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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.
Illustration: Davies Christian
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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China's military weapons

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

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US-China relations

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

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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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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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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

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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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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Taiwanese soldiers launch a US-made tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW)-2A missile from a M1167 TOW carrier vehicle at the Fangshan training grounds in Pingtung on August 26, 2024. Photo: Reuters
China's military weapons

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

Pentagon adds Chinese firms to military list, then withdraws filing

Move weeks before Trump-Xi summit highlights mixed signals from Washington and injects fresh uncertainty into fragile US-China truce.

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China's military weapons

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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CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Video | Chinese military officers target of new CIA video

US spy agency’s outreach, depicting a disillusioned mid-level officer, risks unsettling fragile calm before April’s Trump-XI summit.

The CIA has released a provocative recruitment video targeting Chinese military officers. The US spy agency used its YouTube channel to publish the video on February 12, 2026, the same day US President Donald Trump boasted about his “very good relationship” with China.
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Mainland China

After Zhang Youxia’s downfall, PLA told to be more mindful of spending

State media also spotlights deep flaws in PLA’s readiness that have surfaced during country’s widening anti-corruption drive.

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China’s Communist Party

What is China’s Central Military Commission and how does it function?

The downfall of two more members of the top command body has left just Xi Jinping and one other member active.

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Mainland China

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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CCTV shows a section of China’s cyberspace force stationed on Fiery Cross Reef. Photo: Xinhua
China's military weapons

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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China exhibits models of J-10CE and J-35A fighter jets at the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Amber Wang
China's military weapons

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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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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US-China relations

US and China defence sectors emerge as key battlegrounds in the race for AI

As both military powers vie to integrate innovative technology first, the race is on to develop and fast-track the latest advancements.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
ICBMs

China grows nuclear arsenal as last US-Russia limits expire

President Xi Jinping plans to further expand China’s nuclear weapons stockpile, while caps on US and Russian deployments end this week.

A Chinese DF-5C intercontinental strategic nuclear missile on display at a military parade. (Photo: EPA)
Central Military Commission

Was General Zhang Youxia one of the ‘big rats’ eating China’s military budget?

A PLA Daily article links corrupt practices with damage to combat readiness – Xi Jinping’s top priority.

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China's military weapons

China’s new YJ-18C missile: a logistics killer for US Navy?

Subsonic land-attack cruise weapon can be repurposed for anti-ship use, Chinese military magazine says.

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