https://www.scmp.com/rss/514369/feed Hayley joined the Post as a reporter on the China Desk in 2022. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and previously wrote for Bloomberg News. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China’s latest amphibious warship is designed to take sea-to-land assaults to the next level – a vessel capable of launching fighters and fixed-wing drones like never before. The new-generation Type 076 assault ship will feature an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system, allowing a wider variety of aircraft to take off more frequently during an amphibious attack. The flat-top vessel will serve as a fleet command centre that will enable drones, helicopters, fighters and landing craft... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317834/chinas-new-type-076-sichuan-next-level-amphibious-assault-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317834/chinas-new-type-076-sichuan-next-level-amphibious-assault-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong For the first time, China has unveiled the production facilities of its fifth-generation fighters, hinting at the aircrafts’ readiness for carrier-based catapult launchers. At least two J-35 fighter jets were spotted in a hangar of its developer, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, during an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday. The stealth aircraft – covered in green paint – were in the background as the TV anchor introduced the J-15T, a 4.5-generation multirole fighter that can... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317744/fifth-generation-fighters-make-cameo-appearance-china-unveils-production-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317744/fifth-generation-fighters-make-cameo-appearance-china-unveils-production-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:48 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China has denied transferring surface-to-air missile batteries to Iran following Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic last month. Citing an Arab official familiar with the intelligence, the British-based platform Middle East Eye reported on Monday that Chinese air defence equipment had been sent to Iran after it struck a truce with Israel last month. One source told the platform that China – the biggest recipient of Iran’s oil exports – had received payment in oil shipments, but the report... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317538/china-denies-giving-iran-air-defence-systems-after-conflict-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317538/china-denies-giving-iran-air-defence-systems-after-conflict-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:16:32 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Chinese Premier Li Qiang has lauded his country’s growing ties with Brazil as at their “best in history”, as both nations brace for a battle with the US over trade and the global order. Meeting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for talks on Saturday ahead of the Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, Li said the two sides were “working together to build a more just world”. “The two sides are working together to build a China-Brazil community of shared future in a more just world and a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317154/chinese-premier-li-qiang-hails-best-history-brazil-ties-he-meets-lula-rio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317154/chinese-premier-li-qiang-hails-best-history-brazil-ties-he-meets-lula-rio?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:08:59 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Hayley Wong Seong Hyeon Choi,Hayley Wong America’s view of China as a “pacing threat” has shaped its defence priorities as the military seeks to maintain an edge over a rapidly modernising PLA. In the last of a three-part series on how US budget tensions will affect efforts to deter China, we look at Trump’s massive funding request aimed at turbocharging naval construction. Read the rest of the series here. US President Donald Trump aims to invest tens of billions of dollars to revitalise American shipbuilding, as China’s rapidly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316622/trump-wants-us30-billion-china-shipbuilding-race-heres-why-victory-wont-come-easy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316622/trump-wants-us30-billion-china-shipbuilding-race-heres-why-victory-wont-come-easy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:00:15 +0000 Lynn Zhang,Hayley Wong Lynn Zhang,Hayley Wong All free tickets to board the Shandong aircraft carrier during its port call to Hong Kong from July 3 to 7 have been snapped up in less than a minute across three reservation sessions on Monday. The Post found the tickets for the first batch were gone within 45 seconds after they were released on WeChat. When the second batch was released at 3pm, the reservation system showed no tickets for the Shandong remained, while those for visiting Zhanjiang and Yuncheng vessels were snapped up within 30... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316322/first-batch-tickets-hongkongers-see-chinese-aircraft-carrier-gone-45-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316322/first-batch-tickets-hongkongers-see-chinese-aircraft-carrier-gone-45-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:37:16 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Instead of crushing Tehran’s nuclear programme, Israeli and US strikes on Iranian facilities in the past week might have dealt a blow to international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Analysts warned that the attacks might not only encourage Iran to accelerate its nuclear weapon programme, but also prompt countries such as China and North Korea to expand their deterrence efforts. The pre-emptive strikes also risked setting a precedent for US adversaries to justify similar action against any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316141/will-us-strikes-iran-push-china-and-north-korea-ramp-their-nuclear-arms-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316141/will-us-strikes-iran-push-china-and-north-korea-ramp-their-nuclear-arms-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China will stage a military parade to commemorate the end of World War II – only the second time the event has been held – as conflicts rage around the world, including the latest between Iran and Israel. It will take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3, a decade after the People’s Liberation Army first held a Victory Day parade. The parade will be part of a ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the day that China marks its triumph over the Japanese invasion and the global victory... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315563/china-mark-80th-wwii-anniversary-military-parade-beijing-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315563/china-mark-80th-wwii-anniversary-military-parade-beijing-september?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 02:13:38 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong The Pentagon has diverted an aircraft carrier strike group from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, marking the US Navy’s fourth such manoeuvre in less than a year and prompting words of caution in Taiwan. Analysts said the United States would need to look at ways to balance immediate operational needs in the Middle East with long-term strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, as fluctuating and prolonged conflicts made greater demands on American military resources. According to media reports,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315273/why-us-aircraft-carriers-voyage-middle-east-causing-ripples-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315273/why-us-aircraft-carriers-voyage-middle-east-causing-ripples-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 04:00:20 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong The Fujian, China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, according to state broadcaster CCTV. In a feature broadcast on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the ship’s launch, Wei Dongxu, a CCTV military commentator, said: “The sea trials of the Fujian have made very good progress and it is expected to enter service this year.” On Monday state media dropped another hint that the ship would soon be entering service by referring to an “era” when the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314670/china-hints-fujian-aircraft-carrier-may-soon-be-commissioned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314670/china-hints-fujian-aircraft-carrier-may-soon-be-commissioned?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong In sending two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific concurrently for the first time, Beijing is learning to coordinate the vessels in open ocean, a tactic it would likely use to deter US forces in a Taiwan conflict, according to defence analysts. The two carriers – the Liaoning and Shandong – were spotted in the waters, having entered the western Pacific via separate courses over the past two weeks. They are believed to have practised dispersing, concentrating and communicating in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314380/what-does-chinas-military-gain-operating-2-aircraft-carriers-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314380/what-does-chinas-military-gain-operating-2-aircraft-carriers-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China’s military has accused Japan of undermining regional security after it tested new long-range anti-ship and hypersonic missiles. A commentary published by the military mouthpiece People’s Liberation Army Daily on Wednesday said that the extended range of missiles would be “a real deterrent to multiple surrounding areas”. It also argued that the increased ability to strike long-range targets was “breaking the restrictions of the pacifist constitution that the Japanese Self-Defence Forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314018/chinas-military-says-japan-breaching-pacifist-constitution-long-range-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314018/chinas-military-says-japan-breaching-pacifist-constitution-long-range-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:00:26 +0000 Amber Wang,Hayley Wong Amber Wang,Hayley Wong The risks of a cross-strait military accident are on the rise as Beijing steps up pressure on Taiwan, a former Taiwanese defence official has warned, citing the lack of direct communication channels between the two sides. Andrew Yang Nien-dzu, who served as Taiwan’s deputy defence minister for four years and briefly held the role of minister, spoke to the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security conference. Yang raised concerns over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312787/risk-military-mishap-rising-pla-steps-salami-slicing-former-taiwan-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312787/risk-military-mishap-rising-pla-steps-salami-slicing-former-taiwan-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 02:00:20 +0000 Hayley Wong,Amber Wang Hayley Wong,Amber Wang Asean defence chiefs emphasised individual agency at the Shangri-La Dialogue, after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Indo-Pacific allies to boost military spending and cooperation to counter what he called the “real” threat posed by China. Among them was Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jnr, who asserted that his country, a US treaty ally, was not a mere pawn with “no strategic agency”. Despite China’s pursuit of being a superpower, “we must not overemphasise... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312661/not-mere-pawns-big-power-rivalry-asean-asserts-agency-shangri-la-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312661/not-mere-pawns-big-power-rivalry-asean-asserts-agency-shangri-la-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2025 14:17:34 +0000 Amber Wang,Hayley Wong Amber Wang,Hayley Wong It is customary for Chinese military delegations to push back against American messaging at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s largest annual security summit. But this year’s response was different: the rebuttal was not led by China’s defence minister, but its military academic institutions. Beijing’s low-key attendance at the three-day forum in Singapore, which wrapped up on Sunday, was marked by the absence of Defence Minister Dong Jun and the cancellation of a plenary session on China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312643/china-keeps-low-profile-shangri-la-dialogue-what-does-mean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312643/china-keeps-low-profile-shangri-la-dialogue-what-does-mean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2025 09:10:29 +0000 Amber Wang,Hayley Wong Amber Wang,Hayley Wong A PLA major general leading the Chinese delegation at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue has accused the United States of “destabilising the Asia-Pacific” – after US defence chief Pete Hegseth called for collective deterrence against what he characterised as Chinese aggression in the region. In a panel session at Asia’s premier annual security conference on Saturday afternoon, Hu Gangfeng, vice-president of China’s National Defence University, said Hegseth’s address earlier in the day involved... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312608/chinese-general-fires-back-us-defence-chief-over-shangri-la-dialogue-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312608/chinese-general-fires-back-us-defence-chief-over-shangri-la-dialogue-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 14:02:30 +0000 Hayley Wong,Amber Wang Hayley Wong,Amber Wang US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Indo-Pacific defence chiefs on Saturday that China wanted to “fundamentally alter the region’s status quo”, and that American allies must step up defence investments. Speaking in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence conference, Hegseth said that the threat posed by China was “real and could be imminent”. He said this included Beijing’s efforts to build the capacity to take over Taiwan by force by 2027, while adding that “President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312561/shangri-la-dialogue-pete-hegseth-warns-china-aims-alter-indo-pacific-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312561/shangri-la-dialogue-pete-hegseth-warns-china-aims-alter-indo-pacific-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 02:43:24 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China will downgrade its representation at the Shangri-La Dialogue this year and, in doing so, skip an opportunity for Defence Minister Dong Jun to meet counterparts from the United States and across Asia. In the past, Asia’s premier defence forum has offered a chance for China’s defence minister to make a speech to counter Washington’s narrative in the region and meet other defence chiefs directly. China’s defence ministry said on Thursday that China would send a delegation from the National... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312350/chinas-dong-jun-skip-singapore-forum-and-chance-meet-us-asian-defence-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312350/chinas-dong-jun-skip-singapore-forum-and-chance-meet-us-asian-defence-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 13:55:02 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Senior military officials from China and Thailand reached an “important consensus” on strategic cooperation when they met on Thursday, according to the defence ministry in Beijing. The meeting was held between China’s chief of joint staff, Liu Zhenli, and Thailand’s top defence official, Songwit Noonpackdee, during his visit to the Chinese capital. The two military leaders “reached an important consensus on strengthening strategic communication and deepening cooperation in joint exercises and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311488/china-thailand-meeting-yields-agreement-strategic-cooperation-and-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311488/china-thailand-meeting-yields-agreement-strategic-cooperation-and-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 04:10:16 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China’s armed forces must find ways to undermine the data and computing capacity of its adversaries as AI gains an ever-greater foothold in combat planning and decisions, according to a military mouthpiece. In an article on Tuesday, the PLA Daily said the military’s ability to counter the artificial intelligence-based combat skills of its opponents was an emerging area of warfare that would be vital in the future. Succeeding in the area would mean targeting three main levels of an opponent’s AI... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311210/how-chinas-military-might-use-anti-ai-tactics-battlefields-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311210/how-chinas-military-might-use-anti-ai-tactics-battlefields-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 10:29:58 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China’s “drone carrier” Jiu Tian will take off for its first mission by the end of June, laying the groundwork for expanding the Chinese air force’s operational reach in unmanned aerial combat. Chinese media reports at the weekend commented on the coming launch, and state broadcaster CCTV confirmed the mission on Monday. The first mission flight will mark the beginning of a series of tests before the “drone mother ship” UAV is deployed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Jiu Tian – or “high... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310879/china-extend-combat-range-uavs-jiu-tian-drone-carrier-prepares-first-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310879/china-extend-combat-range-uavs-jiu-tian-drone-carrier-prepares-first-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 06:08:56 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Tens of thousands of kilometres above the Earth’s surface, Chinese satellites have been spotted moving in mysterious zigzag patterns. Space observers – including those at the Pentagon – are not sure what the unusual manoeuvres are meant to achieve, but they are reportedly happening at higher speeds and becoming more complex. They are also coming “uncomfortably close” to US spacecraft. As a rising space power, China has made big advances in recent years with orbital inspection, repair and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310469/will-satellite-dogfights-be-final-frontier-us-china-space-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310469/will-satellite-dogfights-be-final-frontier-us-china-space-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Taiwan has reported an increase in activity by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near the self-ruled island over the past four days, as its own military has conducted a series of live-fire drills to test its amphibious defences. The island’s defence ministry reported on Thursday that 29 aircraft and nine vessels were operating near the island in the 24 hours from 6am Wednesday. A total of 18 aircraft crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and mainland China, patrolling on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310348/taiwan-sees-spike-pla-military-activity-island-stages-defence-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310348/taiwan-sees-spike-pla-military-activity-island-stages-defence-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2025 06:00:18 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Taiwan tested its new high-precision Himars rocket systems for the first time on Monday, a major step in its efforts to reinforce its asymmetric defences against the People’s Liberation Army. A total of 33 rockets were fired from 11 US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) at Jiupeng military base in the island’s southern county of Pingtung, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. The truck-mounted systems – manufactured by Lockheed Martin – are equipped with six multiple... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310173/taiwan-tests-its-new-us-made-himars-rocket-systems-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310173/taiwan-tests-its-new-us-made-himars-rocket-systems-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Hayley Wong,Seong Hyeon Choi Hayley Wong,Seong Hyeon Choi The escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan has exposed the limits of China’s role as a Global South leader and peace broker, and it leaves Beijing with difficult choices to make, analysts say. India claims that it launched missiles and deadly attacks on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday morning in retaliation for what it believes was an Islamabad-backed militant attack on April 22. Pakistan said it shot down five Indian Air Force jets and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309452/why-china-may-find-it-hard-play-peacemaker-india-pakistan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309452/why-china-may-find-it-hard-play-peacemaker-india-pakistan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 22:00:17 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong The People’s Liberation Army will send an honour guard to the Victory Day parades in Minsk and Moscow, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to appear alongside his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at Red Square later this week. China’s defence ministry on Monday said it would send an honour guard to join military parades in the Russian and Belarusian capitals to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany on Friday. Beijing sent honour guards to Moscow for a parade to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3309146/china-send-honour-guard-russia-and-belarus-victory-day-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3309146/china-send-honour-guard-russia-and-belarus-victory-day-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 May 2025 13:30:34 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Campaigns to tighten political control of the People’s Liberation Army have repeatedly proved necessary ahead of “key wars” and “important intersections”, the Chinese military’s mouthpiece has said as an anti-corruption drive goes deeper into the PLA’s leadership. In one of a number of articles on the topic in the past week, the PLA Daily said in a commentary on Wednesday that the Chinese military should “make good use of political rectification” – a euphemism for anti-corruption and political... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3308898/chinas-military-likens-anti-corruption-drive-preparations-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3308898/chinas-military-likens-anti-corruption-drive-preparations-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2025 04:00:09 +0000 China will host an unprecedented inaugural meeting for its premier annual security forum – at a time when Beijing is stepping up its global outreach amid the US tariff war. The flagship Beijing Xiangshan Forum security conference has been held every autumn since 2006. This is the first time that China has announced a meeting in the lead-up to the event that is a cornerstone of its military diplomacy. Representatives from 31 countries and international organisations will take part in next week’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307969/china-host-first-ever-preview-meeting-flagship-annual-xiangshan-security-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307969/china-host-first-ever-preview-meeting-flagship-annual-xiangshan-security-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:23:06 +0000 Last week’s sea trial of Japan’s upgraded electromagnetic rail gun is a milestone in the intensifying regional arms race aimed at countering hypersonic missiles from China, North Korea and Russia. The Japanese defence ministry released images of the gun this week showing a number of modifications to the prototype’s first experimental firing in October 2023. The next-generation weapon was also sighted earlier this month on board the JS Asuka in Yokosuka port before setting off for the sea... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307810/japan-hits-rail-gun-milestone-race-counter-chinas-hypersonic-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307810/japan-hits-rail-gun-milestone-race-counter-chinas-hypersonic-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:10:22 +0000 China supports Iran holding nuclear talks with the United States, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his visiting Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, as the two top diplomats chastised America for its foreign policy. During their meeting in Beijing, Wang and Abbas Araghchi criticised the US for its “abuse of tariffs” and “bullying” conduct, according to a read-out from the Chinese foreign ministry. “China has always been committed to a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307661/china-backs-iran-holding-nuclear-talks-bullying-us-says-top-diplomat-wang-yi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307661/china-backs-iran-holding-nuclear-talks-bullying-us-says-top-diplomat-wang-yi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:15:13 +0000 China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Wednesday accused the US of fabricating the idea that the coronavirus came from a Wuhan laboratory – a theory it said had “no scientific basis”. “More and more clues and evidence showed an earlier appearance of Covid-19 in the United States,” the commission said after the White House pushed the Wuhan lab source theory in a revamped website about the origins of Covid-19. “The next step of tracing the origin should be carried out in the United States,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307652/china-fires-back-after-white-house-site-pushes-covid-19-lab-leak-theory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307652/china-fires-back-after-white-house-site-pushes-covid-19-lab-leak-theory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:59:32 +0000 China will apply tit-for-tat sanctions on US Congress members, officials and heads of non-governmental organisations that Beijing deems to have “acted egregiously” on Hong Kong-related issues. The decision, announced by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon, came after Washington last month imposed sanctions on six local and mainland officials for their involvement in what they called “transnational repression”. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun described the US sanctions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307291/china-sanctions-us-congress-members-officials-and-others-who-behaved-badly-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307291/china-sanctions-us-congress-members-officials-and-others-who-behaved-badly-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:27:41 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has highlighted his country’s “ironclad” friendship with Cambodia during talks with leaders of the Southeast Asian country, the last stop on his three-nation tour of the region. Xi arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday morning on a trip dominated by his calls to “oppose hegemonism” and “resist protectionism” in the face of rising trade frictions with the United States. He held talks in the afternoon with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and then Cambodian Prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306870/chinas-xi-jinping-arrives-cambodia-final-leg-southeast-asian-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306870/chinas-xi-jinping-arrives-cambodia-final-leg-southeast-asian-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:01:03 +0000 The record American tariffs imposed on Beijing could serve as a stress test for its ability to withstand Western economic pressure in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait such as armed conflict, analysts have said. But they also cautioned that any final call to action relating to Taiwan remained a complex political and military decision for Beijing, which regards the island as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. “If the current tariff is sustained, and China is able to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3306156/will-trumps-tariffs-lead-emboldened-beijing-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3306156/will-trumps-tariffs-lead-emboldened-beijing-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:08 +0000 The PLA’s Shandong aircraft carrier is believed to have taken an alternative route to the east of Taiwan ahead of a drill last week, according to a mainland Chinese analyst and Taiwanese media reports. Observers say the move was likely to have been part of training to counter American warships nearby and to explore alternative routes in the event of a conflict across the Taiwan Strait. Ahead of the two-day PLA exercise around Taiwan, the Shandong appeared to have bypassed the wider Bashi Channel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3305385/pla-aircraft-carrier-may-have-explored-alternative-route-taiwans-east-drill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3305385/pla-aircraft-carrier-may-have-explored-alternative-route-taiwans-east-drill?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Apr 2025 06:00:24 +0000 China has vowed to “continue to take resolute measures” to protect its interests against what it called “suppressive” tariffs imposed by the United States. In a position paper released on Saturday evening, the Chinese foreign ministry said the US levies had “severely violated” the legitimate interests of other countries and “severely undermined the rules-based multilateral trade system”. The paper, the first such statement from Beijing on the tariffs issue, also called on the world to “jointly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305358/china-vows-more-resolute-measures-against-trump-tariffs-blitz-us-stocks-plunge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305358/china-vows-more-resolute-measures-against-trump-tariffs-blitz-us-stocks-plunge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 13:36:28 +0000 China is ramping up performance testing of its most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, as it accelerates towards commissioning, according to commercial satellite images that were posted on social media. In the images – said to have been taken on Friday and Saturday from above the Bohai Sea, northeastern China – the Fujian’s steering and turning capabilities appear to be the focus of testing. Straight trails can be seen in the wake of the Fujian, along with circles of decreasing diameter, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3304548/eye-sky-captures-chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-practising-manoeuvres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3304548/eye-sky-captures-chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-practising-manoeuvres?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 10:00:14 +0000 The US looks set to maintain rather than reduce its military presence in the Asia-Pacific under Donald Trump, given the persistent tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea, according to analysts at a leading security forum in Beijing. As part of a panel discussion at Tsinghua University’s International Security and Strategy Forum on Friday, Sun Yun, director of the Stimson Centre’s China programme, said she did not see that the US would “cede its presence” in the Asia-Pacific. “[When] we... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303465/dont-expect-us-scale-back-its-asia-pacific-military-presence-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303465/dont-expect-us-scale-back-its-asia-pacific-military-presence-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Mar 2025 13:00:08 +0000 As militaries around the world race to make their forces more efficient with artificial intelligence – an area of fierce rivalry between Beijing and Washington – AI experts say open-source models could be safer and more sustainable for defence use. Panellists at the Singapore Defence Technology Summit on Wednesday argued against the common assumption that closed-source AI models were safer because they could prevent adversaries from knowing their true capabilities. “When you talk about bad... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303206/open-source-ai-models-may-be-safer-military-use-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303206/open-source-ai-models-may-be-safer-military-use-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Almost a decade has passed since the People’s Liberation Army pulled the trigger on President Xi Jinping’s plans for a massive overhaul of the world’s biggest military. In the seventh of a series on Chinese weapons systems, we look at the country’s new anti-ballistic missile system. After 14 years of testing, China has debuted the Hongqi-19 (HQ-19), an anti-ballistic missile system capable of intercepting threats beyond the atmosphere, as well as those moving at hypersonic speeds within the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302865/chinas-hq-19-system-shield-against-hypersonic-weapons-and-nuclear-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302865/chinas-hq-19-system-shield-against-hypersonic-weapons-and-nuclear-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Chinese arms made up 81 per cent of Pakistan’s weapons imports in the past five years, as Islamabad buys more advanced systems from its long-standing Asian defence partner, according to data from Swedish think tank SIPRI. That was up 7 percentage points from the previous five-year period to 2019, when 74 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports came from China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute database shows. The boost comes amid a huge push in China to improve self-reliance in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302515/china-supplied-81-pakistans-arms-imports-past-5-years-sipri-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302515/china-supplied-81-pakistans-arms-imports-past-5-years-sipri-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Mar 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Mainland China’s No 3 official called for “further improving” the legal system against Taiwan independence, as he addressed a symposium in Beijing on Friday marking the 20th anniversary of its Anti-Secession Law. Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), said Beijing should “resolutely crack down on Taiwanese secession and intervention of foreign forces”. Beijing had doubled down on “improving the legal system to penalise independence forces” and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3302380/zhao-leji-calls-legal-improvements-fight-taiwan-independence-foreign-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3302380/zhao-leji-calls-legal-improvements-fight-taiwan-independence-foreign-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2025 07:51:20 +0000 Rocio Marquez,Catherine Ma,Xinlu Liang,William Zheng,Alice Li,Hayley Wong Rocio Marquez,Catherine Ma,Xinlu Liang,William Zheng,Alice Li,Hayley Wong https://www.scmp.com/infographics/politics/article/3300868/china-us-face-visual-guide-people-defining-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/politics/article/3300868/china-us-face-visual-guide-people-defining-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Mar 2025 22:00:10 +0000 China’s newest fighter jet emerged as a talking point at an American defence conference this week, with US Air Force officials showing more urgency to get their own version of a sixth-generation stealth combat jet. They made the call at the annual Air & Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium, held in Colorado from Monday to Wednesday, while discussing the future of a costly fighter jet programme – Next Generation Air Dominance – that was paused last summer. “We have some choices to make as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3301343/chinas-sixth-gen-fighter-jet-leaves-us-air-force-officials-choices-make?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3301343/chinas-sixth-gen-fighter-jet-leaves-us-air-force-officials-choices-make?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:00:09 +0000 China will increase its military spending by 7.2 per cent this year, a smaller increase than some neighbouring countries. The annual budget, announced at the opening of the annual legislative session on Wednesday, said defence spending would rise from 1.67 trillion yuan to 1.78 trillion yuan (US$245.2 billion). The increase is the same as the two previous years, but is relatively smaller than those announced by China’s neighbours such as India, Japan and the Philippines. Meanwhile European... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3301205/china-increases-defence-spending-slower-pace-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3301205/china-increases-defence-spending-slower-pace-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:58:25 +0000 The former chairman and Communist Party secretary of the state-owned defence conglomerate Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) – China’s leading military aircraft maker – has been expelled from the party for allegedly taking a “huge amount” of bribes. Tan Ruisong, 63, is accused of “extensively abusing” his power in the defence industry for personal gain, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top anti-graft agency. Tan has been under investigation since... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3299910/tan-ruisong-ex-boss-chinese-aircraft-giant-avic-expelled-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3299910/tan-ruisong-ex-boss-chinese-aircraft-giant-avic-expelled-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:18:29 +0000 Mainland China’s military appeared to have stepped up manoeuvres near Taiwan during the country’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, usually a quiet period for defence and exercise activity. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent an average of 13 aircraft and six navy vessels near Taiwan during the 15-day holiday period, compared with nine aircraft and six vessels in the same period a year earlier, according to data released by Taiwan’s defence ministry. This time, however, the aircraft flew much... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299647/pla-steps-taiwan-military-patrols-over-lunar-new-year-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299647/pla-steps-taiwan-military-patrols-over-lunar-new-year-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2025 02:00:16 +0000 China and Australia traded accusations on Thursday over military activities in the South China Sea, with Beijing saying an Australian military plane “deliberately” intruded into Chinese airspace and Canberra suggesting that a Chinese fighter jet conducted “unsafe” manoeuvres. The Chinese foreign ministry said China expelled the Australian plane after it “deliberately intruded into the airspace of China’s Paracel Islands without China’s permission and violated China’s sovereignty” on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298572/south-china-sea-china-slams-australian-military-plane-intruding-its-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298572/south-china-sea-china-slams-australian-military-plane-intruding-its-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:18:37 +0000 Two American naval vessels were spotted sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, according to the People’s Liberation Army, which also said that it was tracking the crossing. The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command “organised sea and air forces to follow and monitor the entire movement of the US vessels, and handled them effectively”, according to spokesman Li Xi. Speaking on Wednesday morning, Li accused the US deployment of sending “wrong signals and increasing security risks”. The transit was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298305/pla-tracks-us-navy-ships-first-taiwan-strait-transit-trumps-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298305/pla-tracks-us-navy-ships-first-taiwan-strait-transit-trumps-return?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 02:19:09 +0000 Competition in space between the US and China could be about to intensify, with US President Donald Trump’s picks to lead the United States Air Force notable for their strong backgrounds in the field, according to analysts. Trump has nominated space and air force veteran Troy Meink for the post of secretary, with Matthew Lohmeier, former commander of the space force – which is overseen by the airborne service – expected to serve as deputy. Experts say the appointments will add to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298178/how-trumps-air-force-picks-signal-blast-us-china-military-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298178/how-trumps-air-force-picks-signal-blast-us-china-military-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 22:00:09 +0000