Advertisement
Advertisement
China /

Military

Related Topics:
South China Sea
China’s aircraft carriers
US-China relations
Military
Defence
Crew members of the Chinese navy vessel Qi Jiguang wave as the ship prepares to dock at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, Indonesia, on August 2. Photo: AFP
China-Asean relations

PLA holds first joint naval drill with Indonesia in waters east of Taiwan

As Washington and its allies tighten cooperation in the region, Beijing steps up defence ties with Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

US-China relations

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

videocam
51
China's military weapons

In Focus | Beyond the numbers: why China’s carrier force won’t copy the US model

45
China’s military drills

Chinese paratrooper killed in Qinghai exercise as PLA acknowledges casualties

Death of 23-year-old was one of two parachute-related incidents in consecutive months recently made public by the PLA.

6
Chinese media say paratrooper Xia Shiyuan, from Huaiyuan county in eastern Anhui province, encountered an emergency shortly after leaving his mid-air aircraft during a scheduled exercise in Golmud, Qinghai province, on May 27. Photo: Weibo/合新闻
Chinese media say paratrooper Xia Shiyuan, from Huaiyuan county in eastern Anhui province, encountered an emergency shortly after leaving his mid-air aircraft during a scheduled exercise in Golmud, Qinghai province, on May 27. Photo: Weibo/合新闻
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why did US defence official Colby avoid mentioning China in Manila speech?

Some analysts attribute the restraint to a desire to avoid antagonising Beijing ahead of next month’s expected Xi-Trump summit.

videocam
8
China's military weapons

Why submarine attacks may prove the Achilles’ heel for China’s new carrier fleet

The PLA Navy is still lagging behind the US in undersea warfare, according to a report highlighting some of its ongoing vulnerabilities.

videocam
38
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China's military weapons

China’s latest rocket failure prompts questions about ambitious launch schedule

Long March-7A explodes less than 90 seconds into flight, delaying ChinaSat-4B satellite installation and possibly affecting other programmes.

videocam
78
A Long March-7A rocket explodes shortly after lifting off from Wenchang, Hainan province, on Monday night. Photo: Social media screenshot
A Long March-7A rocket explodes shortly after lifting off from Wenchang, Hainan province, on Monday night. Photo: Social media screenshot
South China Sea

Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington.

25
Taiwan

Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise

Critics question value of tests as authorities aim to prepare public for outages caused by war, cyberattacks or natural disaster.

videocam
China's military weapons

How Beijing’s hypersonic ‘carrier killers’ could distract US in a Taiwan conflict

Beijing said to be producing anti-ship missiles to hold US Pacific Fleet at distance so PLA can settle matters wherever contingency might be.

videocam
90
Footage released by Chinese state media on July 29 shows a YJ-20 missile launching from a Type 052D destroyer at an undisclosed location. Photo: CCTV
Taiwan

Taiwan’s William Lai rehearses late-night emergency escape during military drill

As part of annual Han Kuang exercise, the island’s leader is evacuated in a drill simulating a potential PLA decapitation strike.

29
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te (left) wears a bulletproof vest and helmet as he walks through a tunnel to a command centre in Taipei on August 5 as part of the Han Kuang military exercise. Photo: AFP / Presidential Office of Taiwan
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te (left) wears a bulletproof vest and helmet as he walks through a tunnel to a command centre in Taipei on August 5 as part of the Han Kuang military exercise. Photo: AFP / Presidential Office of Taiwan
China-Japan relations

Is Japan eyeing asymmetric warfare against China in defence shift?

Analysts detect a notable change in emphasis in Tokyo’s latest white paper which they attribute to lessons from Ukraine.

videocam
4
China’s Communist Party

Open Questions | Wang Gungwu on lessons of Chinese history and Cold War

Historian says the past holds the keys to the future, both for Chinese as they seek further socioeconomic progress and for US as it looks to undermine China.

videocam
South China Sea

China confirms 2 deaths in Scarborough Shoal crash during Philippine ship chase

Beijing honours two coastguard personnel who died in a vessel collision in the South China Sea last year.

videocam
42
One of the China Coast Guard vessels damaged in the crash near Scarborough Shoal last year, according to Philippine authorities. Photo: Handout
China’s military drills

Has China’s missile force got America’s Kadena base in Japan in its sights?

Satellite image of facility that appeared to be the Okinawa airbase seen in state television documentary as PLA officer discussed drills.

35
A state television documentary showed PLA Rocket Force officer Luo Tingrong in front of a satellite image of an airbase that looked like Kadena in Okinawa. Photo: CCTV
A state television documentary showed PLA Rocket Force officer Luo Tingrong in front of a satellite image of an airbase that looked like Kadena in Okinawa. Photo: CCTV
China-Japan relations

Chinese and Russian warships were seen circling Japan. What could it mean?

The pair aim to show they aren’t boxed in by the first island chain and that Moscow can project power despite the Ukraine war.

videocam
12
China's military weapons

In Focus | China’s Palantir? Private tech firms surge into defence AI, aiming to match US giants

Some mainland companies’ tech proficiency may be closing gaps with American counterparts, but challenges remain, analysts say.

videocam
10
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China-Japan relations

Japan tests long-range missile as counterstrike capability against China grows

First public flight test of upgraded Type 12 variant marks milestone in efforts to counter Chinese naval power.

videocam
36
A Mitsubishi F-2B fighter jet was spotted carrying two inert air-launched Type 12 anti-ship missiles under its wings during a flight test at Gifu airbase in central Japan on July 30. Photo: Handout
A Mitsubishi F-2B fighter jet was spotted carrying two inert air-launched Type 12 anti-ship missiles under its wings during a flight test at Gifu airbase in central Japan on July 30. Photo: Handout
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’.

videocam
8
Corruption in China

New batch of officers quietly takes helm of PLA after anti-corruption drive

New cohort of lieutenant generals has stepped up to lead key PLA bodies, SCMP analysis of state media footage from key meetings reveals.

videocam
5
China's military weapons

In Focus | Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

From artificial intelligence to quantum technology and hypersonic weapons, the PLA is in a race to define the next era of warfare.

videocam
20
Illustration: Henry Wong
Taiwan

How Taiwan is preparing for a PLA sea blockade in its biggest war games

Taipei to move weapons production, prepare for internet outages and adopt US ‘back briefs’ during Han Kuang drills.

6
A US-made Taiwanese tank fires during the 2024 Han Kuang military exercises in Taiwan. Photo: AFP / Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence
A US-made Taiwanese tank fires during the 2024 Han Kuang military exercises in Taiwan. Photo: AFP / Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence
China-Japan relations

Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns.

videocam
26
China's military weapons

Is China’s DF-17 hypersonic glider ready to strike from anywhere at any time?

PLA anniversary series suggests the world’s first operational weapon of its kind may have achieved a ‘constant state of readiness’.

28
China's military weapons

Open Questions | ‘Surprising’ how fast China’s military is closing US gap: analyst Lyle Goldstein

Beijing’s challenge is to resist temptation to build the PLA into a ‘hammer looking for a nail’, former US Naval War College professor says.

videocam
71
Illustration: Brian Wang
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW