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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

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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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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
A GJ-21 stealth drone pictured on the deck of the Sichuan amphibious landing ship. Photo: Handout
Drones

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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Taiwan

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

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Middle East

Will South Korea’s ‘Goldilocks’ missile dent China’s Middle East arms ambitions?

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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
China’s military

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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Mainland China

Move over, Hercules: China’s new Y-30 aims to outmuscle America’s best

PLA’s four-engine turboprop described as outperforming US counterpart in engine power, payload capacity, structure and material.

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Drones

Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone

The device was discovered near the Lombok Strait, a strategically vital deepwater passage closely watched by the US and Australia.

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Local police haul the item ashore. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

China unveils handheld coil gun that works like a ‘less deadly’ pistol

The electromagnetic weapon is designed for stealth operations, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

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US-Iran tensions

Iran points finger at Saudis and UAE after Chinese-made drone was shot down

Tehran says it has shot down a Wing Loong II, which could be proof of ‘active complicity’ in the US-Israeli war.

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Taiwan

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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The Type 25 Hypervelocity Gliding Projectile (HGP) is the Japanese forces’ first hypersonic missile. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defence Force
Drones

China tests ‘heaviest cargo drone’ suited to high-altitude and island operations

Designed for both military and civilian use, it has 7-tonne take-off weight and is the world’s heaviest cargo drone in full-scale flight.

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ICBMs

What the debut of a new air-based missile means for China’s nuclear strategy

Jinglei-1 and H-6N strategic bomber combination completes nuclear triad, boosts second-strike capability, military magazine says.

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Drones

Rise of the ‘wolf pack’: China’s canine robots evolve for urban combat

Chinese state broadcaster highlights robot wolves, drones and laser weapons in new documentary about the PLA’s latest unmanned systems.

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The wolf pack operates through a shared sensing network, which acts like a collective brain allowing for collaboration and joint decision-making. Photo: CCTV
South Korea

What can the Iran war tell China about missile interception?

Journal says China should target boost stage, when ballistic missiles are slower, lack manoeuvrability and emit an intense heat signature.

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New analysis in a Chinese defence journal says the PLA’s current ground- and sea-based missile defence systems are not sufficient. Photo: Reuters
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Former defence exec Tan Ruisong given death sentence for ‘exceptional’ corruption

Tan confessed to taking about US$89 million in bribes and insider trading during his time at Avic.

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US-China relations

US unlikely to get China to join new nuclear arms control agreement, experts say

Nuclear superpowers not taking active steps towards meaningful negotiation following the expiry of New Start arms treaty in February.

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China’s military drills

New Type 055 destroyers for PLA East China Fleet tested in first live-fire drill

Exercise will ‘rapidly integrate’ the advanced vessels into the joint combat system covering Taiwan and the seas near Japan.

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Intensive targeted live-fire exercises in mid-March for the Dongguan and Anqing Type 055 super destroyers simulated a range of combat operations, official media reported. Photo: Handout
UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Why is China’s ASN-301 suicide drone more deadly than its Iranian counterpart?

In a conflict over Taiwan or western Pacific, Beijing may overwhelm air defences through sheer numbers in a war of economic attrition.

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US, Israel war on Iran

PLA reveals AI-assisted aerial refuelling system days after US tanker crash

PLA Air Force details streamlined operations that pair tankers and fighters, with real-time recommendations for pilots.

Corruption in China

J-20 fighter jet designer scrubbed from Chinese Academy of Sciences website

Yang Wei has not appeared in public for more than a year, and it comes amid an anti-corruption campaign in the defence sector.

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Yang Wei led the design of the J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Photos: Handout, AP
Drones

China leads world in anti-drone patent race with US far behind, law firm finds

Patent filings for anti-drone technology surged 27 per cent last year amid rising global security concerns, says Mathys & Squire.

A police officer presents an anti-drone gun during the Railway Police Open Day at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Hubei province. Photo: Getty Images
ICBMs

Open Questions | Why Iran war may drive East Asia nuclear race, hit China in Mideast: Zhao Tong

Carnegie nuclear policy expert says law of the jungle signalled by US actions could spur more countries to pursue nuclear weapons.

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UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Could PLA’s new shipborne drone redefine South China Sea naval operations?

In a first, recent CCTV footage shows a lightweight uncrewed helicopter parked on the Chinese military’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship.

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Defence

How are military helicopters evolving to adapt to the age of drone warfare?

Armed forces such as the US and China are increasingly arming themselves with UAVs, but analysts believe crewed aircraft still have a role.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Artificial intelligence

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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Chinese radar expert Xu Jin says “accurate detection of a large number of drones requires a massive amount of processing power, posing a challenge to traditional radar detection”. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

China beats US, Japan in carbon-fibre arms race with world’s first T1200 factory

‘Black gold’ fibre deemed transformative for energy and military purposes, EV innovations, medical devices and low-altitude economy.

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Nato

Serbia confirms it owns Chinese supersonic missiles after photo leak

‘We have a significant number of those missiles and we will have even more,’ Aleksandar Vucic said, adding they were ‘extremely effective’.

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