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China’s military

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China’s military
Latest news, features and opinion on the military in China, including the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the development of warships, aircraft carriers and fighter jets, spending on the armed forces and reforms and modernisation. US-China and mainland-Taiwan military tensions and the deployment of China’s armed forces overseas are also covered.
The film features a young sailor named He Jian, a pun on the words for nuclear ship. Photo: CCTV
China's military weapons

Did China just hint that its next aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered?

A video released to mark the PLA Navy’s anniversary uses wordplay to suggest that a new warship is under construction.

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Artificial intelligence

Iran war shows ‘strategic value’ of AI for China’s military, PLA Daily says

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US-China relations

Chinese student charged with illegally taking photos of US military planes

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US-China relations

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China's military weapons

How the PLA may use stealth drones in a swarming boat attack from Taiwan

Beijing could send in GJ-21s – which have long endurance and high manoeuvrability – to counter uncrewed combat boats, military magazine says.

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US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

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Mainland China

Chinese rocket force scientist Major General Feng Yufang dies aged 63

Feng advocated for self-reliance, once saying ‘core technologies cannot be bought and relying on imports will not get us far’.

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Chinese state media announced on Tuesday that Major General Feng Yufang, a leading missile scientist with the PLA Rocket Force, had died aged 63. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

US strengths and strains offer Beijing a playbook, but key differences limit how far the conflict can guide future military strategy.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

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China's military weapons

PLA upgrades ageing tanks with protection system for potential Taiwan operation

Type 96A main battle tanks from Eastern Theatre Command now have APS to counter drones and anti-tank missiles, according to state media.

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Type 96A main battle tanks equipped with the GL-6 active protection system were seen in video footage released by state media on Sunday. Photo: Weibo/China Youth Daily
China-Japan relations

Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles

Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’.

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The Type 25 Hypervelocity Gliding Projectile (HGP) is the Japanese forces’ first hypersonic missile. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defence Force
Japan

Japan plans to deploy missiles to a faraway island in the Pacific. Here’s why

The deployment is a response to China’s military activity near Minamitorishima, a defence ministry researcher says.

Science

Liu Guozhi, once top PLA scientist, wiped off Chinese Academy of Sciences site

High-power microwave weapon expert was elected to the nation’s top scientific body in 2009.

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US-China relations

US tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress

Top US commander says Chinese port and space projects across Latin America are all seen as potential dual-use military assets.

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General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, oversees US military operations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Photo: AFP
Science

How China gets more bang for its military buck than the US

The country’s military modernisation integrates civilian scientific and industrial capabilities into defence innovation allowing rapid development.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
China's military weapons

China announces AI boost to radar as drone swarms confound detectors in Iran war

Technology allows radar to observe moving targets from multiple angles, gain dynamic information – and even identify potential decoy drones.

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US-China relations

Mainland Chinese see Taiwan positively, won’t retreat from US trade war: survey

China Pulse polling study gives rare window into views of ordinary people on mainland, where opinions are often restricted or even banned.

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Australia

Australia complains to China after encounter between military helicopters

Australia says the Chinese aircraft made an ‘unsafe’ manoeuvre, while China called the statement ‘distortions of facts’.

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The incident is the latest ‌in a series ‌of military encounters involving China that Australia has called out publicly in similar terms. Photo illustration: Shutterstock
Two Sessions 2026

China draft budget report 2026

The Ministry of Finance released its draft 2026 budget plan, featuring a 7 per cent increase in defence spending.

China-Middle East relations

Why China is staying on the sidelines of the US-Iran conflict

Decision based on consideration of Beijing’s own interests as well as its ties with Washington and others, analysts say.

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US-China relations

Exclusive | US, China discuss investment revival ahead of Trump’s trip: sources

Both sides exploring structured joint ventures and licensing deals, with Beijing seeking protection and Washington eyeing better market access amid declining capital flows.

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US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping shake hands at an October meeting in South Korea. The two are expected to meet again in four weeks. Photo: Reuters
Two Sessions 2026

Language as a weapon? PLA academics seek training overhaul, cite Ukraine war

Digitised battlefields demand new breed of soldier, as skilled at data analysis and psy-ops as at wielding a weapon, veteran instructor says.

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Coordinated push from military academics reflects a broader recognition within China’s defence establishment as the People’s Liberation Army’s global footprint expands. Photo: Reuters
Two Sessions 2026

‘Two sessions’, Trump tariffs, JD.com earnings

This week: Lawmakers ready for China’s ‘two sessions’, Trump imposes new global tariffs, Germany’s Merz meets Xi. Next week: JD.com reports earnings, toughened trade measures kick in, manufacturing PMI comes outs, Honor debuts robot, and more.

US-China relations

Ex-US Air Force fighter pilot accused of secretly training Chinese military

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr allegedly provided ‘defence services’ after 24-year Air Force career training US pilots on advanced combat aircraft.

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US-China relations

Pentagon to spend US$12 billion on surveillance, eyeing China’s build-up in Asia

The move targets Chinese manoeuvres, submarines and satellites in the Indo-Pacific, and strikes a contrast with Trump’s call for closer ties.

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Chinese Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarines take part in a military display in the South China Sea in April 2018. Photo: Reuters
China-Australia relations

Beijing monitors Australian frigate Toowoomba’s passage through Taiwan Strait

Anzac-class frigate ‘conducted a routine transit through the South China Sea’, Australian defence department says.

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A Royal Australian Navy helicopter flies above the HMAS Toowoomba as it sails in the South China Sea. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

Can China find a market for its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes?

Analysts are uncertain how much demand there will be for the fighter in the face of competition from the US F-35 or cheaper alternatives.

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US-China relations

White House deflects as Trump weighs Taiwan arms sale delay amid Beijing pressure

New weapons package said to be in jeopardy ahead of Trump-Xi summit, raising concerns over Beijing’s leverage and US policy on Taiwan.

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