:00:11 +0000 Beijing has remained silent over why General Li Shangfu – now China’s shortest-serving defence minister – was sacked, but signs leading up to his dismissal suggested that he may have been implicated in corruption, against which President Xi Jinping has launched an aggressive campaign since taking power in 2012. Li’s fall came after multiple efforts by the Communist Party to ramp up scrutiny over corruption in areas closely related to him. On July 26, the equipment development department of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239308/li-shangfus-dismissal-defence-minister-came-no-details-few-clues-observers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239308/li-shangfus-dismissal-defence-minister-came-no-details-few-clues-observers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 11:17:11 +0000 The US sent two multi-role unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to its naval bases in Japan, in a move defence analysts said may indicate plans to use drone ships in Washington’s deterrence strategy against Beijing over Taiwan. The Mariner and Ranger of the US Third Fleet sailed from California to Yokosuka, Japan, last month as part of the US Navy’s Integrated Battle Problem 23.2 exercise (IBP23.2), according to a statement by the US Seventh Fleet, which is headquartered in the Japanese city. Before... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238784/us-sends-drone-ships-navy-bases-japan-signalling-new-role-driverless-vessels-deterring-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238784/us-sends-drone-ships-navy-bases-japan-signalling-new-role-driverless-vessels-deterring-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2023 14:00:12 +0000 Hong Kong-American pop singer Coco Lee, who died in July, was laid to rest at a famous mausoleum in Wuhan, capital city of central China’s Hubei province, on Saturday. Lee’s ashes arrived at Wuhan Shimen Peak Memorial Park on Saturday, accompanied by her elder sisters Nancy and Carol, according to video footage and pictures posted by her family and fans on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. The burial ceremony was private, but the public was invited to take part in the opening of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3238760/hong-kong-pop-star-coco-lee-laid-rest-central-chinas-wuhan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3238760/hong-kong-pop-star-coco-lee-laid-rest-central-chinas-wuhan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 13:00:22 +0000 A new Pentagon report points to the People’s Liberation Army’s growing nuclear capabilities and more advanced weapons, which experts believe may be used by Beijing as deterrence and bring greater pressure to bear on Taipei. According to a US Department of Defence report titled “2023 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China” released on Thursday, Beijing is “on track to exceed previous projections” in boosting its nuclear capabilities. The report said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238714/china-will-have-over-1000-nuclear-weapons-2030-exceeding-us-predictions-pentagon-report-pla?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238714/china-will-have-over-1000-nuclear-weapons-2030-exceeding-us-predictions-pentagon-report-pla?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 04:00:20 +0000 Washington’s new export rules, intended to prevent the Chinese military from acquiring advanced AI chips for weapons development, would not have an immediate impact, but they might impede the PLA’s modernisation drive, analysts said. “The People’s Liberation Army’s active weapons systems are predominantly supported by regular 45-nm and 28-nm chips. It doesn’t need to use the advanced A100 and H100 chips made by [US chip maker] Nvidia listed in the new bans,” said Zhou Chenming, a researcher with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238558/new-us-export-limits-ai-chips-wont-affect-pla-immediately-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238558/new-us-export-limits-ai-chips-wont-affect-pla-immediately-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2023 03:27:03 +0000 General Liu Zhenli is expected to play a central role at a Beijing-organised security forum later this month as China resumes high-level military communications with the United States, according to observers and sources. Li, the chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army joint staff, is likely to become the face of the PLA in its meeting with US representatives at the Xiangshan Forum following the unexplained disappearance of China’s defence minister Li Shangfu. The resumption of high-level... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3237796/chinas-general-liu-zhenli-likely-step-missing-defence-minister-security-forum-us-military-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3237796/chinas-general-liu-zhenli-likely-step-missing-defence-minister-security-forum-us-military-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:00:07 +0000 The People’s Liberation Army has outlined ways it is strengthening the navy’s data analytics capability and collecting large amounts of information about foreign vessels and aircraft. In a full-page feature published on Monday, the official PLA Daily newspaper described how data analysts on the Yancheng, a Type 054A guided-missile frigate, had been working with radar operators to collect sonar data from foreign ships. “Data collection has become one of our key tasks in regular training, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3237356/chinese-navy-looks-big-data-give-it-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3237356/chinese-navy-looks-big-data-give-it-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2023 22:00:12 +0000 China and Germany agreed to strengthen economic cooperation and open up financial markets to spur economic growth and counter global challenges after resuming high-level talks in Frankfurt on Sunday. Both sides agreed to strengthen policy coordination and defend global financial security and global trade rules, according to a statement published by the Chinese finance ministry after the talks between Vice-Premier He Lifeng and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The statement said they... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236426/open-chinese-evs-and-5g-tech-beijings-envoy-urges-berlin-and-brussels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236426/open-chinese-evs-and-5g-tech-beijings-envoy-urges-berlin-and-brussels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 11:43:46 +0000 Beijing will host the Xiangshan Forum in October, but it is not clear if defence chief General Li Shangfu – who has not been seen in public for a month – will attend the regional security talks. Defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian confirmed on Thursday that the forum will be held from October 29 to 31. It is the first time that the event – China’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – will be held in person since 2019. “So far, more than 40 countries and international... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3236168/china-will-host-xiangshan-forum-no-word-missing-defence-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3236168/china-will-host-xiangshan-forum-no-word-missing-defence-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:50:40 +0000 The Pentagon appears keen to repair ties with the Chinese military and help stabilise ties between the two countries, a Chinese analyst said in response to comments by the retiring head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, General Mark Milley, who retires this month, offered his assessment of February’s spy balloon saga, Taiwan and progress on China’s military modernisation. The Chinese balloon spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235103/top-us-general-offers-rational-take-chinas-military-progress-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235103/top-us-general-offers-rational-take-chinas-military-progress-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:00:23 +0000 The United States Space Force’s plan to set up a new command post in Japan could fuel the space race with China, analysts have warned. The command post in Japan will be the third in the Indo-Pacific after sites opened in Hawaii and South Korea last year. ‘A clever design’: China moves to make simulated ‘phantom’ space feint a reality According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, a small number of guardians – military personnel who work for Space Force – have already been stationed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234977/us-continues-build-space-force-strength-new-base-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234977/us-continues-build-space-force-strength-new-base-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:00:30 +0000 The People’s Liberation Army has mobilised aircraft from different theatre commands to take part in an “island encirclement patrol” near Taiwan, which experts said could signal a new strategy to prepare for regional military conflicts. The aircraft drills coincided with joint sea and air training conducted by the PLA’s Shandong aircraft carrier in the western Pacific Ocean since early this week. According to earlier reports it involved a total of 42 naval ships from the Eastern and Southern... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234581/plas-latest-air-and-sea-drills-near-taiwan-could-signal-surprise-attack-strategy-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234581/plas-latest-air-and-sea-drills-near-taiwan-could-signal-surprise-attack-strategy-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:12:24 +0000 Commanders and senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army must go to the front lines to ensure the day-to-day problems of the rank and file are resolved in a timely manner, the PLA Daily said in an editorial. The call, published on Tuesday, mostly addressed the importance of conducting field studies, but it is also part of an ongoing anti-corruption campaign and an effort by the top brass to rebuild the army’s traditions and improve combat readiness, military observers say. Department heads... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234438/chinas-military-top-brass-called-front-lines-field-research-fix-rank-and-file-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234438/chinas-military-top-brass-called-front-lines-field-research-fix-rank-and-file-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 14:00:10 +0000 Online imagery and social media postings by workers of China’s top shipbuilder show the country is probably building a next-generation amphibious assault dock equipped with an advanced electromagnetic aircraft launch system, analysts said. On Sunday last week, workers at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), posted a picture on the Weibo social media platform – China’s equivalent of Twitter or X – of themselves celebrating... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234109/chinese-military-celebrating-workers-social-media-photo-shows-beijing-likely-building-new-type-076?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234109/chinese-military-celebrating-workers-social-media-photo-shows-beijing-likely-building-new-type-076?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:00:18 +0000 Beijing issued a strongly worded statement on Saturday rejecting accusations from the United States that China was fuelling the illicit trade in pangolins. “[China] expressed serious concern … and firmly opposed attempts to use the issue of pangolin protection to damage China’s reputation,” the statement issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said. The body, which oversees the management of China’s wildlife, described the US’s accusation as another example of Washington’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233988/china-hits-back-us-claims-it-putting-pangolins-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233988/china-hits-back-us-claims-it-putting-pangolins-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:00:14 +0000 China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier is close to undergoing its first sea trials, latest photos posted online by military buffs suggest, taking the giant warship a step closer to becoming an actual combat platform. The pace of progress indicates that the Fujian, a 1,037-foot (316m) supercarrier, is ready to test its aircraft launch systems and will join the Chinese navy in 2025 as scheduled, military experts said. Images posted by military enthusiasts on Chinese microblogging site... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233627/chinas-most-advanced-fujian-aircraft-carrier-track-2025-pla-handover-latest-weibo-photos-suggest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233627/chinas-most-advanced-fujian-aircraft-carrier-track-2025-pla-handover-latest-weibo-photos-suggest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:00:22 +0000 Experts believe the People’s Liberation Army’s most advanced amphibious assault ship – key to a possible attack on Taiwan – will be upgraded with integrated electric propulsion sooner than expected, greatly advancing its capacity to launch an air assault. The latest imagery uploaded to social media in China and overseas on August 31 showed the hull assembly of a Type 075 LHD nearing completion at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233458/will-type-075-assault-ship-upgrade-advance-chinas-capacity-attack-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233458/will-type-075-assault-ship-upgrade-advance-chinas-capacity-attack-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Sep 2023 08:00:24 +0000 The “tragedy” of the war in Ukraine must not be repeated in Asia, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday as he warned countries not to allow themselves to become pawns in a great power competition. Wang also accused “individual external forces” of “sowing discord” among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to prevent a consensus over the South China Sea, where Beijing’s extensive claims have fuelled tensions with a number of neighbouring countries. Malaysia joins India... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233262/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-warns-southeast-asian-countries-external-forces-are-trying-sow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233262/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-warns-southeast-asian-countries-external-forces-are-trying-sow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:00:13 +0000 Arms sales to Taipei and a refusal to lift sanctions imposed on Chinese defence chief General Li Shangfu are still the main obstacles to resuming high-level military talks to Washington, Beijing has said. The US “should mind its own business”, a defence ministry spokesman told a regular press briefing on Thursday, while clarifying that communication channels remained open. “I want to clarify that military-to-military communication between China and the United States has not stopped,” ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233001/china-spells-out-obstacles-resuming-high-level-military-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3233001/china-spells-out-obstacles-resuming-high-level-military-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:49:17 +0000 A senior Chinese general has called on the military’s procurement and technological development arms to improve the “quality of our weaponry”, so that the People’s Liberation Army can fulfil its modernisation goal and win any battles it may face. General Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), said advanced arms and better quality control must be the top priority for officers, to protect the lives of troops in case of conflict in an increasingly challenging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232866/chinese-general-calls-quality-weapons-so-pla-can-win-any-battle-complex-global-situation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232866/chinese-general-calls-quality-weapons-so-pla-can-win-any-battle-complex-global-situation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:04:12 +0000 China appears to have launched its first Type 054B guided missile frigate – a bigger, more advanced version of the Type 054A warship now in service. Photos from a state-owned Shanghai naval shipbuilder circulating on Chinese social media platforms suggested that the next-generation vessel had not only adopted the advanced phased radar systems of the last Type 054A batch but also the stealth mast of the Type 055 destroyer – China’s most powerful ship of its kind. The new vessel entered a pool at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232599/china-has-launched-bigger-faster-version-054a-guided-missile-frigate-online-photos-suggest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232599/china-has-launched-bigger-faster-version-054a-guided-missile-frigate-online-photos-suggest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 15:30:20 +0000 The US military’s heightened response to a Russian-Chinese flotilla near Alaska was meant to send a message of force, according to a Chinese military analyst. “What we see now is a flexing of muscle … as the Ukraine war continues,” former People’s Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping said. “The US wants to underscore that it is the real leading power in the North Atlantic by stepping up its response to the joint patrol by the Chinese and Russian navies.” According to US senators Lisa... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230297/us-navy-makes-show-force-russian-chinese-flotilla-near-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230297/us-navy-makes-show-force-russian-chinese-flotilla-near-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Aug 2023 01:00:21 +0000 China’s military is focusing its nuclear programme on quality rather than quantity when it comes to warheads, Chinese defence analysts have said, dismissing suggestions that the PLA is embarking on a massive build-up. The assessments follow the release last week of a Japanese defence ministry white paper that said Beijing could quadruple its arsenal to 1,500 warheads by 2035, echoing estimates by the Pentagon in October. Tokyo estimated the People’s Liberation Army had 350 nuclear warheads as of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230023/chinas-rivals-warn-nuclear-build-analysts-say-beijing-seeks-quality-over-quantity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230023/chinas-rivals-warn-nuclear-build-analysts-say-beijing-seeks-quality-over-quantity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:00:24 +0000 Minnie Chan Minnie Chan Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai Ching-te will stop in the US when he attends the inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena next week, Taiwan’s Presidential Office announced on Wednesday. Lai will transit through New York on his way to Paraguay – one of the island’s last remaining allies – and stop in San Francisco on his way home, said Alexander Yui Tah-ray, Taiwan’s foreign vice-minister. Lai, who will represent the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the island’s presidential... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229763/taiwanese-presidential-hopeful-william-lai-stop-us-during-paraguay-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229763/taiwanese-presidential-hopeful-william-lai-stop-us-during-paraguay-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:22:08 +0000 China’s latest export restrictions on drones could be seen as a compromise in response to increasing Western pressure over its close ties with Russia, defence analysts have suggested. Starting from next month, exporters will require government approval to export civilian drones that could also have military applications. The new curbs, announced on Monday, will inevitably cause serious losses to Chinese firms as both Russia and Ukraine have been turning to foreign suppliers to equip their armed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229654/chinas-latest-drone-export-curbs-may-be-signal-west-it-neutral-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229654/chinas-latest-drone-export-curbs-may-be-signal-west-it-neutral-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:01:37 +0000 Beijing has appointed a new leadership for the force responsible for its nuclear arsenal after its former commanders were snared in an anti-corruption campaign. Wang Houbin, the navy’s former deputy commander, will become the new head of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, while Xu Xisheng will move from Southern Theatre Command to become its new political commissar, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Their appointments were announced as both Wang and Xu were promoted from the rank of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229515/china-unveils-new-pla-rocket-force-leadership-after-former-commanders-snared-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229515/china-unveils-new-pla-rocket-force-leadership-after-former-commanders-snared-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:47:30 +0000 China’s top law enforcement body has put overseas telecoms fraud in its sights, saying the crime is a matter of national security and social stability, according to state media reports. Addressing a meeting of judges and prosecutors in Beijing, Chen Wenqing, head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, said all resources should be mobilised to “safeguard the vital interest of the people”. “[We] must hit hard illegal and criminal activities such as telecommunication network fraud... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3229418/china-renews-attack-rampant-telecoms-and-online-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3229418/china-renews-attack-rampant-telecoms-and-online-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:00:13 +0000 China called for peace, opposition to hegemony and “bridging differences through dialogue”, as it joined North Korea in marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean war ceasefire. Chinese state media released a series of articles commemorating the 1950-53 war as a high-level delegation from Beijing arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday to take part in related events, in the first post-pandemic trip to North Korea by Chinese officials. The delegation is being led by Li Hongzhong, member of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229161/china-hails-korean-war-armistice-victory-peace-high-level-team-arrives-pyongyang-mark-1953-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229161/china-hails-korean-war-armistice-victory-peace-high-level-team-arrives-pyongyang-mark-1953-event?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:38:19 +0000 The PLA might be able to use a Chinese-built pier project in Cambodia for logistics but the facility could not be used for bigger military missions such as berthing an aircraft carrier, according to observers. Satellite images from US company BlackSky Technology showed construction work was nearly finished on the pier at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. On Monday, BlackSky released 10 images showing the progress on the pier, which has been built with Chinese funding and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229135/chinas-cambodian-navy-base-project-makes-us-wary-fears-it-will-host-aircraft-carrier-are-unfounded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3229135/chinas-cambodian-navy-base-project-makes-us-wary-fears-it-will-host-aircraft-carrier-are-unfounded?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:28:25 +0000 China has ignored an invitation to attend a defence conference next month as it continues to rebuff American attempts to resume high-level dialogue between the two countries’ militaries, according to a senior US admiral. Admiral John Aquilino, the head of Indo-Pacific Command, told The Aspen Security Forum in Colorado that attempts to contact his People’s Liberation Army counterparts have been disregarded or declined, including a recent invitation to attend the annual chiefs of defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3228391/chinese-military-snubbed-invite-defence-conference-says-senior-us-admiral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3228391/chinese-military-snubbed-invite-defence-conference-says-senior-us-admiral?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:30:11 +0000 China’s defence industry is exploring options to set up production in Turkey to expand its international market share, but will weigh the potential risks in its expansion drive, Chinese analysts said. Risk factors like pressure from the United States and a less than satisfactory track record with Turkish business partners will be carefully considered by Chinese defence producers as they venture into the new market to take advantage of its Nato membership status, they said. Chinese defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3228264/china-cautiously-eyes-defence-production-opportunities-nato-member-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3228264/china-cautiously-eyes-defence-production-opportunities-nato-member-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 03:00:11 +0000 China’s military has bid farewell to one of its young leading lights in artificial intelligence with a funeral at Beijing’s elite Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Saturday. Colonel Feng Yanghe, one of the driving forces behind the AI software used in the country’s military simulations, died in Beijing early on July 1 on the way to “a major mission”, according to profiles posted online. He was 38. The profiles did not specify a cause of death. Feng’s funeral committee said the ceremony was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227877/chinas-military-pays-tribute-ai-war-games-pioneer-feng-yanghe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227877/chinas-military-pays-tribute-ai-war-games-pioneer-feng-yanghe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 13:00:08 +0000 China is expected to launch two multi-role frigates, adding muscle to its new generation of aircraft carrier strike groups, according to photos circulated by military enthusiasts online. Several photos shared by a mainland-based Weibo user who tracks news about the Chinese navy showed the hull of a Type 054B frigate – a bigger and faster version of the Type 054A now in service – as it was prepared to be rolled out from the dry dock of a shipyard. Over half of the hull was visible, suggesting the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227841/china-appears-be-readying-2-advanced-warships-launch-adding-muscle-aircraft-carrier-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227841/china-appears-be-readying-2-advanced-warships-launch-adding-muscle-aircraft-carrier-group?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:00:24 +0000 Russia will send troops from its air force and navy to take part in a China-led joint military exercise in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, the Chinese defence ministry announced on Saturday. Without giving the date of the “Northern/Interaction-2023” exercise, organised by the People’s Liberation Army’s Northern Theatre Command, the ministry said the drills would focus on “maintaining the security of strategic maritime corridors”. “This joint exercise aims at enhancing the level of strategic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227824/china-and-russia-hold-joint-military-drill-strategic-waters-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227824/china-and-russia-hold-joint-military-drill-strategic-waters-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2023 09:00:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has awarded first-class merit citations to two military units – but the reasons for the awards have not been made public. On Wednesday the state news agency Xinhua announced that Xi had signed an order of commendation for a nuclear submarine unit overseeing the South China Sea and an office of the Central Military Commission’s equipment development department. It did not provide further details. Official information shows the equipment development department’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227593/china-honours-nuclear-submarine-unit-and-military-equipment-development-department?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227593/china-honours-nuclear-submarine-unit-and-military-equipment-development-department?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 14:30:09 +0000 Wagner mercenaries rescued and evacuated a group of Chinese miners in central Africa about two weeks ago, signalling the paramilitary group is seeking to rebuild its image after stunning the world with an armed mutiny in Russia last month, analysts said. The group posted photos and a statement on the social media platform Telegram last week indicating the operation involved a Chinese-operated mining site near Bambari in the Central African Republic earlier this month. In March, nine Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227490/wagner-mercenaries-rescued-chinese-gold-miners-central-african-republic-july-paramilitary-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227490/wagner-mercenaries-rescued-chinese-gold-miners-central-african-republic-july-paramilitary-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:00:10 +0000 A shelter covering part of an advanced plane launch system on the country’s newest aircraft carrier appears to have been removed, suggesting catapult take-off tests on the vessel could start soon, according to military analysts. Photos posted by a military enthusiast on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, on Monday also showed an array of radar systems had been installed in the control tower island of the Fujian. Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at the Taiwanese Naval Academy, said installation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227218/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-counting-down-catapult-take-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227218/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-counting-down-catapult-take-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:30:16 +0000 China has upgraded its naval bases to house and support its rapidly expanding combat fleet, according to analysis of recent satellite imagery. The PLA Navy – the world’s second largest after the United States – is expected to launch at least 10 surface combatants by the end of this year, including eight Type 052D destroyers and two of the bigger and faster Type 054B frigates, with a total displacement of 72,000 tonnes. The new vessels will join China’s two active aircraft carriers, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227075/china-ramps-naval-base-works-accommodate-rapidly-growing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3227075/china-ramps-naval-base-works-accommodate-rapidly-growing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2023 14:00:09 +0000 The mantle of snow on top of the world’s highest peak is much deeper than previously thought, a finding that could affect understanding of climate change, according to a group of Chinese scientists. In a report in the non-profit international scientific journal The Cryosphere on Thursday, the researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research said the average depth of the snow on the summit of Mount Everest was about 9.5 metres (31.1 feet). Previous estimates... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227084/how-deep-snow-mt-everest-chinese-team-says-its-deeper-previously-thought?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227084/how-deep-snow-mt-everest-chinese-team-says-its-deeper-previously-thought?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:07:30 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees the Taiwan Strait, highlights Beijing’s concerns that the United States and Japan would intervene in the event of an attack on the island, analysts have said. Xi, who also chairs the Central Military Commission, praised the command’s “significant contribution” to safeguarding China’s territory sovereignty and national unity when visiting headquarters of the command in Nanjing, a city in the eastern... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226969/chinese-president-xi-jinpings-visit-military-base-puts-concern-over-us-intervention-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226969/chinese-president-xi-jinpings-visit-military-base-puts-concern-over-us-intervention-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 10:38:13 +0000 After two decades of development, China’s most powerful engine has had its maiden flight in one of the country’s most advanced stealth fighters, an upgrade that defence analysts say narrows the technology gap with the United States. According to a video circulating online since June 28, a J-20 prototype jet fighter fitted with two WS-15 engines took off from a test airfield in Chengdu, southwest Sichuan province. The city is the base of the J-20’s developer, Chengdu Aerospace Corporation. It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226562/china-puts-advanced-ws-15-engines-through-j-20-stealth-fighter-paces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226562/china-puts-advanced-ws-15-engines-through-j-20-stealth-fighter-paces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 01:00:17 +0000 State media coverage of a Chinese military exercise gives a glimpse of how the PLA is adapting its tactics based on the war in Ukraine, according to observers. The exercise conducted by a combined armed brigade from the People’s Liberation Army’s 82nd Army Group in Hebei province involved the use of reconnaissance drones and radars to counter rivals equipped with portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles. In a programme aired by state broadcaster CCTV about a week ago, group commander Liu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226427/how-chinas-military-learning-ukraine-war-drill-gives-clues-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226427/how-chinas-military-learning-ukraine-war-drill-gives-clues-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:19:49 +0000 The Japanese military’s decision to add Starlink to its communications toolbox will boost its defences and buy more time for Taipei and Washington in a conflict over the island, analysts said. In a report on Tuesday, The Japan Times quoted Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada as confirming that Japan’s Self-Defence Forces had been testing the satellite internet service since March. “In recent years, threats to the unfettered use of space have been increasing, and it is important to improve... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226176/starlink-japan-could-buy-more-time-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226176/starlink-japan-could-buy-more-time-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:30:21 +0000 Two Russian warships were seen near the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, but analysts have played down the significance of the transit, saying they were likely heading home after taking part in a multilateral naval exercise in Indonesia early this month. Beijing – which often criticises transits through the Taiwan Strait by foreign warships – has made no mention of the Russian warships’ passage. In a statement late on Tuesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said two Russian corvettes had been spotted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225800/russian-warships-spotted-taiwans-east-coast-way-home-komodo-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225800/russian-warships-spotted-taiwans-east-coast-way-home-komodo-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:00:16 +0000 Taiwan’s acquisition of Nato’s Link 22 tactical communications system will bolster the island’s defences, especially with the planned addition of four advanced surveillance and reconnaissance drones from the United States, military experts said. A senior Taiwanese defence official confirmed last month that the US would help the self-ruled island to acquire the advanced data link and radio system. Taiwan is also expecting to take delivery of powerful MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones in 2025 after the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225627/taiwan-get-tactical-boost-natos-link-22-and-us-seaguardian-drones-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225627/taiwan-get-tactical-boost-natos-link-22-and-us-seaguardian-drones-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2023 01:00:22 +0000 More than 90 per cent of this year’s recruitment to the Chinese military could be drawn from fresh graduates and high school students, in a bid to meet the People’s Liberation Army’s modernisation targets and ease the country’s record youth unemployment. A source close to the military, who asked not to be identified, said the target represented a 10 per cent increase on average student recruitment rates of previous years. Analysts said that a drive to encourage educated young people to join the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225127/can-china-fix-youth-unemployment-woes-military-recruitment-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225127/can-china-fix-youth-unemployment-woes-military-recruitment-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jun 2023 06:00:08 +0000