https://www.scmp.com/rss/523727/feed The latest news and top stories on PLA Daily. A Beijing-based governmental publication, PLA Daily is the official newspaper of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). It is dedicated to serving as the military’s mouthpiece, indoctrinating troops and projecting its voice into public policy. Its main areas of focus include reporting on military affairs, promoting modernisation and highlighting the PLA’s contributions. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com William Zheng William Zheng The People’s Liberation Army has accused Japan of taking a “dangerous gamble” with its plan to deploy satellite-aided drones to its southwestern islands near Taiwan. In a commentary on Sunday, the PLA Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese military, said that while Tokyo maintained that it was building a multilayered coastal defence system, the equipment had a “distinct offensive nature”. “While called a ‘shield’, it is in reality a ‘spear’,” it said. Japan’s Self-Defence Force plans to acquire... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353892/why-does-pla-object-japans-drone-plans-its-southern-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353892/why-does-pla-object-japans-drone-plans-its-southern-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 12:17:22 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s military mouthpiece has urged the People’s Liberation Army to speed up integration of artificial intelligence and said AI-driven warfare was at a “turning point” – as seen in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. In a commentary on Thursday, PLA Daily pointed to the use of AI in the Middle East war and said it was the first time the technology had been integrated into the entire cycle of operations – from analysis of intelligence to target identification, planning and assessment. “This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351303/iran-war-shows-strategic-value-ai-chinas-military-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351303/iran-war-shows-strategic-value-ai-chinas-military-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China issued a “strong protest” after a Japanese destroyer, travelling to military exercises in the Philippines, passed through the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of an 1895 treaty ceding the island to Japan. Friday’s voyage was a “deliberate provocation”, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. The 14-hour passage by the JS Ikazuchi “once again exposes the dangerous plot of some people in Japan to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait and undermine peace and stability... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:19:52 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Tensions in East Asia reached a fresh peak with a Japanese warship’s transit of the Taiwan Strait on a historically freighted date for China. According to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi spent 14 hours navigating the sensitive waterway on Friday, the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan, an unequal treaty that forced the then-ruling Qing dynasty administration to cede Taiwan to Japanese colonial rule. In a commentary on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen TV drama regulators in China have taken aim at beauty-obsessed and traffic-driven programming in the industry, with a call for more “quality” storytelling. The National Radio and Television Administration’s drama department sent out the call on Thursday as it brought major streaming platforms and production companies together for a conference on “healthy aesthetics”. “[Efforts should be made] to avoid the tendency to value physical beauty above everything else and reliance on traffic-driven... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349085/are-chinas-tv-dramas-obsessed-beauty-industry-regulator-thinks-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349085/are-chinas-tv-dramas-obsessed-beauty-industry-regulator-thinks-so?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:00:13 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s military mouthpiece accused Japan of “dangerously expanding” its defence industry – in capacity, technology and international engagement – and said it had “crossed the red line”. In a rare full-page report on Monday, PLA Daily claimed Japan possessed an “astonishing” stockpile of nuclear materials and that it had the technology to produce nuclear weapons. It said 44.4 tonnes of plutonium had already been separated by the end of 2024 – enough to make about 5,500 nuclear warheads. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348518/japan-has-enough-plutonium-make-5500-nuclear-warheads-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348518/japan-has-enough-plutonium-make-5500-nuclear-warheads-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:08:14 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army has condemned Japan’s deployment of stand-off weapons, including upgraded Type-12 missiles, accusing it of creating a “kill network” capable of targeting both coastal and inland areas of neighbouring countries. The enhanced Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles are set to be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture by the end of this month. On Tuesday, the PLA Daily reported that the upgraded Type-12 missile featured a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347707/china-slams-japans-kill-network-long-range-missile-deployment-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347707/china-slams-japans-kill-network-long-range-missile-deployment-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese military academics have stepped up calls to overhaul defence language training, arguing that linguistic proficiency has become as critical as firepower in modern warfare – a lesson starkly underscored by the Ukraine war. Among them is Lu Danyun, a professor at the military-affiliated National University of Defence Technology and a representative on China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress. In a report published in the official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345144/language-weapon-pla-academics-push-training-overhaul-cite-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345144/language-weapon-pla-academics-push-training-overhaul-cite-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:00:10 +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 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 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 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 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 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US pulls missile system from Japan as Beijing-Tokyo row over Taiwan deepens A US missile system that could strike Beijing has been withdrawn from Japan, Japanese media reported on Monday, amid sharply escalating tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan. 2. China’s dominance shrinks US remote sensing share from 88% to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333297/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-ev-fires-cause-safety-debate-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333297/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-ev-fires-cause-safety-debate-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:15:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has returned to port following a training mission with its strike group, according to a state media report on Tuesday amid rising tensions with Japan. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the mission marked the “first maritime live-force training” for the world’s biggest conventionally powered warship since it was commissioned to the PLA Navy on November 5. The Fujian, China’s first domestically designed carrier and its third overall, has a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333289/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-completes-first-training-exercise-after-entering-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333289/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-completes-first-training-exercise-after-entering-service?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:10:37 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China’s official military newspaper has accused the United States of “gunboat diplomacy” amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The Pentagon announced on Sunday that a strike group including the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, had been deployed to the Caribbean, carrying thousands of service personnel and dozens of aircraft. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had not ruled out sending troops to Venezuela, while also expressing a willingness to engage in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333282/chinas-military-mouthpiece-hits-out-us-gunboat-diplomacy-venezuela-tensions-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333282/chinas-military-mouthpiece-hits-out-us-gunboat-diplomacy-venezuela-tensions-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:00:28 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese airlines have recorded about 491,000 cancellations of tickets to Japan since Saturday – roughly 32 per cent of their total bookings to the typically popular destination – after Beijing advised citizens to avoid travelling there amid a diplomatic spat, according to a veteran aviation analyst. The percentage of flights affected skyrocketed to 82.14 per cent on Sunday and 75.6 per cent on Monday, according to independent analyst Li Hanming, citing his research data covering all mainland... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333106/491000-japan-bound-air-tickets-cancelled-china-warns-people-avoid-travel-amid-spat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333106/491000-japan-bound-air-tickets-cancelled-china-warns-people-avoid-travel-amid-spat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:32:07 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has ruled out a leaders’ meeting with Japan at the coming G20 summit in South Africa, as ties between the two Asian giants continue to fray over Taiwan. “I can tell you that Premier Li Qiang does not have a meeting arrangement with Japanese leaders,” Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, said at a regular media briefing on Monday. Li and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to attend the Group of 20 gathering in Johannesburg on November 22 and 23, and it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333071/taiwan-row-stay-high-alert-peoples-daily-warns-japan-seeks-ease-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333071/taiwan-row-stay-high-alert-peoples-daily-warns-japan-seeks-ease-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 07:21:15 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Major Chinese airlines are offering full refunds for flights to Japan after Beijing told Chinese citizens to avoid travelling there, while Hong Kong authorities also urged residents to exercise caution in the country. Beijing’s warning late on Friday and the notice issued by the Hong Kong Security Bureau on Saturday marked the latest escalation in tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332909/beijing-warns-against-travel-japan-row-over-takaichis-taiwan-comments-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332909/beijing-warns-against-travel-japan-row-over-takaichis-taiwan-comments-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 04:54:38 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s military mouthpiece has called for greater efforts to address what it says are deficiencies in the People’s Liberation Army’s integrated joint operational capabilities. In a commentary on Monday, the PLA Daily said China’s military had yet to achieve a “deep integration” of “equipment, battlefields, personnel and training conditions”, which was causing shortcomings in joint operations. To overcome such weaknesses, PLA commanders at all levels should “systematically strengthen the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328826/deep-integration-chinese-military-will-overcome-its-weaknesses-pla-mouthpiece?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328826/deep-integration-chinese-military-will-overcome-its-weaknesses-pla-mouthpiece?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:17:16 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang China’s new Information Support Force (ISF) has stepped up joint training with other military branches, showcasing an integrated combat system and increased mobile and decentralised deployment capabilities, according to the official paper of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This includes a new training approach featuring the “embedding” of small ISF teams into the PLA’s air, naval and ground forces to offer real-time information support. Established in April 2024 as part of the PLA’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319592/how-chinas-new-information-support-force-gears-military-pla-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319592/how-chinas-new-information-support-force-gears-military-pla-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Three military analysts have called for structural changes within the People’s Liberation Army to counter the growing threat of drone attacks. Writing in the PLA Daily, the experts said it was highly likely that the Chinese military would establish specialised counter-drone combat units capable of “rapid responses” to unmanned threats while addressing the inefficiencies of multitasked traditional units. Drones have played an increasingly crucial role in recent regional conflicts, including the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316956/chinas-military-will-need-structural-change-fend-drone-threats-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316956/chinas-military-will-need-structural-change-fend-drone-threats-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000