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China's military weapons

China's military weapons
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.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
China has rapidly modernised its submarine fleet, narrowing the undersea capability gap with the United States, according to US officials. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US advisory panel warns China is gaining in undersea warfare

Commission urges Pentagon to preserve underwater edge as Beijing expands submarines, unmanned systems and seabed ambitions.

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China-Middle East relations

Iran attack a ‘wake-up call’ for China on electronic warfare and intelligence

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China’s navy

What will first Type 055 destroyers for PLA East China Fleet mean for Taiwan?

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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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A US Air Force F-35C Lightning II lands on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on February 12. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China, Russia should join US in new nuclear arms control deal: Rubio

Secretary of State says US and China now have ‘strategic stability’ in their long-fractious relationship as crucial Trump-Xi summit nears.

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US-China relations

China has ‘massively expanded’ its nuclear arsenal, claims US State Department

Beijing’s UN ambassador Shen Jian said China opposes the smearing of its nuclear policy and ‘would not engage in any nuclear arms race’.

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Defence

China’s 155mm naval gun on test vessel signals boost to amphibious landing power

The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy.

Photos of China’s new 155mm weapon mounted on the bow of a test vessel have recently emerged on Chinese social media. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Satellite images show first glimpse of China’s Type 095 nuclear submarine

Next-generation SSN features advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity, narrowing tech gap with rival US.

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China military reform

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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China military reform

With first missile of its kind, China overtakes US in hypersonic defence: report

A big reason is the long-range CJ-1000, the world’s first and so far only operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missile.

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China’s CJ-1000 hypersonic cruise missile is capable of striking high-value naval and aerial assets from thousands of kilometers away. Photo: CCTV
US-China relations

US offers more details on claim China conducted secret nuclear weapons test

State Department official says China’s alleged 2020 test was ‘a singular explosion’, confirms US will return to nuclear testing.

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An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a developmental test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on February 5. A State Department official has confirmed the US will resume nuclear testing. Photo: AFP
Science fiction

Everything we know about China’s mysterious, futuristic Nantianmen Project

Is it a storytelling vehicle for imaginative military hardware, blending science fiction with reality, or is it a glimpse of the future?

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US military

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

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US-China relations

Sudden Xi-Trump call, secret nuclear testing claims: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s grip on minerals to the US’ Apec plans, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in the first half of February 2026.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press conference during the Critical Minerals Ministerial at the State Department in Washington DC on February 4, 2026. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

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People gather in support of a coup in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2022. A wave of military coups across the Sahel has ended traditional alliances and security frameworks. Photo: Reuters
Espionage

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Trump hails US ‘discombobulator’ weapon as he meets Maduro op troops

The US president made his first public comments on a device that he boasted could block Russian and Chinese defence systems.

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China’s military

Chinese fighter jets locked radar on foreign stealth plane: PLA Daily

Military commentators say PLA aircraft cited by official military paper was likely to have been a J-16.

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The J-16 regularly patrols the Chinese east coast and potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Photo: 81.com
China’s military

Xi’s new year greeting reveals PLA Cyberspace Force post in South China Sea

Analyst says deployment signals Chinese military’s cyber warfare capabilities ‘are no longer confined to the mainland’.

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China’s military

China’s Middle East arms edge overshadowed by Turkey and South Korea in Riyadh

Analysts note Chinese inroads in military UAV market but political challenges for its jet fighters at the World Defence Show.

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South China Sea

China lifts veil on secretive underwater combat vehicle at Saudi defence show

Shipbuilding giant showcases new surface-to-subsurface wet submersible as Beijing eyes buyers in large Middle Eastern market.

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A small model of the SDV-01, a swimmer delivery vehicle made by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is displayed at the World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. Photo: Amber Wang
United States

Why China’s nuclear arsenal is under fire as US-Russia pact falls apart

US accusations about secret Chinese nuclear tests surface amid arms race anxieties, but Beijing says concerns over its weapons are all hype.

The People’s Liberation Army displays its JL-3 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. Photo: Reuters
Drones

Chinese drone for anti-submarine warfare among systems at Saudi defence show

Demand is growing in the Middle East for autonomous platforms and it is now one of the largest overseas markets for China’s military drones.

Science

Could this thrust device give Chinese drones an edge over F-35s?

An aerodynamic tail nozzle designed in Nanjing proves its mettle in a high-subsonic speed drone test.

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China’s military

Has the YJ-15 missile been deployed to the Chinese navy? A photo gives clues

The world-leading weapon was unveiled during last year’s Victory Day parade but there was no word then on where it would be used.

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A PLA Navy J-15T appears to be equipped with two YJ-15s in a highly operational configuration. Photo: Guancha.cn
US-China relations

US accuses China of secret nuclear testing after offering Beijing arms treaty

The allegations highlight tensions between Washington and Beijing, following the expiry of the New Start arms control treaty with Russia.

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DF-5C nuclear missiles are displayed during a military parade in Beijing, China, in September 2025. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

For first time in half a century, the world is without a legally binding agreement to control nuclear weapons, as New Start accord expires.

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UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Could China’s first hybrid transport drone be a ‘game changer’ in Taiwan Strait?

The CH YH-1000S, an unmanned vehicle that is considered capable of supplying combat troops, completed its maiden flight over the weekend.

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