https://www.scmp.com/rss/517732/feed The latest news on Li Shangfu, former Chinese defence minister, including political stories and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese President Xi Jinping has again sought to shore up the military’s ideological defences, demanding absolute loyalty to the Communist Party from all ranks, just weeks after the country’s top general came under investigation for corruption. “There must be no room within the military for those harbouring disloyalty towards the party, nor any shelter for corrupt individuals,” Xi told a meeting of military and armed police lawmakers on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345830/xi-jinpings-zero-fail-mission-chinas-military-total-loyalty-no-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345830/xi-jinpings-zero-fail-mission-chinas-military-total-loyalty-no-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen The Central Military Commission, the top decision-making body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army, is set for a leadership reshuffle after the downfall of most of its members. President Xi Jinping is now in his third term as chairman of the commission. But now five of the other six members of the commission – who were all originally expected to serve a five-year term, ending in 2027 – are no longer active. Last month Zhang Youxia, first-ranked vice-chairman of the CMC and China’s most senior... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343361/what-chinas-central-military-commission-and-how-does-it-operate-amid-anti-graft-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343361/what-chinas-central-military-commission-and-how-does-it-operate-amid-anti-graft-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:32 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Two top PLA Air Force officers have become the latest military brass to miss a key political event, as the anti-corruption campaign in the Chinese military continues unabated. Footage broadcast by state television CCTV indicated that General Chang Dingqiu and Guo Puxiao, Air Force commander and political commissar, respectively, were not present at a ceremony on Monday to fill top-level vacancies caused by the sweeping crackdown. The event in Beijing was led by President Xi Jinping, who is also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337636/top-pla-air-force-duo-miss-key-military-event-led-xi-corruption-fight-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337636/top-pla-air-force-duo-miss-key-military-event-led-xi-corruption-fight-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:00:45 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang China’s leader has promoted two PLA commanders who oversee the Taiwan Strait and the city of Beijing, suggesting that the dust has begun to settle following a massive purge in the military over corruption concerns. President Xi Jinping promoted Yang Zhibin, commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, to the rank of full general on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The move formally confirms Yang as head of the Eastern Theatre Command. Yang previously served as a lieutenant general in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337383/xi-jinping-promotes-pla-commanders-overseeing-taiwan-strait-beijing-full-general?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337383/xi-jinping-promotes-pla-commanders-overseeing-taiwan-strait-beijing-full-general?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:43:41 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The Chinese military is pushing for stricter rules on equipment purchases, including its pricing system, to stem corruption. According to a set of “professional ethics” released on Friday, the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Equipment Development Department should foster “professional values in the new era”, with quality the top priority in equipment procurement. The department should serve the People’s Liberation Army with “integrity and clean practice”, the official PLA Daily quoted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337046/chinese-military-tightens-review-equipment-and-weapons-pricing-fight-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337046/chinese-military-tightens-review-equipment-and-weapons-pricing-fight-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The People’s Liberation Army has made a rare public appeal for tip-offs about procurement problems in its air force, as Beijing presses ahead with its anti-corruption campaign in the military. The announcement was posted on Monday on the PLA’s official procurement website – the main bid information platform for suppliers – seeking information about “irregular” procurement activities organised by air force units. It is the first time such a request has been made about a specific branch of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336804/chinas-military-calls-tip-offs-it-targets-corruption-air-force-procurement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336804/chinas-military-calls-tip-offs-it-targets-corruption-air-force-procurement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the third part of a series looking back at the events of 2025, we examine China’s growing military might and how it’s narrowing the tech gap with the US. US defence chief Pete Hegseth told a conference in Washington this month that America would maintain a “clear-eyed appreciation” of China’s “rapid, formidable and holistic” military build-up. That build-up is being watched globally, with defence experts in recent years... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336735/why-chinas-rapid-military-build-hardly-whole-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336735/why-chinas-rapid-military-build-hardly-whole-story?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 22:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The mainland Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, the corruption-hit division that oversees Taiwan, appears to be headed by two recent additions to the command. The appointments will enable the command to maintain continuity of operations despite the corruption cases among its leadership, according to an analyst. PLA Air Force Lieutenant General Yang Zhibin, 62, and Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun, 57, stood alongside other senior officials at mainland China’s annual commemoration of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:49:35 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332692/top-pla-heads-have-rolled-chinas-hunt-corrupt-military-officials-may-be-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332692/top-pla-heads-have-rolled-chinas-hunt-corrupt-military-officials-may-be-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 22:00:23 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The PLA has banned four leading Chinese universities from tendering for military projects, accusing them of bid-rigging, as Beijing presses on with its anti-corruption drive in the armed forces. The procurement website of the People’s Liberation Army, the biggest defence purchasing platform open to the public, released four notices on Sunday accusing the universities of colluding on bids for the same project. According to the notices, the universities rigged their bids for a project for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332469/pla-bans-4-chinese-universities-procurement-process-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332469/pla-bans-4-chinese-universities-procurement-process-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:13:28 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei A senior Chinese general has called for the military to be prepared to “live a tight life” and cut costs on multiple fronts in an elaboration of the 15th five-year plan. The remarks by Qiu Yang, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission, were made in an article published last week and included in a supplementary reader for the Communist Party’s policy recommendations on the five-year plan covering 2026-2030. The recommendations were issued following the closing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331673/pla-urged-live-tight-life-top-officials-elaborate-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331673/pla-urged-live-tight-life-top-officials-elaborate-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s ruling Communist Party kicked off a key four-day conclave on Monday that will determine the country’s development over the next five years. The fourth plenum of the party’s Central Committee began on Monday morning, according to state news agency Xinhua. Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, who is also the nation’s president, delivered a work report to the meeting and outlined the party’s proposals for the next five-year plan, which will be submitted for deliberation, a brief report said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329656/chinas-communist-party-kicks-fourth-plenum-amid-tightened-security-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329656/chinas-communist-party-kicks-fourth-plenum-amid-tightened-security-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:30:36 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The fourth plenum of China’s ruling Communist Party taking place this month will be closely watched for potential reshuffles, with at least nine members of its top policymaking Central Committee set to be replaced. These changes are expected either due to ongoing corruption investigations or because some officials have passed away, marking a new high in turnover since 2017. The fourth plenum is one of seven typically held during each five-year term of the Central Committee. The coming edition... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328127/chinas-fourth-plenum-poised-highest-central-committee-turnover-8-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328127/chinas-fourth-plenum-poised-highest-central-committee-turnover-8-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei When China held its first Victory Day military parade in 2015, more than 50 generals joined troops to march down Changan Avenue in central Beijing. The generals of all stripes led dozens of formations past the Tiananmen rostrum, saluting President Xi Jinping and other leaders as the official announcer read out each commander’s name. By taking the unprecedented steps, the senior commanders were setting an example for the soldiers, a spokesman for the parade organisers said at the time. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325750/why-were-chinas-generals-missing-action-during-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325750/why-were-chinas-generals-missing-action-during-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force has terminated nearly 200 partnerships with experts and suppliers, following an investigation into procurement corruption covering the past nine years, as scrutiny of the troubled military branch continues. The official China Government Procurement News reported on Tuesday that between August 28 and September 1, the rocket force made announcements on the military procurement network, banning 74 bid evaluation experts and 116 suppliers. Some suppliers and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325144/pla-rocket-force-bans-nearly-200-suppliers-evaluators-after-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325144/pla-rocket-force-bans-nearly-200-suppliers-evaluators-after-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 05:37:25 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang China is on a mission to turn its military into a modern fighting force. In the final article in this four-part series, we look at President Xi Jinping’s military goals and obstacles facing the People’s Liberation Army. The 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II is intended to display both the strength and solidarity of the People’s Liberation Army. But just two weeks before it is set to take place, Beijing announced that former navy chief of staff Li Hanjun – a veteran... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323170/chinas-2027-pla-goal-victory-day-parade-puts-progress-and-challenges-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323170/chinas-2027-pla-goal-victory-day-parade-puts-progress-and-challenges-show?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Miao Hua, a top general who once oversaw the People’s Liberation Army’s ideology work, has been removed from the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). State news agency Xinhua said the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress “voted to remove Miao Hua from his position as a member of the Central Military Commission” at its closing meeting on Friday in Beijing. The announcement about the high-profile military corruption investigation came two months after Miao, 69, was stripped... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3316117/former-pla-ideology-chief-miao-hua-removed-chinas-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3316117/former-pla-ideology-chief-miao-hua-removed-chinas-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:36:33 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang For decades, China’s talk of letting the private sector bid for defence orders had mostly been just that: talk. State-owned conglomerates had dominated the sector for decades, but in the middle of 2016, Beijing started to step up its military-civilian fusion strategy, publishing an official list of the sectors where private firms were being encouraged to contribute, such as swarming drone technologies. The plan is a central pillar of China’s ambition to develop a modernised military by 2035 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3313893/why-red-tape-bigger-challenge-us-chinas-military-civilian-fusion-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3313893/why-red-tape-bigger-challenge-us-chinas-military-civilian-fusion-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China said that Miao Hua, a disgraced admiral and member of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was suspected of “legal violations”, suggesting his wrongdoings were more serious than previously thought. The CMC’s political work department decided to expel Miao from the top legislature in March for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, according to a statement from the legislature dated May 15. The statement was made public recently and first reported by the media this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312463/disgraced-chinese-admiral-miao-hua-suspected-legal-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312463/disgraced-chinese-admiral-miao-hua-suspected-legal-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 09:05:55 +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 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Miao Hua, a top general at China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has been removed from his position as a member of the country’s legislature, the National People’s Congress. According to a statement issued after a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Miao has been dismissed from the NPC. Miao, who was put under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline” in late November, was the head of the political work department of the CMC, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3308539/senior-pla-ideology-official-miao-hua-removed-chinas-top-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3308539/senior-pla-ideology-official-miao-hua-removed-chinas-top-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:15:01 +0000 Some 10 years ago, rocket scientists and weapon engineers in China’s defence industry management were among President Xi Jinping’s most favoured talent pools, as he sought brainpower untainted by local factional corruption to support his ambitious technology drive. Of the 24 men currently on the Politburo, the Communist Party’s decision-making body, three spent decades in the aerospace and defence industries and now oversee key regional economies or sectors on a national level. As Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 22:00:15 +0000 The Chinese military is taking a harder look at its bottom line, with officers stressing the need to keep costs in check as the PLA presses on with a massive modernisation campaign. “Our country’s economy is getting stronger, but the tasks of preparing for military struggle and transforming the army are arduous, and there are many places where funds need to be invested,” the armed police force in the eastern province of Shandong said in a commentary in the PLA Daily on Wednesday. “Limited... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303036/chinas-military-frugal-mode-it-seeks-best-bang-its-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303036/chinas-military-frugal-mode-it-seeks-best-bang-its-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:00:16 +0000 The deputy head of a major state-owned ordnance equipment manufacturer has become the latest defence boss targeted by China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced on Wednesday that Liu Weidong, deputy general manager of China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC), was under investigation on suspicion of “serious violations of Communist Party discipline and the law” – which is usually a reference to corruption. CSGC, also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298417/chinese-defence-industry-exec-liu-weidong-under-investigation-alleged-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3298417/chinese-defence-industry-exec-liu-weidong-under-investigation-alleged-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:19:14 +0000 Deng Zhiping, a deputy commander of China’s army, has been stripped of his lawmaker status, becoming the latest to fall in Beijing’s anti-corruption drive into its military. Lieutenant General Deng, 60, was known as a war hero during China’s border clashes with Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s, when he won second-class and third-class honours. Before his promotion to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) army force headquarters he served in the Western Theatre Command, which oversees the border with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278461/deputy-commander-chinas-army-among-five-stripped-lawmaker-status-amid-graft-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278461/deputy-commander-chinas-army-among-five-stripped-lawmaker-status-amid-graft-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:00:13 +0000 China’s political leadership has set ambitious economic and tech development goals for the next decade, signalling a consensus among the Communist Party’s upper echelon on how best to cope with China’s economic challenges. The goals were unveiled in a statement on Thursday that also announced that the party would hold its long-anticipated third plenum meeting from July 15 to 18. The announcements came after the meeting of the Politburo – the highest decision-making body in Chinese politics – and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268234/dates-set-chinas-long-awaited-third-plenum-when-policy-direction-will-be-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268234/dates-set-chinas-long-awaited-third-plenum-when-policy-direction-will-be-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2024 05:41:21 +0000 The Chinese and US defence ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday, the first in-person meeting between ministers since 2022. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s defence ministry, said the bilateral meeting between Dong Jun and Lloyd Austin was “positive, practical and constructive” communication at the strategic level. He said that during the meeting, the two exchanged views, including on relations between the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3264822/china-us-relations-defence-ministers-dong-jun-and-lloyd-austin-meet-shangri-la-dialogue-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3264822/china-us-relations-defence-ministers-dong-jun-and-lloyd-austin-meet-shangri-la-dialogue-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 04:54:34 +0000 China’s top legislative body will gather later this month to discuss “appointments and dismissals” amid an ongoing purge that has snared several senior military figures. The National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will meet on February 26 and 27 to review the agenda and work reports for the annual meeting of the full legislature a week later. Over the past few months, meetings of the standing committee have been followed by announcements that a number of senior officials have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3251425/chinas-top-legislative-body-discuss-appointments-and-dismissals-amid-military-purge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3251425/chinas-top-legislative-body-discuss-appointments-and-dismissals-amid-military-purge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 10:03:37 +0000 China’s former defence minister Wei Fenghe was missing from a list of retired senior officials who were sent Lunar New Year greetings by the country’s leadership, raising speculation about his fate following the abrupt removal of his successor last year. Wei did not attend an official reception to mark National Day last year and was also missing from a list of around 100 figures who were sent greetings to mark the start of the Year of the Dragon – an annual courtesy usually paid to all retired... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3251308/former-chinese-defence-minister-wei-fenghes-absence-lunar-new-year-greetings-list-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3251308/former-chinese-defence-minister-wei-fenghes-absence-lunar-new-year-greetings-list-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 22:00:27 +0000 China’s top legislative body will review a report on the qualifications of some members of its legislature, a process that could shed more light on the fate of two recently dismissed officials – former foreign minister Qin Gang and former defence minister Li Shangfu – who both disappeared from public view earlier this year and were subsequently removed from their posts. The next five-day session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee starting next Monday will examine a report... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245622/could-chinas-top-legislative-body-soon-shed-new-light-fates-2-sacked-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245622/could-chinas-top-legislative-body-soon-shed-new-light-fates-2-sacked-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:07:35 +0000 Top-level US-China military talks must wait until Beijing appoints a new defence minister, the Pentagon said on Thursday, a day after Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to resume direct military communications. “As these agreements were just reached yesterday, we know that we have work to do with [China’s] military to solidify these principles for actions,” said Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon press secretary. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “will meet with his counterpart when that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241840/us-defence-secretary-lloyd-austin-meet-chinese-counterpart-when-person-named?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241840/us-defence-secretary-lloyd-austin-meet-chinese-counterpart-when-person-named?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:15:12 +0000 China’s removal of its defence minister, following the replacement of its foreign minister, has attracted global attention. The circumstances are unprecedented. Within a few months of their appointments, two members of the State Council, in senior cabinet positions, were brought down without explanation. The most likely reason is seen to be corruption. Though both were important ministers, they were not the equals of counterparts in other governing systems. They were responsible for implementing... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239335/clarity-can-help-clear-air-over-why-beijing-sacked-two-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239335/clarity-can-help-clear-air-over-why-beijing-sacked-two-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:11:01 +0000 China’s most senior military officer, General Zhang Youxia, has met his Serbian counterpart in Beijing, in a sign that China’s top-level military diplomacy may have resumed almost two months after the country’s defence minister disappeared from public view. The meeting came after China’s defence minister and top military diplomat, General Li Shangfu, went missing without explanation in late August, leaving China’s military diplomacy up in the air. A vice-chairman of the Central Military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238516/did-chinas-top-general-just-signal-restart-beijings-military-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238516/did-chinas-top-general-just-signal-restart-beijings-military-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:46:43 +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 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 Chinese military will work more closely with African countries in combined drills and training as well as peacekeeping missions, China’s defence minister said at a security forum in Beijing on Tuesday. “The principle of seeing each other as equals will not change in China-Africa cooperation, and the tradition of helping each other will not change,” General Li Shangfu was quoted as saying by state-run tabloid Global Times. Li said military cooperation would make the world more stable and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232722/chinas-defence-chief-tells-african-officials-tradition-helping-each-other-will-not-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3232722/chinas-defence-chief-tells-african-officials-tradition-helping-each-other-will-not-change?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:00:17 +0000 China’s military will work more closely with other countries on hi-tech weapons and equipment, logistics support and international counterterrorism, the country’s defence minister said on Tuesday during a trip to Moscow. At the Moscow Conference on International Security, General Li Shangfu also said in a speech that China was willing to hold more military exercises and training with other countries and expand the scope of the drills. These combined exercises are a core part of China’s military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3231262/chinas-defence-chief-pushes-pla-force-peace-during-russia-trip-blames-us-chaos-and-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3231262/chinas-defence-chief-pushes-pla-force-peace-during-russia-trip-blames-us-chaos-and-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:00:19 +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 When US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived at Beijing’s international airport on July 6, something rare appeared – a rainbow in the sky after a shower. American ambassador to China Nicolas Burns wasted no time in pointing this out to a smiling Yellen. When he met Yellen, Chinese Premier Li Qiang also mentioned the rainbow, saying, “I think there is more to China-US relations than just wind and rain…we will surely see more rainbows after going through the wind and rain.” The question is how... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228077/why-us-must-revoke-sanctions-chinas-defence-minister-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228077/why-us-must-revoke-sanctions-chinas-defence-minister-now?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:30:23 +0000 China wants a healthy and stable relationship with the United States but relations have been damaged by the American side, the Chinese defence minister has told Henry Kissinger. General Li Shangfu, who is on Washington’s sanctions list, told the veteran diplomat the China-US relationship is “hovering at the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations” in 1979. Li blamed the deterioration on “some people on the American side failing to meet China halfway”, according to a news... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228152/us-blame-poor-relations-sanctioned-chinese-defence-minister-tells-diplomatic-veteran-henry-kissinger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228152/us-blame-poor-relations-sanctioned-chinese-defence-minister-tells-diplomatic-veteran-henry-kissinger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:45:11 +0000 China is willing to build closer military ties with Vietnam to “safeguard common strategic interests”, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu said during a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday. Beijing would coordinate with Hanoi to “strengthen high-level communication” and “deepen practical cooperation” between the two militaries, Li told Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang. The meeting comes as the two neighbouring countries remain at odds over the South China Sea,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225609/chinas-defence-chief-offers-boost-military-ties-vietnam-unite-closely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225609/chinas-defence-chief-offers-boost-military-ties-vietnam-unite-closely?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:04:08 +0000 China stands ready to expand military cooperation and maintain regional stability with Thailand, with a series of joint drills planned for this year. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu offered the assurance to Narongphan Jitkaewtae, the Royal Thai Army’s commander-in-chief, in talks in Beijing on Saturday. “China stands ready to work with Thailand to implement to the letter the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries … and to push for more fruit of cooperation between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223655/china-and-thailand-expand-military-ties-amid-asia-pacific-security-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223655/china-and-thailand-expand-military-ties-amid-asia-pacific-security-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jun 2023 13:00:14 +0000 The “pressing” task of preventing strained China-US relations from sliding into conflict is to bring the issue of Taiwan, “the biggest risk”, under control, Beijing’s top envoy to Washington said on Wednesday. Amid growing optimism for a rescheduled, long-awaited visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Chinese capital, Xie Feng, China’s new ambassador, made the remarks during an address to a group of US business leaders. “The Chinese side has always been open to dialogue,” Xie... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223397/taiwan-question-biggest-risk-bring-under-control-says-beijings-top-envoy-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223397/taiwan-question-biggest-risk-bring-under-control-says-beijings-top-envoy-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:43:37 +0000 Australia has continued to push China for more transparency on its military expansion, saying that China needed to offer a “strategic explanation”. At the final plenary of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore on Sunday, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said China could look to Australia’s communication approach with its nuclear-powered submarine programme as the standard or model of “military transparency”. On Saturday, Marles made similar comments that projected the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3222907/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-pushes-china-strategic-explanation-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3222907/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-pushes-china-strategic-explanation-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 10:20:38 +0000 China’s new defence minister used his first public address to an international audience to lash out at the US and the “rules-based international order” it champions, as well as call for common ground to avoid the “unbearable pain” a conflict between them would bring. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, General Li Shangfu accused “some countries” of intervening in another’s internal affairs and pursuing its security at the expense of others. “Some countries intervene in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222906/shangri-la-dialogue-china-and-us-offer-competing-security-visions-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222906/shangri-la-dialogue-china-and-us-offer-competing-security-visions-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 10:16:44 +0000 Australian defence minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu for the first time since Li’s appointment this year. Meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore late on Saturday, the pair discussed the importance of resumed ministerial talks as part of the effort to stabilise bilateral relations. The two countries have been at loggerheads since 2020 after Australia’s previous government, under Prime Minister Scott Morrison, called for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3222863/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-china-defence-ministers-meet-bilateral-tensions-show-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3222863/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-china-defence-ministers-meet-bilateral-tensions-show-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2023 14:59:54 +0000 The defence ministers of China and the United States have kicked off separate efforts to vie for support from Asia-Pacific nations at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, but chances of a much-needed meeting between the two remain slim. Chinese defence chief General Li Shangfu and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin shook hands briefly at a welcome dinner on Friday, the short exchange a significant footnote to a day of discussions with regional counterparts. Li earlier led People’s Liberation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222807/chinese-us-defence-chiefs-are-singapore-shangri-la-dialogue-will-bilateral-talks-happen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222807/chinese-us-defence-chiefs-are-singapore-shangri-la-dialogue-will-bilateral-talks-happen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:13:38 +0000 China’s defence chief General Li Shangfu has told his Singaporean counterpart the PLA will “absolutely not” renounce the use of force on Taiwan, in what experts said was a warning not only to Washington but also to regional powers. In a meeting on Thursday with Singapore’s defence chief Ng Eng Hen, Li said Beijing would not tolerate the self-ruled island’s Democratic Progressive Party seeking support from other countries for Taiwanese independence, according to Chinese defence ministry spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222659/chinese-defence-minister-says-beijing-will-absolutely-not-renounce-use-force-against-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222659/chinese-defence-minister-says-beijing-will-absolutely-not-renounce-use-force-against-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:26:59 +0000 China and Singapore agreed to work towards establishing a secure telephone link “for high-level communications” between military leaders on Thursday, as the Chinese defence chief makes his first visit to the country. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding during the second Singapore-China Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, co-chaired by Chinese General Li Shangfu and his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen. It marks the latest development since the nations upgraded defence and security ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222630/china-singapore-agree-work-secure-phone-link-high-level-military-communications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222630/china-singapore-agree-work-secure-phone-link-high-level-military-communications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jun 2023 11:07:23 +0000 One of the most important security conferences on the international calendar gets under way for the 20th time in Singapore on June 2, bringing together defence ministers, military personnel and policy watchers. In the first of a three-part series, Minnie Chan examines the prospects of engagement between the defence ministers of the world’s two most powerful militaries: China and the United States. When the Shangri-La Dialogue gets under way in Singapore on Friday it will bring a much needed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222445/shangri-la-dialogue-why-us-and-chinese-defence-ministers-should-meet-and-what-stands-their-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3222445/shangri-la-dialogue-why-us-and-chinese-defence-ministers-should-meet-and-what-stands-their-way?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 22:00:15 +0000