12 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA naval fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment of a naval fleet, led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea this week, has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

12 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA Navy fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment this week of a naval fleet led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

1 week ago China, US hold ‘candid’ security talks amid Japan, South China Sea tensions

China and the United States have held their second round of maritime security talks this year to help manage risks between their militaries, according to the Chinese navy. The talks, held in Hawaii from Tuesday to Thursday, were “candid and constructive,” the PLA Navy said in a statement on Saturday. It said both sides exchanged views on the security situation, discussing cases of air and sea encounters and measures to improve operational safety. The meeting marked the latest effort by the...

Events

2 w. ago China’s Fujian carrier completes first training exercise after entering service

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, had returned to port following a training mission with its strike group, state media announced on Tuesday amid rising tensions with Japan. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the mission marked the “first maritime live-force training” for the world’s largest conventionally powered warship since it was commissioned to the PLA Navy on November 5. The Fujian, China’s first domestically designed carrier and its third overall, has a displacement of more...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s Fujian carrier completes first training shortly after entering service

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has returned to port following a training mission with its strike group, according to a state media report on Tuesday amid rising tensions with Japan. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the mission marked the “first maritime live-force training” for the world’s biggest conventionally powered warship since it was commissioned to the PLA Navy on November 5. The Fujian, China’s first domestically designed carrier and its third overall, has a...

Politics

2 w. ago South China Sea: how third PLA Navy aircraft carrier changes dynamics for US

When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can...

Transport

2 w. ago Opinion | South China Sea: how third PLA Navy aircraft carrier changes dynamics for US

Opinion | South China Sea: how third PLA Navy aircraft carrier changes dynamics for US  South China Morning Post

Transport

2 w. ago How does China’s modernising navy stack up against the US 7th fleet?

When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can...

Politics

2 w. ago How does China’s modernising navy stack up against the US seventh fleet?

When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can...

Politics

3 w. ago China’s first 076 ‘drone carrier’ amphibious assault ship begins sea trials

China’s first drone-carrying Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, began sea trials on Friday, after its launch in December last year, according to state news agency Xinhua. The ship is seen as a key asset for the PLA Navy’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations because of its electromagnetic catapult launch system and is often described as the world’s first drone carrier. The sea trial will test the reliability and stability of the engine and power system, Xinhua said. Named after...

Events

3 w. ago Is PLA aviator Cui Yuzhong on track to be the Chinese navy’s new commander?

A senior naval aviation officer appears to have been appointed the Chinese navy’s acting commander, highlighting the armed forces’ focus on joint operations. Vice-Admiral Cui Yuzhong, 61, was the highest ranking naval commanding officer at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier in the southern province of Hainan last week, according to footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV. Cui is the deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and appeared walking behind President Xi...

Politics

3 w. ago Can the Fujian aircraft carrier catapult the PLA Navy deep into the Pacific?

The launch of the Fujian, China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, has been cause for celebration in Chinese media, with mainland analysts hailing it as superior to its US counterparts and a force for projecting power further into the western Pacific. But overseas analysts have been more tempered, suggesting that there is still a big gap between the naval force of the People’s Liberation Army and the United States in terms of the number of carriers, combat systems, personnel proficiency...

Transport