China's military

Beijing's goal to turn the People’s Liberation Army into a powerful fighting force
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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.

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News
Military
Lieutenant General You Haitao is one of two senior Chinese military officials announced by the NPC as suspected of “serious violation of laws and discipline”. Photo: Weibo/清華國防
Military
2 more Chinese generals fall in anti-corruption campaign in military
NPC Standing Committee announces Lieutenant General You Haitao and Vice-Admiral Li Pengcheng removed from China’s top legislature.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), also chairman of the Central Military Commission , presents a certificate to Chen Hui at a promotion ceremony in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
Military
China names Chen Hui to lead army political work amid PLA personnel shake-up
Chen, who has been promoted to general, replaces political commissar whose whereabouts are unknown.
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Miao Hua has been suspended from duty and is under investigation for “suspected serious disciplinary violations”, usually a euphemism for corruption. Photo: Handout
Military
Will corruption probe into ideology top brass Miao Hua affect China’s military?
As the head of PLA ideology comes under a cloud, the president once again stresses military loyalty to the Communist Party.
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Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun visited Vietnam this week to attend a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army. Photo: AFP
Military
Defence minister on first overseas trip since Beijing denied he was investigated
Dong Jun meets the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party in Hanoi on visit to mark military anniversary.
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Okinawa residents protest about the US military presence earlier this year after a string of alleged sex offences committed by servicemen. Photo: Kyodo
Military
Is Taiwan a factor in US decision to start moving marines from Okinawa to Guam?
Move has been in the pipeline for over a decade, but Washington has only just agreed to start relocating its first troops stationed in Japan.
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An undated image of a PLA Type 094 strategic nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Photo: Handout
Military
China’s nuclear warheads total 600 and raise ‘concerns’: Pentagon
Both the diversity and sophistication of its arsenal like precision-strike capable missiles have improved, annual US defence report finds.
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The headquarters of Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment in Shanghai. Photo: Handout
Tech War
Chinese semiconductor tool maker AMEC removed from Pentagon blacklist
In January, the DOD added AMEC and other Chinese tech firms to the blacklist because they were considered a threat to US national security.
The J-35A stealth fighter jet is headed for duty on China’s aircraft carriers. Photo: Xinhua
Military
Drone swarms, stealth fighters, missiles: 10 China military developments in 2024
From a fourth aircraft carrier to the corruption investigation of a top general, here are some of the year’s most notable People’s Liberation Army stories.
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Zhang Xiaoxin, who died on Sunday, was a pioneer in China’s space weather sector and left a mark in space, aviation and communications and China’s serviced space missions. Photo: Handout
Military
Chinese space defence expert Zhang Xiaoxin dies in car crash in Beijing
Zhang, 62, a pioneer in China’s space weather sector, is remembered for his outstanding contribution to monitoring and warning technology.
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The People’s Liberation Army is seeking to improve its logistics as part of its reform process. Photo: AFP
Military
China’s PLA, rail authorities join hands amid Beijing’s battle-readiness push
The joint military-civilian initiative follows a call for better collaboration between the two at a major party meeting in June.
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A Chinese report has revealed a list of US Navy targets that are likely to be hit in a potential electronic warfare scenario. Photo: AFP/US Navy
Science
PLA releases electronic warfare ‘kill list’ for US carrier groups
A Chinese report has revealed a catalogue of US naval targets including radars and sensors to be attacked in any future conflict.
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Australia holds the world’s largest reserves of zirconium which is used in hypersonic missiles for its thermal qualities. Photo: Shutterstock
Science
Competition set to heat up over Australian gemstone used in hypersonic weapons
A mineral with thermal qualities vital to hypersonic aircraft could soon be at the centre of the next US-China supply battle.
Military
Series|Mainland China’s Taiwan military presence
This three-part series looks at how Beijing is using its military and coast guard to put pressure on Taipei.
Illustration: Brian Wang
Military
Why mainland China’s ‘second navy’ is becoming increasingly active around Taiwan
As well as stepping up patrols, coastguards are training with the navy triggering speculation about their role in any attack on the island.
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Military officer exchanges between China and Japan date back to 2001 when officers from each country arranged an exchange programme that continued until it was suspended in 2012, and then resumed in 2018. Photo: Kyodo
Military
China’s PLA hosts young Japanese officers in renewed military exchange
Visit is the second time for the in-person exchanges since they resumed in July last year following the pandemic.
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China’s top fighter pilots are using baduanjin, a form of qigong, to strengthen their core muscles and increase fitness. Photo: Xinhua
Science
China is training super-pilots with qigong for stealth jet and drone battle
As the physical demands on top Chinese pilots continues to rise, an ancient form of exercise is keeping them fighting fit.
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A Standard Missile-3 Block IIA is launched by the Aegis Guam System during the US Missile Defence Agency’s test at Andersen Air Force Base on December 10. Photo: Handout/Reuters
Military
US conducts first ballistic missile intercept in Guam amid contest with China
Spokesman says ‘it confirmed our ability to detect, track and engage a target missile in flight, increasing our readiness to defend’.
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A mainland Chinese J-16 fighter jet. Taiwan’s defence ministry says it is monitoring PLA activity near the island. Photo: AP
Politics
Taiwan monitoring PLA warplanes and ships after William Lai’s stopovers
Defence ministry says 47 aircraft were detected near the island in the 24 hours to 6am, along with 12 naval ships and nine official vessels.
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Solid fuel used in ballistic missiles may not be able to be stored for as long as previously thought, according to a Chinese study, which suggests “this could be one of the fundamental reasons for the frequent ignition and test launch failures in recent years”. Photo: AP
Science
Chinese rocket scientists find ICBMs age much faster than they thought
Hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missiles could be unusable, according to new research into the shelf life of missile fuel.
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China had significantly more biosafety research collaborations with the US between 2007 and 2023 than with any other country. Photo: AFP
Science
PLA looks into China-US collaboration in biosecurity research
A new study has revealed the large number of biosafety research partnerships in recent years between China and the US.
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John Phelan has no military experience. He is Donald Trump’s pick to be the next US Navy secretary. Photo: MSD Capital
China
Trump chose a financier to be the next US Navy secretary. Here’s why
Appointment of John Phelan aimed at making defence spending more efficient by tackling corruption, analysts say.
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The Chinese and Philippine coastguards are at odds over what happened during a confrontation in the South China Sea on Wednesday. Photo: Weibo/人民日报
Diplomacy
Chinese coastguard hits out again at Philippines over South China Sea clashes
Philippine agency is misleading the international community over incidents at Sabina and Scarborough shoals, China Coast Guard says.
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Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun reappears in public on Thursday. Photo: CCTV
Military
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun back in public as Xi calls for PLA stability
Xi stresses need for ‘new round of technology and military revolution’ in warfare during inspection of Information Support Force.
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The PLA’s JL-10 trainer jet is helping cut training times for Chinese fighter pilots. Photo: Reuters
Military
Amid fighter fleet overhaul, China’s military cuts its pilot training by a year
By 2026 most PLA fighter pilots could have initial flight and transition training in 3 years: US military think tank.
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Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang visits DJI Technology in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, Oct. 13, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
Big Tech
Chinese drone maker DJI fights to shake off ‘military’ tag
DJI was featured in a video published by The Financial Times on November 22, titled ‘Should the US ban Chinese drones’.
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China holds a large proportion of the world’s supply of gallium and germanium. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy
US blasts China’s export ban on key minerals, vows ‘necessary steps’
Beijing’s new restrictions on germanium and gallium exports ‘underscore the need to diversify away from China’, US State Department tells the Post.
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Chinese UAVs on display at the Zhuhai air show in November. China is making drones a key element in asymmetric warfare. Photo: EPA-EFE
Military
How China, US are using different drone strategies in race for air superiority
World’s top two military powers remain focused on traditional warplanes, but China’s ‘innovative use’ of UAVs could be the difference, analysts say.
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The new vessel shares similarities with the Chinese navy’s Type 075 landing helicopter dock, but it features three protruding structures on the flight deck, rather than two. Photo: X/ @sugar_wsnbn
Military
China tests carrier-like ship, but mystery vessel’s purpose remains murky
Images show ship with flight deck that can carry drones and helicopters, but it is not clear whether it is for civilian or military use.
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According to a former PLA instructor, “real war requires joint training” because it is “not enough for a single branch or unit to carry out any combat mission alone”. Photo: AFP
Military
‘No victory without coordination’: China’s PLA focuses on joint operation training
‘New model for integrated training group exercises’ has reached the front lines, PLA Daily report citing Central Military Commission says.
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New radar technology created by Chinese scientists will help with submarine detection and also could assist communication between surface ships and submarines. Photo: QQ
Science
Chinese ghost radar moves at ‘near-light-speed’ to detect submarines
Researchers in China have harnessed the power of the Doppler effect to achieve a breakthrough in submarine detection.
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Opinion
Editorial|China’s ban on military-use exports a good start
Rare move to halt supply of such materials and tools by China deserves recognition given the geopolitical context of tensions with the US and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
SCMP Editorial
5
Asian Angle|Will China’s military drills with Southeast Asian nations reduce trust deficit?
China’s ‘Peace and Friendship’ drills with five Asean member states is further evidence of Beijing’s move towards multilateral defence cooperation.
Ian Storey
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Editorial|Resumption of US-China talks on nuclear arms is a step in right direction
Meeting between China and the US is not only about avoiding doomsday, but a show of joint leadership that can bring a troubled world to a better place.
SCMP Editorial
1
My Take|How Washington fought off the great Chinese balloon invasion
If the US needed millions of dollars to shoot down a couple of hobbyist balloons, a trillion-dollar military budget is not enough to fight China.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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My Take|A militarised belt and road? The West’s threat inflation is ridiculous
Western military fabulists now warn that China may be expanding naval bases around the world faster than you can count aloud.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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As I see it|Why China should take a leaf out of Washington’s defence transparency playbook
Some experts say China should – like some other nations – aspire to a standard where it makes clear the intent behind its military strategy and defence procurement plans.
Su-Lin Tan
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My Take|UK foreign chief’s claim about China’s military build-up borders on the absurd
As Beijing hasn’t fought a major war since its 1980s reforms, any budget increase could be described as ‘the biggest military build-up in peacetime history’.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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Inside Out|Global arms race is diverting funds from health and climate spending
Alongside calls for more military spending, there are demands to address climate change and rebuild health systems even as governments struggle with record debt levels. A series of squeezes are set to cut deep into spending that is best directed elsewhere.
David Dodwell
Outside In|The world can’t afford the catastrophe of a mainland attack on Taiwan
As tensions rise in the Taiwan Strait, analysts predict a global economic and political disaster in case of an attack. To ensure the possibility of forced reunification remains slim, moderate voices are needed urgently.
David Dodwell
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Macroscope|Drums of war drowning out calls to fight climate change and poverty
Despite the prospect of protracted fiscal and monetary austerity, defence budgets around the world are ballooning. This is absurd when the world should be focusing on preventing pandemics, surviving climate change and eradicating poverty.
Anthony Rowley
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My Take|Anatomy of a debunked China coup rumour
Fake news about a coup in Beijing last week offered those who followed it a rare glimpse in real time into how malicious falsehoods are spread quickly online around the world.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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Editorial|PLA remembers past with eyes on future
President Xi Jinping’s vision for China’s military to be seen as world-class defence, peace and security force by 2027 is to be welcomed.
SCMP Editorial
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