https://www.scmp.com/rss/518008/feed The latest news on Chinese General Liu Zhenli, including political stories and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing is unlikely to attack Taiwan next year, given security and economic deterrents, including its belief that an amphibious assault could fail and that the technological, supply chain and investor costs would be huge, according to a US threat assessment released on Wednesday. The intelligence overview appeared to walk back a projection by the Pentagon last year that Beijing wanted to take the self-governing island by force as early as 2027 and comes as US President Donald Trump takes a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347083/us-assesses-mainland-china-not-planning-attack-taiwan-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347083/us-assesses-mainland-china-not-planning-attack-taiwan-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:12:46 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The chief designer on the J-20 stealth fighter jet has been removed from the website of China’s national research institute, amid a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the defence sector. Yang Wei, 62, had been listed as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the top academic body for science and technology. But as of Monday, his name was no longer on the site, according to a snapshot from Internet Archive, which seeks to preserve online content. Yang has not appeared in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik The profile of one of China’s top nuclear weapons scientists has been scrubbed from the website of the nation’s engineering brains trust. Zhao Xiangeng, 72, was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the nation’s highest academic body for engineering science and technology, but his profile page has disappeared from the CAE’s site. It is not known when the page was removed, but Chinese media reports noted the change on Saturday. Similar online references to other CAE academicians,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346672/top-nuclear-radar-and-missile-experts-vanish-chinese-academy-engineering-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346672/top-nuclear-radar-and-missile-experts-vanish-chinese-academy-engineering-site?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:44:43 +0000 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 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities. As part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng look at why the fight against graft is the new normal. As early as the start of President Xi Jinping’s second term in 2018, the Chinese leadership declared an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The PLA has been told to close the funding loopholes and tackle the deep flaws in combat readiness exposed by an anti-corruption drive in the aftermath of the downfall of China’s top general. In a brief Lunar New Year speech via video link to the People’s Liberation Army on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the PLA to bolster combat training and maintain a state of combat readiness, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “The past year has been unusual and extraordinary. The PLA has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343348/make-every-penny-count-combat-chinas-military-told-countdown-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343348/make-every-penny-count-combat-chinas-military-told-countdown-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:00:16 +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 China’s top military command body has moved to tighten Communist Party control over the armed forces with updates to disciplinary rules for party members in the People’s Liberation Army. The PLA Daily, the military’s official newspaper, reported on Saturday that the revisions were to “actively respond to key concerns” in disciplinary enforcement practice. It did not specify the changes, but the report came just two weeks after the announcement that top general Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342755/chinas-military-command-tightens-discipline-top-generals-wake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342755/chinas-military-command-tightens-discipline-top-generals-wake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The People’s Liberation Army said it would redouble efforts to crack down on “fakery that undermines combat capability” and improve scrutiny of training and drills to tackle “deep-seated problems”. The pledge was made in an article in official newspaper PLA Daily on Tuesday outlining anti-corruption priorities for the year. It came soon after last month’s announcement that top general Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was under investigation for corruption,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342631/chinas-military-vows-improve-scrutiny-training-after-fall-zhang-youxia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342631/chinas-military-vows-improve-scrutiny-training-after-fall-zhang-youxia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has removed three senior defence industry executives, including a nuclear weapons expert, from the national legislature as part of a deepening anti-corruption campaign. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday said it had expelled Liu Cangli, former president of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, Luo Qi, chief engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation, and Zhou Xinmin, former chairman of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It did not say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:49:39 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan can wait, according to military analysts. The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:00:48 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The PLA’s anti-corruption investigations into top general Zhang Youxia and others will eliminate a watered-down combat capability resulting from corruption and give new momentum to the armed forces, the official paper of the Chinese military has said. “The resolute investigation and punishment of corrupt officials such as Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli removes obstacles and stumbling blocks that hinder the development of our cause,” the PLA Daily said in a front-page editorial on Monday. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:01:12 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China’s unrelenting anti-corruption drive will improve – not compromise – the military’s fighting strength, two signed commentaries published in the PLA Daily have argued. The articles – one on Friday and the other on Saturday – in the People’s Liberation Army mouthpiece called corruption the “number one killer” of battle effectiveness and cautioned against both “unrealistic optimism” and “harmful pessimism” about the anti-graft campaign – suggesting the crackdown on corruption will not end any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:56:49 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China has accused the Philippines of “deliberately stoking maritime tensions” following reports Manila had warned it would stage military exercises across a large area of the disputed South China Sea for more than two months. The move represents the first external military challenge facing China after two senior generals were placed under investigation on suspicion of corruption, and could serve as a test of Beijing’s ability to handle such tests at a highly sensitive time. The Philippine civil... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341859/china-says-philippines-stoking-tensions-large-scale-scarborough-shoal-drill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341859/china-says-philippines-stoking-tensions-large-scale-scarborough-shoal-drill?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen,William Zheng Meredith Chen,William Zheng A former Communist Party chief of the resource-rich Inner Mongolia autonomous region, who was also China’s first veterans affairs minister, is under investigation amid the country’s continuing anti-corruption campaign. Sun Shaocheng, 65, is being investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, the top disciplinary body said on Thursday. Sun serves as vice-chairman of the Social Development... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China placed its most senior military officer and another top general under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, extending a corruption push that has hollowed out the leadership of the nation’s military. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law”, the defence ministry said in a short announcement on Saturday. Both generals sit on the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military body, with Zhang, 75, only ranking... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3341261/chinas-top-general-ousted-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3341261/chinas-top-general-ousted-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:18:34 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia is among 2 generals under investigation Top Chinese military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, according to the Ministry of National Defence. 2. Chinese scientists shrink... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3341199/chinese-military-leaders-under-probe-blackpink-hong-kong-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3341199/chinese-military-leaders-under-probe-blackpink-hong-kong-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 04:30:09 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The sudden removal of China’s two most senior generals is believed to be a stark warning underscoring President Xi Jinping’s zero-tolerance focus on Communist Party discipline and political purity ahead of two landmark events next year. Beijing announced on Saturday that Zhang Youxia, first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and China’s top uniformed officer, was under investigation for serious disciplinary violations, as was Liu Zhenli, chief of the CMC’s Joint Staff... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341173/why-chinas-rapid-ousting-2-top-generals-sharp-warning-party-purity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341173/why-chinas-rapid-ousting-2-top-generals-sharp-warning-party-purity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +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 William Zheng William Zheng China’s top official overseeing ethnic and religious affairs has saluted Beijing’s approach to Xinjiang over the past decade, bookending a landmark trip by President Xi Jinping to the region to mark its founding. Addressing a major event in Urumqi on Thursday for the 70th anniversary of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Wang Huning said that over the decades, especially since “the new era” – the period after Xi took power in 2012 – people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang had “continuously... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326872/completely-correct-chinas-ethnic-affairs-chief-hails-xinjiang-policies-xis-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326872/completely-correct-chinas-ethnic-affairs-chief-hails-xinjiang-policies-xis-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:01:57 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China and Australia are ready to “move beyond” stabilising relations and aim for “more productive” economic cooperation, according to Beijing’s ambassador Xiao Qian. There could be a “closer alignment” between the Australian mining and Chinese manufacturing sectors through “joint exploration, technology sharing and capacity enhancement”, Xiao told a trade expo on Thursday. He said both countries had “highly compatible” development strategies and “can fully complement each other’s strengths,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321898/china-and-australia-ready-more-productive-relationship-beijings-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321898/china-and-australia-ready-more-productive-relationship-beijings-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:00:24 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China may have only a “limited” role to play amid the escalating India-Pakistan stand-off, as it faces the challenge of balancing itself between the two South Asian neighbours, according to Chinese experts. Still, they expect Beijing to help avoid a full-blown confrontation on its doorstep and to safeguard its overseas interests in the region. Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad dramatically soured after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last Tuesday that killed 26 people,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3308494/china-ready-help-ease-india-pakistan-tensions-has-fine-line-walk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3308494/china-ready-help-ease-india-pakistan-tensions-has-fine-line-walk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:00:10 +0000 A top Chinese general has vowed to crack down on what he called “fake combat capabilities” in the military, which experts say is likely related to weapons procurement – the focus of corruption investigations. General He Weidong, the second-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a discussion with a People’s Liberation Army delegation on Tuesday, according to minutes from the meeting made available to media. The discussion was part of the ongoing “two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3254722/chinese-general-calls-crackdown-fake-combat-capabilities-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3254722/chinese-general-calls-crackdown-fake-combat-capabilities-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 23:00:24 +0000 Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now! Nearly three months after the long-awaited summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in California, it’s time to check on how the meeting has changed the bilateral relationship. Although far from rapprochement or a reversion to robust economic engagement, the two sides have at least followed through with high-level meetings,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3251888/global-impact-what-does-post-apec-us-china-relationship-and-their-global-competition-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3251888/global-impact-what-does-post-apec-us-china-relationship-and-their-global-competition-look?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:00:21 +0000 A US Navy warship transited the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the self-ruled island’s elections, a move the People’s Liberation Army said was “provocative” and “maliciously undermined” peace and stability. In a statement, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, said that on Wednesday, the USS John Finn, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, had sailed through the Taiwan Strait and “publicly hyped” it. He said the PLA monitored the US Navy vessel “throughout... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3249719/pla-watches-us-warship-sails-through-taiwan-strait-provocative-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3249719/pla-watches-us-warship-sails-through-taiwan-strait-provocative-move?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2024 07:00:19 +0000 Beijing’s likely response to a victory for the independence-leaning William Lai Ching-te in Taiwan’s presidential election may trigger a chain of events that risks further undermining trust between China and the United States, a mainland academic has warned. Shao Yuqun, director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said the presidential and legislative elections this month may be one of the five biggest challenges the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247272/fallout-taiwan-elections-risks-creating-further-mistrust-us-china-relations-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247272/fallout-taiwan-elections-risks-creating-further-mistrust-us-china-relations-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:00:19 +0000 China has named its former navy top commander as its new defence minister, two months after Li Shangfu was removed from the post without explanation. General Dong Jun, the 62-year-old former commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, will take on the new role, following a decision by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee at a session that ended on Friday. Li’s ousting was confirmed at a similar meeting in October. He disappeared from the public eye in late August and no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3246689/china-names-new-defence-minister-replace-ousted-li-shangfu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3246689/china-names-new-defence-minister-replace-ousted-li-shangfu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2023 10:50:24 +0000 Last week’s conversation between top Chinese and American military leaders was “positive and constructive” in restoring high-level dialogue between the two militaries, the People’s Liberation Army said on Thursday. However, the PLA’s spokesman, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, hit out at Washington’s new National Defence Authorisation Act, which contains a series of measures to counter China, and accused the US of treating China as a “military threat”. Senator peppers US State Department nominee Kurt... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246560/chinas-peoples-liberation-army-hails-constructive-talks-us-accuses-pentagon-budget-bill-branding-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246560/chinas-peoples-liberation-army-hails-constructive-talks-us-accuses-pentagon-budget-bill-branding-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 13:20:08 +0000 Cross-strait tensions run the risk of escalating into an armed conflict if the front running candidate from Taiwan’s ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party wins the island’s presidential elections next month, a former mainland government official has warned. The unusually harsh warnings by Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, came as Beijing stepped up military and political pressure on the self-ruling island ahead of the presidential and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3246206/taiwans-presidential-election-risks-war-says-ex-beijing-official-mainland-steps-pressure-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3246206/taiwans-presidential-election-risks-war-says-ex-beijing-official-mainland-steps-pressure-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Dec 2023 07:04:24 +0000 Military talks on Thursday between China and the United States – the highest level in more than a year – were a “good step” towards restoring strained ties, but it remained to be seen what concrete actions would follow, Chinese analysts said. “It was a significant step towards restoring relations between the two militaries,” said Wu Xinbo, director of the American Studies Centre at Fudan University in Shanghai. The discussions would not resolve “hardcore” geopolitical disagreements over Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3246066/ice-breaking-direct-us-china-military-talks-good-step-serious-disputes-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3246066/ice-breaking-direct-us-china-military-talks-good-step-serious-disputes-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:05:07 +0000 Air Force General CQ Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Chinese counterpart General Liu Zhenli via videoconference on Thursday in a step towards restoring military-to-military dialogue between the two global powers, the Pentagon has announced. The talks mark the first senior military communication between Washington and Beijing since the Chinese government halted all such engagements in response to then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3245922/top-us-military-officer-speaks-chinese-counterpart-us-aims-warm-relations-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3245922/top-us-military-officer-speaks-chinese-counterpart-us-aims-warm-relations-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:02:58 +0000 Rising tensions from territorial rows in the South China Sea will come into sharp focus when Asean defence chiefs meet this week in Jakarta, but analysts are not expecting the talks to ease the situation on the ground any time soon. On Wednesday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold the Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). On Thursday, they will hold the ADMM-Plus session, which will also include eight of the bloc’s dialogue partners, including China, Japan, India and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3241536/south-china-sea-row-top-agenda-asean-defence-ministers-meeting-amid-china-philippines-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3241536/south-china-sea-row-top-agenda-asean-defence-ministers-meeting-amid-china-philippines-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:06:21 +0000 With the Indo-Pacific becoming a hotbed of contention, recent events have raised the possibility of a flashpoint developing into a military conflict between the US and China. The collisions between Chinese and Filipino vessels over the past weeks are of particular concern as America and the Philippines have a Mutual Defence Treaty that mandates the US to take military action to defend a Philippines under attack. But this is not the only area with potential for escalation. There have also been... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240978/us-china-diplomatic-thaw-raises-hopes-military-dialogue-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240978/us-china-diplomatic-thaw-raises-hopes-military-dialogue-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2023 21:30:12 +0000 The dismissal of China’s former defence minister Li Shangfu – without any official explanation – after weeks of speculation over the fate of the US-sanctioned general has once again highlighted the complex and opaque nature of the command structure of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and the role of the nation’s defence chief. How is the role different in China？ Unlike its counterparts in the United States and other Western countries, China’s defence minister is considered primarily as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239179/why-role-chinese-defence-minister-isnt-exactly-what-it-sounds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3239179/why-role-chinese-defence-minister-isnt-exactly-what-it-sounds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 13:45:15 +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 remained silent about the absence of Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Saturday as speculation about his whereabouts intensified. Li, the public face of China’s military, was conspicuously missing from a major military meeting on Friday, according to footage aired on the state broadcaster CCTV, extending an unexplained public absence now in its third week. Li’s name was also not included in a report by state news agency Xinhua on the meeting. His continued disappearance from public view has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234774/chinas-defence-minister-li-shangfu-does-not-attend-meeting-continuing-public-absence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3234774/chinas-defence-minister-li-shangfu-does-not-attend-meeting-continuing-public-absence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:23:06 +0000 A high-profile visit to China by the Russian navy chief Nikolai Yevmenov this week was another display of military cooperation between the “comprehensive strategic partners”, analysts said, which promised mutual support for each other’s core interests. After the Russian admiral discussed naval cooperation with Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu in Beijing on Monday, he met the commander of the Chinese navy and visited a major shipyard in Shanghai, Moscow’s defence ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226932/visit-russian-navy-chief-submarine-academy-and-chinese-shipyard-deemed-sign-military-ties-getting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226932/visit-russian-navy-chief-submarine-academy-and-chinese-shipyard-deemed-sign-military-ties-getting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 04:00:12 +0000 Chinese and Russian forces will hold joint drills, military leaders from the two countries announced on Friday, three days after joint air patrols near its eastern neighbours raised tensions with South Korea and Japan. In a video call on Friday, Liu Zhenli, head of China’s Joint Staff Department, and Valery Gerasimov, the Russian military’s chief of general staff, confirmed Moscow’s participation in the “Northern Joint 2023” exercises. The time and location drills have not been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3223602/chinese-and-russian-armed-forces-agree-hold-more-joint-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3223602/chinese-and-russian-armed-forces-agree-hold-more-joint-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:30:16 +0000 Li Qiang, a long-time aide of President Xi Jinping, was confirmed as China’s premier – its No 2 official – on Saturday with a resounding vote from members of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislature. He was endorsed by 2,936 of the 2,947 NPC members who attended Saturday’s meeting, with three voting against and eight abstaining. Xi and Li chatted before and after the vote, which also approved appointments to the country’s top supervision job as well as its top judge... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3213174/li-qiang-chinas-new-premier-how-much-power-will-he-wield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3213174/li-qiang-chinas-new-premier-how-much-power-will-he-wield?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Mar 2023 03:30:29 +0000 China has appointed Huang Ming to head the PLA Central Theatre Command in charge of guarding the capital Beijing, its fifth commander in seven years. Huang was promoted to the rank of general – the highest rank for officers in active service in China – and presented with a certificate of order by President Xi Jinping at a ceremony in Beijing on Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua reported. Xi is also chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). Huang, 59, replaces General Wu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3207415/china-names-new-chief-pla-theatre-command-guards-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3207415/china-names-new-chief-pla-theatre-command-guards-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jan 2023 13:00:16 +0000 General Li Qiaoming, who previously led a key command bordering North Korea and Russia, has been named the new commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground force. The 61-year-old Li made his first appearance in his new capacity on Tuesday, three months after stepping down from his role as commander of the Northern Theatre Command. In a post shared by the ground force’s official WeChat account on Tuesday evening, Li was introduced as the commander of the PLA’s land-based branch during a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205548/china-promotes-general-li-qiaoming-commander-pla-ground-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205548/china-promotes-general-li-qiaoming-commander-pla-ground-force?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 09:42:18 +0000 While the world’s attention was focused on the appointment of Xi Jinping for an unprecedented third term at last month’s 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi quietly appointed a new line-up of military leaders. These six members – who will sit on the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military body – will shape China’s military and security policy for the next five years, if not longer. Their appointment also signals that Xi is more serious about... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199084/what-chinas-new-military-leadership-line-says-about-xis-plans-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199084/what-chinas-new-military-leadership-line-says-about-xis-plans-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Nov 2022 00:30:10 +0000 Taiwan will have to deal with a tougher and more modernised People’s Liberation Army following the reshuffle of top military leadership in mainland China, the island’s defence minister said on Monday. Not only were members of Beijing’s newly appointed Central Military Commission younger than previous commissions, but some of them were more familiar with Taiwan and had a tech background and combat experience, Chiu Kuo-cheng said. “It means the [PLA] will adopt a tougher strategy in dealing with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3197057/taiwan-braces-tougher-mainland-forces-defence-minister-says-reshaped-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3197057/taiwan-braces-tougher-mainland-forces-defence-minister-says-reshaped-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:40:06 +0000 The Communist Party unveiled a major reshuffle in China’s top military leadership on Sunday, sending a clear signal that the People’s Liberation Army will be focused on Taiwan in the next five years and beyond. General He Weidong, who has a wealth of command experience in China’s eastern military districts, was made the second-ranked vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, with 72-year-old General Zhang Youxia promoted to first-ranked vice-chairman, after a vote by the party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196962/chinas-reshuffled-military-leadership-sends-clear-signal-taiwan-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196962/chinas-reshuffled-military-leadership-sends-clear-signal-taiwan-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:21:44 +0000 General Zhang Youxia, who has combat experience but is well past the unofficial retirement age in China’s Communist Party, is set to become the first vice-chairman of the country’s top military decision-making body, the list of new Central Committee members indicates. While the 205 members of the committee were formally voted in by about 2,000 delegates from across China on the last day of the 20th party congress, the line-up is likely to have been decided in advance. The names missing from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196896/close-xi-jinping-ally-zhang-youxia-72-set-bigger-pla-command-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196896/close-xi-jinping-ally-zhang-youxia-72-set-bigger-pla-command-role?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 22:00:26 +0000 China’s youngest top general and a war hero who fought in the Sino-Vietnam border conflicts has been tipped to head China’s Joint Staff Department, according to clues in a report from state broadcaster CCTV. On Wednesday, CCTV aired video footage showing General Liu Zhenli, former commander of the People’s Liberation Army ground force, wearing an arm badge of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Joint Staff Department while attending the Communist Party’s plenum of 358 full and alternate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3195879/chinas-youngest-top-general-poised-fill-key-pla-strategy-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3195879/chinas-youngest-top-general-poised-fill-key-pla-strategy-job?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:32:25 +0000 Ahead of this year’s Communist Party congress, we explore the possible personnel changes and power structure of the areas that will have the largest impact on Beijing’s Taiwan policy. In the second part of the series, Jack Lau looks at possible changes to China’s top military brass. China’s military, the world’s largest standing armed forces, could be at its most critical moment after 40 years of relative peace. Its top general, Xu Qiliang, justified more defence spending last year with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3189372/changing-guard-chinas-military-may-get-new-leadership-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3189372/changing-guard-chinas-military-may-get-new-leadership-line?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Aug 2022 22:00:14 +0000 The Chinese and Cambodian armies have signed a memorandum of understanding, as Beijing seeks to deepen regional security ties amid increasing competition with the US. Senior commanders from the ground forces of the two militaries sealed the agreement in a video call on Thursday, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian told a regular news briefing in Beijing. He did not elaborate on the details of the agreement. “China and Cambodia are close neighbours and ironclad friends,” Wu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3172632/china-cambodia-sign-military-deal-beijing-seeks-counter-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3172632/china-cambodia-sign-military-deal-beijing-seeks-counter-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Mar 2022 11:57:30 +0000 The Chinese military has promoted four senior officials as the country’s western and southern theatre commands, ground force and strategic support force gained new commanders. The promotions mean half of the 10 top People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders, covering the five theatre commands and branches, are aged 60 or younger, in what military observers saw as reflecting the ongoing military reform, which highlights that military officers’ positions should be consistent with their ranks. One... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3140072/chinas-military-modernisation-continues-new-commanders-swift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3140072/chinas-military-modernisation-continues-new-commanders-swift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:24:45 +0000