12 h. ago PLA holds urban warfare drill as Taipei looks to boost ‘asymmetric capabilities’

The People’s Liberation Army has carried out an urban warfare drill, according to state media, in what appears to be a response to Taipei’s bid to fund improved “asymmetric capabilities”. In a report on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of troops carrying out an operation to seize a built-up area in a war-torn city. The drill – involving reconnaissance, clearing and occupation – was part of a live-fire exercise conducted by a PLA Ground Force brigade that aimed to “test multiple...

Events

15 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

15 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

5 d. ago Exclusive | Taiwan issue ‘complicated, but the way out is simple’: ex

Exclusive | Taiwan issue ‘complicated, but the way out is simple’: ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago Why China’s PLA is wary of Japanese submarine and missile strengths

Japan’s submarine fleet could prove a major strategic headache for China, military analysts have said, as Tokyo moves to strengthen its armed forces. The two Asian powers have become embroiled in one of their most serious diplomatic crises in years after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier this month that an armed attack against Taiwan could be seen as a “survival-threatening situation” that would justify Japan deploying its military. Her remarks were the most explicit by a sitting...

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 Japanese in China warned to be wary as row over Takaichi’s comments continues

Japan has urged its citizens in mainland China to take safety precautions as diplomatic tensions sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan continue to escalate. In a message on its website, the Japanese embassy in China said it reiterated “safety measures in light of recent local media coverage concerning Japan-China relations”. “When going out, please remain vigilant of your surroundings, such as the approach of suspicious individuals, and endeavour to ensure your safety as...

Events

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

2 w. ago Japan risks ‘path of no return’ if it intervenes in Taiwan, PLA Daily warns

Japan risked turning the entire country into a battlefield if it intervened militarily in the Taiwan Strait, an article published by Beijing’s military mouthpiece PLA Daily warned on Sunday, marking the latest escalation in a diplomatic clash sparked by comments from the Japanese leader. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Japanese parliament on November 7 that the use of force against Taiwan could be seen as a “survival-threatening situation”, a scenario that would allow Tokyo to deploy its...

Events

2 w. ago PLA issues warning to Philippines over 'joint patrols' in S. China Sea

PLA issues warning to Philippines over 'joint patrols' in S. China Sea  chinadailyasia.com

Events

3 w. ago 3 PLA warships sailed past Japan amid row over Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan comments

Beijing sent a Type 055 destroyer fleet to the south of Japan on Tuesday, just days after comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan drew a strong reaction from Beijing, according to Tokyo. Japan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that three Chinese ships, including a Type 055 destroyer, had passed through waters south of Kagoshima on Kyushu island on Tuesday before travelling through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific Ocean. According to the ministry, the three ships...

Events

3 w. ago 3 PLA warships sailed past Japan amid row over PM Takaichi’s Taiwan comments

Beijing sent a Type 055 destroyer fleet to the south of Japan on Tuesday, according to Tokyo, just days after comments about Taiwan from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew a strong reaction from Beijing. Japan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that three Chinese ships, including a Type 055 destroyer, had passed through waters south of Kagoshima on Kyushu island on Tuesday before travelling through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific Ocean. According to a statement from the ministry,...

Events

3 w. ago PLA heads have rolled but China’s hunt for corrupt military officials isn’t over

Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –...

Events

3 w. ago How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –...

Events

3 w. ago PLA bans 4 Chinese universities from procurement process for bid

China’s military is set to ban four prominent Chinese universities from bidding for certain projects, according to a statement by the People’s Liberation Army on Sunday, as Beijing continues a rectification and anti-corruption drive in its military procurement system. The PLA procurement website, China’s largest known military procurement platform open to the public, released four notices on Sunday accusing the universities of bid-rigging for the same project. The universities will be banned...

Politics

3 w. ago PLA shows first footage of Chinese drone collaborating with crewed J

The Chinese air force has released video of its GJ-11 stealth attack drone flying alongside and linked to the J-20 fighter jet in what is the first footage of the country’s crewed and uncrewed aircraft working together. The footage appeared in a promotional video released by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Tuesday to mark the 76th anniversary of its founding. It shows the drone flying in formation with the J-20, China’s most advanced fighter jet, as well as the J-16D fighter, a...

Events