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South China Sea
China’s aircraft carriers
US-China relations
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Defence
The large-scale drills are being conducted by the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command. Photo: CCTV
Taiwan

PLA holds drills around Taiwan in warning to ‘separatists’ after US arms deal

Military says it is conducting exercise across five areas near the self-governed island.

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China's military weapons

A look at China’s ‘Flying Shark’ J-15 jet that made waves near Japan

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Corruption in China

China’s anti-corruption campaign claims 3 more top military officers

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China's military weapons

China-Pakistan jet deal with Libyan group ‘may help expand Beijing’s influence’

The agreement will supply the Libyan National Army with 16 fourth-generation JF-17 fighters.

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The JF-17 jet was jointly developed by China and Pakistan. Photo: AP
The JF-17 jet was jointly developed by China and Pakistan. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Deal breaker? Record Taiwan arms deal complicates Trump’s 2026 Beijing visit

The US defends new arms sales and urges ‘meaningful’ dialogue, but analysts warn the deepening rift risks hollowing out the agenda for the Trump-Xi summit next year.

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China's military weapons

Is China quietly preparing cargo ships to transform into military vessels?

Containers bear the words ‘plan for the maritime revival of the Chinese nation and the community of shared future for mankind in the ocean’.

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US-China relations

Beijing sanctions 20 US defence firms over Taiwan arms sales package

10 industry executives also face punitive measures following Washington’s unveiling of a record US$11 billion weapons package.

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Taiwanese conscripts carry rocket launchers during a drill inside a military base in Tainan City, Taiwan in November 2024. Washington’s latest weapons package to Taiwan includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones. Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwanese conscripts carry rocket launchers during a drill inside a military base in Tainan City, Taiwan in November 2024. Washington’s latest weapons package to Taiwan includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

Will Trump’s battleship plan deter China or is it just a pipe dream?

Donald Trump unveils new class of ship meant to ‘inspire fear in America’s enemies’, but analysts say the initiative faces huge hurdles.

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SCMP Highlights

Fujian enters service, J-10C impresses: 10 China military developments in 2025

From hardware on show at China’s military parade to anti-drone systems, here are some of the year’s most notable People’s Liberation Army stories.

Taiwan

How Beijing’s strategy shift explains decreased PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait

PLA warplanes and ships have been less active around the island in the second half of the year, Taiwanese data shows.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China’s military drills

China’s PLA simulated battles near Mexico, Cuba and Taiwan, CCTV report shows

Rare insight revealed on state television in footage from a PLA wargaming event in central China where dozens of systems were demonstrated.

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Screen shows red and blue opposing unit “indicators”, represented by aircraft and ships, manoeuvring near the coasts of Cuba and Mexico in footage recorded at a PLA wargaming event held in China’s Henan province. Photo: CCTV
Screen shows red and blue opposing unit “indicators”, represented by aircraft and ships, manoeuvring near the coasts of Cuba and Mexico in footage recorded at a PLA wargaming event held in China’s Henan province. Photo: CCTV
China’s Communist Party

Top PLA Air Force duo miss key military event led by Xi as graft fight rolls on

Generals Chang Dingqiu and Guo Puxiao were not present at PLA promotions ceremony on Monday, footage broadcast by CCTV shows.

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US-China relations

Pentagon says Chinese aircraft carriers, 6th-gen fighters make US ‘vulnerable’

Report adds that Americans’ security is threatened by Beijing’s development of its ‘historic military build-up’, including nuclear arsenal.

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China's military weapons

‘Saturation attacks’: drone swarms key for wartime victory, PLA Daily says

Concentrated UAV swarms seen to allow ‘optimal combat effectiveness with minimal battlefield expenditure’.

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Concentrated drone formations in wartime are capable of “forcing the enemy into a state of exhaustion and passive defence”, PLA Daily article says. Photo: Shutterstock
Taiwan

F-16V fighter jet tested as Taiwan presses US and Lockheed Martin for delivery

Taiwan’s air force says it is pushing US side on production speed and quality control amid mounting scrutiny from lawmakers over delays.

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Photos that were first posted by Owen’s Aviation Photos show at least one Taiwan-bound F-16V Block 70 two-seat aircraft undergoing taxi and systems checks at a US airfield. Photo: Handout
Photos that were first posted by Owen’s Aviation Photos show at least one Taiwan-bound F-16V Block 70 two-seat aircraft undergoing taxi and systems checks at a US airfield. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Xi promotes PLA commanders overseeing Taiwan Strait, Beijing to full general

Announcements suggest the dust has begun to settle following a massive purge in the military over corruption concerns.

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China’s military

J-16s vs Rafales: Chinese air force puts jets to the war-game test

State broadcaster offers a look at a PLA exercise simulating an air combat scenario between Chinese and foreign forces.

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US-China relations

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

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The PLA’s YJ-17 hypersonic anti-ship missile is displayed during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. A recently leaked Pentagon report says Beijing has amassed an arsenal of around 600 hypersonic weapons. Photo: Eugene Lee
The PLA’s YJ-17 hypersonic anti-ship missile is displayed during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. A recently leaked Pentagon report says Beijing has amassed an arsenal of around 600 hypersonic weapons. Photo: Eugene Lee
Taiwan

Taiwan’s missile shield plan has ‘critical flaws’, mainland Chinese report says

Military magazine claims the island’s proposed air defence system would be unreliable against an attack by the PLA.

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China's military weapons

Is China’s Fujian gearing up for a dual aircraft carrier exercise?

Satellite images indicate the vessel has docked with the Liaoning at a naval base in the country’s east.

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Science

Targeted jamming incident blinds GPS and BeiDou in east China’s Nanjing

Food delivery, drone control and ride-hailing apps paralysed during satellite navigation blackout in city of nearly 10 million.

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A disruption to satellite navigation systems affected daily life and the local economy of Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Taiwan

Will Taiwan’s decentralised military model raise more questions than it solves?

Defence ministry briefs lawmakers on ‘heightened risk’ of sudden strike designed to paralyse command and control systems at start of conflict.

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Taiwanese military training programmes are incorporating decentralised command-and-control concepts, lawmakers have heard. Photo: EPA
Taiwanese military training programmes are incorporating decentralised command-and-control concepts, lawmakers have heard. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

China’s rebuilding of Micronesian airport runway raises alarm in US

At least two Chinese companies appear to be involved in the Woleai project in the strategically important region.

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Starlink

Foreign ship gets penalty for using Starlink within Chinese waters, report says

Unidentified vessel was found using ‘satellite communication device manufactured by a foreign company’ during inspection at Ningbo port.

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China's military weapons

Chinese military tightens review of weapons pricing to fight corruption

CMC Equipment Development Department releases new rules amid push for quality equipment and ‘professional ethics’.

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New procurement rules for the Chinese military dictate that troops should receive weapons and equipment that are combat-oriented, high quality and offer advanced performance. Photo: Xinhua
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