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Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
Nuclear weapons continue to be a topic of tension in the modern world, particularly with concerns from the US and its partners over Iran's nuclear development programme, which Iran says is for medical and industrial use only. Such armaments can be delivered by intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have with a range of over 5,500km (3,400 miles).
US Army’s soldiers conduct a training exercise on a river in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
South Korea

US, South Korea slash joint military drills by half as Trump eyes Kim summit

The allies will complete the first, defensive phase and cancel next week’s counter-attack phase.

South Korea

Trump’s decision to scale back South Korea drills ‘makes no sense’

Donald Trump

US-South Korea joint military exercises start after Trump orders a scale-back

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US, Israel war on Iran

51st strait? Trump says he’ll soon declare Hormuz to be US territory

The US president said he would do so after Iran was defeated, urging Americans to accept higher fuel prices for now.

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US President Donald Trump speaks at a police academy in Garden City, New York, on Friday. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

After China’s missile test, US and allies demand 24-hour warning next time

Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’.

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North Korea

North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia

North Korea usually reports launches but its silence in the recent tests raises the possibility they involved a top-secret new missile.

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North Korea

Japan slams North Korea’s ballistic missile firing ahead of US-Seoul drills

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the launch a ‘threat to peace and security in our region’.

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News coverage showing footage of a North Korean missile launch on a screen at a railway station in Seoul. On Wednesday, Japan’s defence ministry said North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Ukraine says Russia fired North Korean missiles in deadly attack

‘The city was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons,’ President Zelensky said of the strike on Zaporizhzhia that killed 7.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | A strong China is the best hope for the ‘long peace’ to endure

If China’s rise shows it rejects hegemonic ambitions, the hope is that it can make a difference and foster a more peaceful world.

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North Korea

North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’: South Korea

The launch came a day after Pyongyang accused Japan of turning ‘into a war state’ as Tokyo beefs up its military stance in the Pacific.

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People watch the news at a station in Seoul, South Korea on Thursday. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Thursday. Photo: EPA
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
United States

Pentagon signs US$3 billion deal to ramp up Patriot, THAAD missile parts production

Agreements with Lockheed and Northrop seek to address supply shortages driven by conflicts.

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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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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
China's military weapons

China signals buildout of nuclear missile silos for ‘strategic trump cards’

CCTV documentary interview suggests the construction was for the DF-5 series of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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China’s state broadcaster has acknowledged the construction of more nuclear missile silos. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

China’s military modernisation

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army, overseeing improvements in hardware and high-level purges of generals.

China’s military

The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

From revolutionary group to hi-tech machine, the PLA’s transformation has been a long pursuit of strength and self-reliance.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on US’ decline and China’s nuclear arsenal

Zhou Bo of Tsinghua University weighs US’ commitment to Taiwan, how big a nuclear deterrent China needs and the risks of AI warfare.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Defence

Letters | Missile test shows major-power rivalry is spilling into the Pacific

Readers discuss the fallout of China’s recent missile test, the massive protests in India sparked by exam irregularities, and dwindling sales at the Hong Kong Book Fair.

Middle East

US unveils civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

Some US lawmakers and Israeli officials fear that such a project could help the kingdom develop nuclear weapons.

Ukraine war

Opinion | Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine shows the impotence of nuclear weapons

Having the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal has not helped Russia on the battlefield.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Ukraine war

Kyiv pounded in Russian missile barrage as air defences run low

At least one person was killed and 16 were wounded, heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences.

The site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
China’s military

Opinion | China’s missile test from a submarine is no guarantee of regional stability

Beijing’s ICBM test from a nuclear-powered submarine is a win from a defence perspective but comes with greater responsibilities.

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Pacific nations

China sends a message to Pacific islands amid unease over missile test

Solomons prime minister has pledged to review China pact while advancing talks on a comprehensive treaty with Australia.

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China's military weapons

Opinion | China’s missile test is a signal. How non-nuclear states respond matters

The reactions to Beijing’s ‘routine’ exercise put into focus a nuclear order that is rapidly fluctuating from Tehran to Tokyo.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Ukraine war

Ukraine allies meet in Paris to boost air defence, pressure Russia to end war

The 37-member Coalition of the Willing aims to develop ‘purely defensive’ anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.

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French President Emmanuel Macron, left, greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky upon arrival for a summit of the Coalition of the Willing at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris on Monday. Photo: AFP
Pacific nations

Opinion | Panic over China’s missile test is born of Western bias

Every nuclear power routinely tests its arsenal. The outcry over Beijing’s launch reveals a glaring double standard.

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China’s military drills

The radar system that Taiwan says tracked the PLA’s ballistic missile launch

The Pave Paws early-warning unit detected the launch from waters near the mainland’s southern coast, report says.

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