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China's military weapons

China's military weapons
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.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
The Chinese navy has been rapidly expanding its SSN fleet amid an intensifying underwater arms race in the region. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Satellite images show first glimpse of China’s Type 095 nuclear submarine

Next-generation SSN features advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity, narrowing tech gap with rival US.

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China military reform

Can China find a market for its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes?

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China military reform

With first missile of its kind, China overtakes US in hypersonic defence: report

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US-China relations

US offers more details on claim China conducted secret nuclear weapons test

State Department official says China’s alleged 2020 test was ‘a singular explosion’, confirms US will return to nuclear testing.

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An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a developmental test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on February 5. A State Department official has confirmed the US will resume nuclear testing. Photo: AFP
Science fiction

Everything we know about China’s mysterious, futuristic Nantianmen Project

Is it a storytelling vehicle for imaginative military hardware, blending science fiction with reality, or is it a glimpse of the future?

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US military

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

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US-China relations

Sudden Xi-Trump call, secret nuclear testing claims: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s grip on minerals to the US’ Apec plans, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in the first half of February 2026.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press conference during the Critical Minerals Ministerial at the State Department in Washington DC on February 4, 2026. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

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Espionage

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Trump hails US ‘discombobulator’ weapon as he meets Maduro op troops

The US president made his first public comments on a device that he boasted could block Russian and Chinese defence systems.

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US President Donald Trump applauds as he looks at first lady Melania Trump during a visit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
China’s military

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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The J-16 regularly patrols the Chinese east coast and potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Photo: 81.com
China’s military

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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China’s military

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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South China Sea

China lifts veil on secretive underwater combat vehicle at Saudi defence show

Shipbuilding giant showcases new surface-to-subsurface wet submersible as Beijing eyes buyers in large Middle Eastern market.

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A small model of the SDV-01, a swimmer delivery vehicle made by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is displayed at the World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. Photo: Amber Wang
United States

Why China’s nuclear arsenal is under fire as US-Russia pact falls apart

US accusations about secret Chinese nuclear tests surface amid arms race anxieties, but Beijing says concerns over its weapons are all hype.

The People’s Liberation Army displays its JL-3 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. Photo: Reuters
Drones

Chinese drone for anti-submarine warfare among systems at Saudi defence show

Demand is growing in the Middle East for autonomous platforms and it is now one of the largest overseas markets for China’s military drones.

Science

Could this thrust device give Chinese drones an edge over F-35s?

An aerodynamic tail nozzle designed in Nanjing proves its mettle in a high-subsonic speed drone test.

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China’s military

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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A PLA Navy J-15T appears to be equipped with two YJ-15s in a highly operational configuration. Photo: Guancha.cn
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

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

For first time in half a century, the world is without a legally binding agreement to control nuclear weapons, as New Start accord expires.

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UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Could China’s first hybrid transport drone be a ‘game changer’ in Taiwan Strait?

The CH YH-1000S, an unmanned vehicle that is considered capable of supplying combat troops, completed its maiden flight over the weekend.

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The YH-1000S pictured ahead of its maiden flight. Photo: Xinhua
Taiwan

Has China’s GJ-21 stealth attack drone joined sea trials for Type 076 Sichuan?

Photos circulating on social media have sparked speculation that the PLA Navy’s amphibious assault ship has entered a new phase of testing.

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What appears to be a covered GJ-21 stealth drone is seen on the deck of the Sichuan, China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship. Photo: Handout
United States

Opinion | With US-Russia treaty set to expire, threat of a new nuclear arms race grows

In a fragmented multilateral environment, the world could face even greater danger from nuclear proliferation than during the Cold War.

US-China relations

Why the collapse of the last US-Russia nuclear treaty matters for China

Analysts warn expiry of New Start could trigger vicious circle and three-way arms race between Beijing, Washington and Moscow.

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China’s air force

China’s J-10C stars at Singapore Airshow after lead role in India-Pakistan war

Beijing is eyeing the Southeast Asian market after the 4.5-generation fighter raised its international profile by shooting down a Rafale jet.

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Chinese J-10C aircraft perform at the Singapore Airshow. Photo: Handout
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)
Pakistan

Pakistan’s ‘affordable’ China-developed jet: a victim of its own success?

At half the price of an F-16, the JF-17 is attracting new buyers that Islamabad may struggle to actually supply.

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China military reform

China’s growing military power

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army. He has overseen improvements in hardware, including the expansion of the nuclear weapons programme, and tightened his control through high-level purges of generals.

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