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China's military weapons

China's military weapons
Latest news, features and opinion on the military in China, including the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the development of warships, aircraft carriers and fighter jets, spending on the armed forces and reforms and modernisation. US-China and mainland-Taiwan military tensions and the deployment of China’s armed forces overseas are also covered.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
The MQ-9 Reaper has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the Indo-Pacific. Photo: Reuters
US military

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

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US-China relations

Sudden Xi-Trump call, secret nuclear testing claims: 7 US-China relations reads

China-Africa relations

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

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Espionage

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

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“Scare Out”, directed by Zhang Yimou, will debut in mainland China cinemas on February 17. Photo: Weibo
US-Venezuela conflict

Trump hails US ‘discombobulator’ weapon as he meets Maduro op troops

The US president made his first public comments on a device that he boasted could block Russian and Chinese defence systems.

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China’s military

Chinese fighter jets locked radar on foreign stealth plane: PLA Daily

Military commentators say PLA aircraft cited by official military paper was likely to have been a J-16.

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China’s military

Xi’s new year greeting reveals PLA Cyberspace Force post in South China Sea

Analyst says deployment signals Chinese military’s cyber warfare capabilities ‘are no longer confined to the mainland’.

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CCTV shows a section of China’s cyberspace force stationed on Fiery Cross Reef. Photo: Xinhua
China’s military

China’s Middle East arms edge overshadowed by Turkey and South Korea in Riyadh

Analysts note Chinese inroads in military UAV market but political challenges for its jet fighters at the World Defence Show.

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South China Sea

China lifts veil on secretive underwater combat vehicle at Saudi defence show

Shipbuilding giant showcases new surface-to-subsurface wet submersible as Beijing eyes buyers in large Middle Eastern market.

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United States

Why China’s nuclear arsenal is under fire as US-Russia pact falls apart

US accusations about secret Chinese nuclear tests surface amid arms race anxieties, but Beijing says concerns over its weapons are all hype.

The People’s Liberation Army displays its JL-3 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. Photo: Reuters
Drones

Chinese drone for anti-submarine warfare among systems at Saudi defence show

Demand is growing in the Middle East for autonomous platforms and it is now one of the largest overseas markets for China’s military drones.

China has one of the biggest pavilions at this week’s World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Amber Wang
Science

Could this thrust device give Chinese drones an edge over F-35s?

An aerodynamic tail nozzle designed in Nanjing proves its mettle in a high-subsonic speed drone test.

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China’s military

Has the YJ-15 missile been deployed to the Chinese navy? A photo gives clues

The world-leading weapon was unveiled during last year’s Victory Day parade but there was no word then on where it would be used.

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US-China relations

US accuses China of secret nuclear testing after offering Beijing arms treaty

The allegations highlight tensions between Washington and Beijing, following the expiry of the New Start arms control treaty with Russia.

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DF-5C nuclear missiles are displayed during a military parade in Beijing, China, in September 2025. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

For first time in half a century, the world is without a legally binding agreement to control nuclear weapons, as New Start accord expires.

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Russian soldiers load Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launchers as part of a June 2024 drill to train troops in using tactical nuclear weapons. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP
UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Could China’s first hybrid transport drone be a ‘game changer’ in Taiwan Strait?

The CH YH-1000S, an unmanned vehicle that is considered capable of supplying combat troops, completed its maiden flight over the weekend.

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Taiwan

Has China’s GJ-21 stealth attack drone joined sea trials for Type 076 Sichuan?

Photos circulating on social media have sparked speculation that the PLA Navy’s amphibious assault ship has entered a new phase of testing.

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United States

Opinion | With US-Russia treaty set to expire, threat of a new nuclear arms race grows

In a fragmented multilateral environment, the world could face even greater danger from nuclear proliferation than during the Cold War.

US president George Bush and Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev exchange documents after signing the START arms reduction treaty on July 31, 1991. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Why the collapse of the last US-Russia nuclear treaty matters for China

Analysts warn expiry of New Start could trigger vicious circle and three-way arms race between Beijing, Washington and Moscow.

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China’s air force

China’s J-10C stars at Singapore Airshow after lead role in India-Pakistan war

Beijing is eyeing the Southeast Asian market after the 4.5-generation fighter raised its international profile by shooting down a Rafale jet.

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ICBMs

China grows nuclear arsenal as last US-Russia limits expire

President Xi Jinping plans to further expand China’s nuclear weapons stockpile, while caps on US and Russian deployments end this week.

A Chinese DF-5C intercontinental strategic nuclear missile on display at a military parade. (Photo: EPA)
Pakistan

Pakistan’s ‘affordable’ China-developed jet: a victim of its own success?

At half the price of an F-16, the JF-17 is attracting new buyers that Islamabad may struggle to actually supply.

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JF-17 fighter jets of Pakistan’s Air Force perform a fly past near the port city of Karachi in February last year. Photo: AFP
China military reform

China’s growing military power

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army. He has overseen improvements in hardware, including the expansion of the nuclear weapons programme, and tightened his control through high-level purges of generals.

China military reform

China’s new YJ-18C missile: a logistics killer for US Navy?

Subsonic land-attack cruise weapon can be repurposed for anti-ship use, Chinese military magazine says.

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South China Sea

China patrols around Scarborough Shoal, days after US-Philippine drills

‘Combat readiness patrols’ meant to counter ‘infringement and provocative actions’, PLA Southern Theatre Command says.

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H-6K bombers armed with anti-ship missiles took part in the patrols, according to Chinese state media. Photo: CCTV
China military reform

Has China’s game-changer PL-17 long-range missile finally been seen up close?

Photo on Chinese social media appears to show full-size model of missile that may pose threat to US air dominance in Pacific, analysts say.

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A PLA J-16 fighter jet is seen loaded with missiles including the PL-10, PL-12, PL-15 and the bigger PL-17, which observers say is the world’s longest-range air-to-air missile. Photo: Handout
China’s air force

Are China’s J-20A stealth fighters now updated with high-thrust WS-15 engines?

Footage of flight tests suggests aircraft equipped with the home-grown engine is in the pre-delivery testing phase.

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US-China relations

Would Chinese or US supply lines be more vulnerable in a Pacific conflict?

AI-assisted modelling by the Heritage Foundation finds critical risks to fuel and munitions on both sides.

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