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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.
China's largest peacekeeping deployment last year was to the UN Mission in South Sudan. Photo: Handout
United Nations

China boosts peacekeeping budget share amid warnings UN may be sidelined

SIPRI says Beijing’s participation in such UN missions helps ‘project an image of itself as a responsible major power’.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

What to expect from this week’s Trump 2.0 visit to Beijing

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Could military AI use be on the agenda when Chinese and US leaders meet?

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China's military weapons

Does YJ-20 hypersonic sea-based missile give China an edge over US carriers?

The highly manoeuvrable weapon is nearly invulnerable to interception and could sink an aircraft carrier with a single hit.

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The Chinese military’s formidable YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launches from a Type 055 destroyer. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

China unveils new naval defence systems as drones change nature of war at sea

The PLA has been working to improve its defences after the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East highlighted the threat of anti-ship drones.

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US-China relations

Exiting China market a ‘self-inflicted wound’ for US tech, think tank warns

ITIF argues that regional sales help finance domestic R&D and block local rivals, while warning that a full exit would be a self-inflicted wound to innovation leadership.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

The danger is that every state insists it is acting defensively while collectively building the habits and infrastructure of confrontation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China's military weapons

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

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China's military weapons

Did China just hint that its next aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered?

A video released to mark the PLA Navy’s anniversary uses wordplay to suggest that a new warship is under construction.

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Artificial intelligence

Iran war shows ‘strategic value’ of AI for China’s military, PLA Daily says

Commentary calls it ‘inevitable’ and necessary for PLA to embrace artificial intelligence to gain the advantage in future warfare.

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China’s military mouthpiece said AI-driven warfare was at a “turning point”. Image: Shutterstock
US-China relations

Chinese student charged with illegally taking photos of US military planes

Student taken into custody after allegedly photographing sensitive military aircraft near key air force base in Nebraska during US road trip.

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The US Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch plane can act as a “flying Pentagon” in the case of a national emergency. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

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China's military weapons

How the PLA may use stealth drones in a swarming boat attack from Taiwan

Beijing could send in GJ-21s – which have long endurance and high manoeuvrability – to counter uncrewed combat boats, military magazine says.

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US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

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US President Donald Trump announces the US Navy’s “Golden Fleet” battleship programme at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Mainland China

Chinese rocket force scientist Major General Feng Yufang dies aged 63

Feng advocated for self-reliance, once saying ‘core technologies cannot be bought and relying on imports will not get us far’.

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Chinese state media announced on Tuesday that Major General Feng Yufang, a leading missile scientist with the PLA Rocket Force, had died aged 63. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

US strengths and strains offer Beijing a playbook, but key differences limit how far the conflict can guide future military strategy.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

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China's military weapons

PLA upgrades ageing tanks with protection system for potential Taiwan operation

Type 96A main battle tanks from Eastern Theatre Command now have APS to counter drones and anti-tank missiles, according to state media.

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Type 96A main battle tanks equipped with the GL-6 active protection system were seen in video footage released by state media on Sunday. Photo: Weibo/China Youth Daily
China-Japan relations

Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles

Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’.

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Japan

Japan plans to deploy missiles to a faraway island in the Pacific. Here’s why

The deployment is a response to China’s military activity near Minamitorishima, a defence ministry researcher says.

Science

Liu Guozhi, once top PLA scientist, wiped off Chinese Academy of Sciences site

High-power microwave weapon expert was elected to the nation’s top scientific body in 2009.

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Liu Guozhi, 65, once headed the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

US tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress

Top US commander says Chinese port and space projects across Latin America are all seen as potential dual-use military assets.

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General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, oversees US military operations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Photo: AFP
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

Technology allows radar to observe moving targets from multiple angles, gain dynamic information – and even identify potential decoy drones.

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US-China relations

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

China Pulse polling study gives rare window into views of ordinary people on mainland, where opinions are often restricted or even banned.

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Tourists strike a pose next to a giant Ultraman inflatable displayed at Kaohsiung Wonderland during the Lunar New Year holidays in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in February. Photo: AFP
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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