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Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
Nuclear weapons continue to be a topic of tension in the modern world, particularly with concerns from the US and its partners over Iran's nuclear development programme, which Iran says is for medical and industrial use only. Such armaments can be delivered by intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have with a range of over 5,500km (3,400 miles).
Beijing described the launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine as part of its annual military training and said relevant countries had been notified in advance. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

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

Beijing denounces move as ‘politically motivated’ and urges that ‘countries stop abusing multilateral arms control mechanisms’.

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North Korea

North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia

North Korea

Japan slams North Korea’s ballistic missile firing ahead of US-Seoul drills

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Ukraine war

Ukraine says Russia fired North Korean missiles in deadly attack

‘The city was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons,’ President Zelensky said of the strike on Zaporizhzhia that killed 7.

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Firefighters work at the site of an overnight Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy

Opinion | A strong China is the best hope for the ‘long peace’ to endure

If China’s rise shows it rejects hegemonic ambitions, the hope is that it can make a difference and foster a more peaceful world.

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North Korea

North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’: South Korea

The launch came a day after Pyongyang accused Japan of turning ‘into a war state’ as Tokyo beefs up its military stance in the Pacific.

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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’.

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Two PLA J-20 stealth fighters escort an H-6N bomber which appears to be armed with a JL-1 nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile. Photo: CCTV
United States

Pentagon signs US$3 billion deal to ramp up Patriot, THAAD missile parts production

Agreements with Lockheed and Northrop seek to address supply shortages driven by conflicts.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with US: ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo

Prominent commentator shares insights on the PLA’s 2027 goal, competition with the US, the Taiwan issue and the peacetime dilemma.

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China's military weapons

Why China’s JL-3 made waves with first sub-based missile test in over 40 years

The weapon is capable of striking targets in the continental US from Chinese waters, making it a key element of Beijing’s nuclear strategy.

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JL-3 submarine-launched missiles mounted on armoured vehicles are unveiled at a massive military parade in Beijing in September 2025. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

China signals buildout of nuclear missile silos for ‘strategic trump cards’

CCTV documentary interview suggests the construction was for the DF-5 series of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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China’s state broadcaster has acknowledged the construction of more nuclear missile silos. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

China’s military modernisation

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army, overseeing improvements in hardware and high-level purges of generals.

China’s military

The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

From revolutionary group to hi-tech machine, the PLA’s transformation has been a long pursuit of strength and self-reliance.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on US’ decline and China’s nuclear arsenal

Zhou Bo of Tsinghua University weighs US’ commitment to Taiwan, how big a nuclear deterrent China needs and the risks of AI warfare.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Defence

Letters | Missile test shows major-power rivalry is spilling into the Pacific

Readers discuss the fallout of China’s recent missile test, the massive protests in India sparked by exam irregularities, and dwindling sales at the Hong Kong Book Fair.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific on July 6. Photo: Xinhua via AP
Middle East

US unveils civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

Some US lawmakers and Israeli officials fear that such a project could help the kingdom develop nuclear weapons.

Ukraine war

Opinion | Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine shows the impotence of nuclear weapons

Having the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal has not helped Russia on the battlefield.

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Ukraine war

Kyiv pounded in Russian missile barrage as air defences run low

At least one person was killed and 16 were wounded, heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences.

The site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
China’s military

Opinion | China’s missile test from a submarine is no guarantee of regional stability

Beijing’s ICBM test from a nuclear-powered submarine is a win from a defence perspective but comes with greater responsibilities.

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Pacific nations

China sends a message to Pacific islands amid unease over missile test

Solomons prime minister has pledged to review China pact while advancing talks on a comprehensive treaty with Australia.

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China's military weapons

Opinion | China’s missile test is a signal. How non-nuclear states respond matters

The reactions to Beijing’s ‘routine’ exercise put into focus a nuclear order that is rapidly fluctuating from Tehran to Tokyo.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Ukraine war

Ukraine allies meet in Paris to boost air defence, pressure Russia to end war

The 37-member Coalition of the Willing aims to develop ‘purely defensive’ anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.

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French President Emmanuel Macron, left, greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky upon arrival for a summit of the Coalition of the Willing at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris on Monday. Photo: AFP
Pacific nations

Opinion | Panic over China’s missile test is born of Western bias

Every nuclear power routinely tests its arsenal. The outcry over Beijing’s launch reveals a glaring double standard.

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China’s military drills

The radar system that Taiwan says tracked the PLA’s ballistic missile launch

The Pave Paws early-warning unit detected the launch from waters near the mainland’s southern coast, report says.

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China's military weapons

What does China’s submarine missile test mean for its nuclear triad expansion?

More than a technical milestone, undersea launch sends strategic signal to the US and Beijing’s neighbours in Asia-Pacific, analysts say.

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A test missile is fired from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine towards the Pacific Ocean on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

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Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a pre-summit press conference on Monday ahead of this week’s Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey. Photo: dpa
United States

US State Department approves possible sale of Hellfire missiles to Singapore

The US$22.3 million deal aims to strengthen the defences of the city state, which is a key US strategic partner in Asia.

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War and conflict

Opinion | 8 takeaways from the US-Iran war

From the rise of devastating asymmetric warfare to the crumbling of the US maritime hegemony and alliances, the war offers food for thought.

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