10 h. ago Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory

In a Beijing defence drone facility, a black carbon-fibre body frame sits on a workstation ready for drilling. The material is light and strong, but a fractional error in angle or positioning could affect stealth performance and lead to the scrapping of the entire part. Master technicians once performed this task – breath held, hands steady – relying on years of muscle memory. Despite their skill, human limitations capped the speed of production and kept costs high. That changed with a...

Events

63 h. ago Vietnam ramps up expansion of South China Sea outposts: think tank

Vietnam has continued to expand land reclamation on its occupied features in the South China Sea, with military-related construction of new ports and airstrips, according to a Chinese think tank. Citing satellite images, the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday that the Southeast Asian nation had reclaimed nearly 0.78 sq km (0.3 square miles) of land on 11 features in the contested Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, over the past six...

Events

63 h. ago Vietnam ramping up expansion of South China Sea outposts: Chinese think tank

Vietnam has continued to expand land reclamation on its occupied features in the South China Sea, with military-related construction of new ports and airstrips, according to a Chinese think tank. Citing satellite images, the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday that Vietnam had reclaimed nearly 0.78 sq km (0.3 square miles) of land in the past six months on 11 features in the contested Spratly Islands, which are known as the Nansha Islands in China. In total,...

Events

3 d. ago Trump moves to block foreign drone makers from selling new models in US

US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders meant to rebuild America’s drone industry, tighten airspace security and boost military readiness, potentially squeezing Chinese manufacturers like DJI and Autel Robotics out of the market. “Immediate action is needed to ensure American sovereignty over its skies,” Trump stated in one of the orders, warning that foreign-made drones were “endangering the public” and compromising critical infrastructure. The orders also call for federal...

Politics

3 d. ago New PLA force university to offer training in AI, unmanned operations

A new university under the Chinese military’s mysterious Information Support Force plans to offer training in artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned operations and other key technology, according to its first public enrolment notice. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Information Support Force Engineering University in the central city of Wuhan will offer 10 undergraduate majors in information and intelligent technology, according to a Thursday report by state broadcaster CCTV. It added that...

Culture

5 d. ago EU pushes China to address ‘alarming’ rare earth export controls

The EU has urged China to stop restricting the export of rare earth minerals and magnets, with the bloc’s trade chief saying its industries are in an “alarming situation”. The request was made during a meeting between the sides’ top commerce officials in Paris on Tuesday. It comes as sectors across Europe raise the alarm about a shortage of rare earths, which are used to manufacture hi-tech goods ranging from electric cars and smartphones to military tanks and aircraft. “I informed my Chinese...

Events

7 d. ago Chinese spies at Stanford? US tightens visa policies over espionage fears

Chinese spies at Stanford University. American and Chinese pawns for Beijing at Duke Kunshan. Chinese student scouts near a military site in Michigan. These are some of the “bombshell” allegations that have been fuelling online buzz and US government efforts to sever educational ties between the US and China in recent months. A day after The Stanford Review – a student-run conservative newspaper – published a report on May 7 alleging that Beijing was conducting a “widespread...

Events

9 d. ago Chinese forces patrol Scarborough Shoal to ‘defend sovereignty’

The Chinese military and coastguard on Saturday launched a sea and air combat readiness patrol around Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, to “further strengthen its control and defend its sovereignty”, according to an official statement. The show of force came a day after China’s state broadcaster aired rare footage of Chinese military drills in contested waters near the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, highlighting Beijing’s ability to take military...

Politics

9 d. ago Pete Hegseth says Chinese military action against Taiwan ‘could be imminent’

Pete Hegseth says Chinese military action against Taiwan ‘could be imminent’  Financial Times

Events

1 week ago Disgraced Chinese admiral Miao Hua suspected of ‘legal violations’

China said that Miao Hua, a disgraced admiral and member of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was suspected of “legal violations”, suggesting his wrongdoings were more serious than previously thought. The CMC’s political work department decided to expel Miao from the top legislature in March for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, according to a statement from the legislature dated May 15. The statement was made public recently and first reported by the media this...

Politics

1 week ago New Chinese Military Technology Could Defeat Trump's 'Golden Dome'

New Chinese Military Technology Could Defeat Trump's 'Golden Dome'  Newsweek

Events

1 week ago Chinese defence oversight official snared in military corruption crackdown

A senior former official at the agency responsible for the oversight of China’s defence industry is under investigation for corruption. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s top anti-graft watchdog, said on Wednesday that Zhang Jianhua was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” – a standard euphemism for corruption – and had “turned himself in”. Zhang, formerly deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence...

Events

1 week ago Russia, China, North Korea condemn Trump's $175 billion Golden Dome missile shield

Russia, China, North Korea condemn Trump's $175 billion Golden Dome missile shield  Fox News

Events

1 week ago China, North Korea, and Russia’s Response to Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Proposal

China, North Korea, and Russia’s Response to Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Proposal  Time Magazine

Politics

2 w. ago The wheels on the tank go Chinese children’s songs get a military makeover

The wheels on the tank go Chinese children’s songs get a military makeover  South China Morning Post

Events

2 w. ago Chinese army reveals helicopter encounters with foreign navy over East China Sea

‘Provocations’ said to have transpired 11 times for 10 straight days, with two aircraft coming as close as 10 metres from each other.

Politics

2 w. ago PLA helicopter in close encounters with foreign aircraft over East China Sea

‘Provocations’ take place 11 times in 10 days, with two aircraft coming as close as 10 metres.

Politics

2 w. ago China accuses US of 'turning space into a warzone' with Trump's Golden Dome missile defense project

China accuses US of 'turning space into a warzone' with Trump's Golden Dome missile defense project  Fox News

Events

2 w. ago China’s growing C919 jet network, AI in Chinese military: SCMP daily highlights

China’s growing C919 jet network, AI in Chinese military: SCMP daily highlights  South China Morning Post

Events

2 w. ago China says Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense plan increases risk of "space becoming a battlefield"

China says Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense plan increases risk of "space becoming a battlefield"  CBS News

Events