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South China Sea
China’s aircraft carriers
US-China relations
Military
Defence
Footage released by Chinese state media on July 29 shows a YJ-20 missile launching from a Type 052D destroyer at an undisclosed location. Photo: CCTV
China's military weapons

How Beijing’s hypersonic ‘carrier killers’ could distract US in a Taiwan conflict

Beijing said to be producing anti-ship missiles to hold US Pacific Fleet at distance so PLA can settle matters wherever contingency might be.

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s William Lai rehearses late-night emergency escape during military drill

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China-Japan relations

Is Japan eyeing asymmetric warfare against China in defence shift?

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China’s Communist Party

Open Questions | Wang Gungwu on lessons of Chinese history and Cold War

Historian says the past holds the keys to the future, both for Chinese as they seek further socioeconomic progress and for US as it looks to undermine China.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Illustration: Henry Wong
South China Sea

China confirms 2 deaths in Scarborough Shoal crash during Philippine ship chase

Beijing honours two coastguard personnel who died in a vessel collision in the South China Sea last year.

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China’s military drills

Has China’s missile force got America’s Kadena base in Japan in its sights?

Satellite image of facility that appeared to be the Okinawa airbase seen in state television documentary as PLA officer discussed drills.

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China-Japan relations

Chinese and Russian warships were seen circling Japan. What could it mean?

The pair aim to show they aren’t boxed in by the first island chain and that Moscow can project power despite the Ukraine war.

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A helicopter prepares to take off from the Chinese warship Anshan during China and Russia’s “Joint Sea-2026” exercise. Photo: Xinhua
A helicopter prepares to take off from the Chinese warship Anshan during China and Russia’s “Joint Sea-2026” exercise. Photo: Xinhua
China's military weapons

In Focus | China’s Palantir? Private tech firms surge into defence AI, aiming to match US giants

Some mainland companies’ tech proficiency may be closing gaps with American counterparts, but challenges remain, analysts say.

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China-Japan relations

Japan tests long-range missile as counterstrike capability against China grows

First public flight test of upgraded Type 12 variant marks milestone in efforts to counter Chinese naval power.

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China's military weapons

Why did a Chinese bomber carry a nuclear-capable missile in an anti-ship exercise?

PLA documentary showcases enough air power in its combination of the Jing Lei-1 on board an H-6N to cover ‘almost the entire Pacific Ocean’.

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Two PLA J-20 stealth fighters escort an H-6N bomber which appears to be armed with a JL-1 nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile. Photo: CCTV
Corruption in China

New batch of officers quietly takes helm of PLA after anti-corruption drive

New cohort of lieutenant generals has stepped up to lead key PLA bodies, SCMP analysis of state media footage from key meetings reveals.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Illustration: Henry Wong
China's military weapons

In Focus | Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

From artificial intelligence to quantum technology and hypersonic weapons, the PLA is in a race to define the next era of warfare.

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Taiwan

How Taiwan is preparing for a PLA sea blockade in its biggest war games

Taipei to move weapons production, prepare for internet outages and adopt US ‘back briefs’ during Han Kuang drills.

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China-Japan relations

Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns.

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Iwo Jima, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, hosts a Japanese military garrison and airfield. Photo: Julian Ryall
China's military weapons

Is China’s DF-17 hypersonic glider ready to strike from anywhere at any time?

PLA anniversary series suggests the world’s first operational weapon of its kind may have achieved a ‘constant state of readiness’.

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A missile that appears to be China’s DF-17 hypersonic glide weapon launches from a mobile unit in an exercise featured in an official documentary marking the PLA’s 99th anniversary. Photo: CCTV
A missile that appears to be China’s DF-17 hypersonic glide weapon launches from a mobile unit in an exercise featured in an official documentary marking the PLA’s 99th anniversary. Photo: CCTV
China's military weapons

Open Questions | ‘Surprising’ how fast China’s military is closing US gap: analyst Lyle Goldstein

Beijing’s challenge is to resist temptation to build the PLA into a ‘hammer looking for a nail’, former US Naval War College professor says.

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US-China relations

A military base, a displaced people and Trump’s China fears: Burnham’s Chagos test

Britain’s new prime minister’s first challenge may lie in the Indian Ocean where the future of a US-British facility remains unresolved.

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China’s air force

Chinese military unveils AI system to plan and coordinate mass air strikes

The support system is designed to support exercises involving ‘hundreds of targets and dozens of formations’, according to state media.

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The documentary said the system could coordinate multiple strikes. Photo: CCTV
The documentary said the system could coordinate multiple strikes. Photo: CCTV
South China Sea

Are commercial sea drones new headache for PLA in South China Sea and Taiwan?

A crewless vessel’s footage of a Chinese warship operating near the Philippines highlights their potential intelligence-gathering role.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with US: ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo

Prominent commentator shares insights on the PLA’s 2027 goal, competition with the US, the Taiwan issue and the peacetime dilemma.

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South China Sea

‘Rich and powerful options in South China Sea toolbox’: Beijing warns Manila

Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills.

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The PLA carries out joint naval and air drills around Scarborough Shoal on August 1, days after the Philippines filed its official ​nautical chart for the disputed South China Sea feature with the United Nations. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

Will Philippine Sea be the main battlefield for PLA carriers in a Taiwan war?

As Chinese forces push into the western Pacific, analysts say that carrier groups could be used to frustrate any intervention.

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By putting carrier groups in the Philippine Sea, China can intercept enemy ships and deter potential actors from even entering the region, analysts say. Photo: Handout
By putting carrier groups in the Philippine Sea, China can intercept enemy ships and deter potential actors from even entering the region, analysts say. Photo: Handout
China’s Communist Party

Why is China’s Communist Party intent on control over the military?

Beijing’s anti-corruption clean-up of the military reflects a historic commitment to party control, ensuring the armed forces strictly serve party goals.

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China’s military

Chinese pilot who landed safely after cabin leak given first-class merit award

PLA Navy flier Yang Yong tells state broadcaster he was forced to stay at altitude for several minutes despite the extreme danger he faced.

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China's military weapons

Why China’s JL-3 made waves with first sub-based missile test in over 40 years

The weapon is capable of striking targets in the continental US from Chinese waters, making it a key element of Beijing’s nuclear strategy.

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JL-3 submarine-launched missiles mounted on armoured vehicles are unveiled at a massive military parade in Beijing in September 2025. Photo: AP
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