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China military reform

China military reform
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.
The J-36 is the unofficial name for a jet first seen flying over Chengdu in December 2024 and believed to be a sixth-generation fighter jet under development by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Photo: X/Rupprecht_A
China's military weapons

Could China’s sixth-generation fighter carry a laser to defend against missiles?

Beijing expo display offers strongest public hint yet that China is developing airborne laser systems for advanced fighter aircraft.

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US-China relations

Defence chief Dong Jun omits Taiwan in milder Xiangshan Forum address

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China’s military

Fragility and cooperation: takeaways from Dong Jun’s Xiangshan Forum speech

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China’s military drills

PLA troops sent New Taiwan and US dollars in ‘wartime financial support’ drill

A drone was used to deliver camouflage cases filled with gold bars and bundles of cash, according to state newspaper report.

A state newspaper report that has since been deleted included photos of PLA troops counting bundles of New Taiwan dollars delivered by drone during a drill. Photo: qq.com
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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China's military weapons

China’s Type 076 ship Sichuan enters final tests with stealth drone catapult

CCTV computer-generated footage shows how the 40,000-tonne Sichuan uses electromagnetic catapult to launch GJ-21 drones.

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China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, is entering the final stages of commissioning, according to state media. Photo: CCTV
China's military weapons

Is China building a bigger support ship for its future Type 004 carrier group?

New satellite imagery offers insight into how Beijing plans to keep future strike groups supplied at sea.

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China's military weapons

What China’s carrier recruitment drive says about PLA Navy’s long-term ambitions

Beijing is committed to building a fleet that can operate far from home – even in the face of the growing threat from anti-ship missiles.

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China's military weapons

What does China’s J-16 jet ‘beast mode’ upgrade mean for regional air power?

Extreme loadout configuration suggests a potential extension of the PLA Air Force’s tactical capabilities, Chinese military magazine says.

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The J-16 is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter of the People’s Liberation Army, derived from and improving upon Russian Sukhoi designs. Photo: Handout
China’s military drills

2 Chinese military naval pilots killed during PLA frontline training exercises

Rare local government disclosures reveal senior colonel and first lieutenant from South China Sea-facing theatre command died on June 10.

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Fang Ming, a senior colonel serving as a tactical commander under the PLA Southern Theatre Command Naval Aviation unit, is one of two pilots who died on June 10. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

US says China gave only hours’ warning before Pacific submarine missile launch

Washington says Beijing’s notification of launch fell short of expected standard followed by other established nuclear powers.

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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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China's military weapons

China’s futuristic stealth sub to boost ‘hunt-and-kill’ capabilities: experts

Satellite images show the vessel under construction has a ‘finless’ design that could improve its manoeuvrability and speed.

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China has put a greater emphasis on underwater warfare, as its combat philosophy shifts from surface warfare to underwater stealth, an analyst says. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Opinion | Asia has to learn the lessons of war while it still can

The time to learn is before the fire reaches the house. Every war forces us to ask: if this logic came to our region, what would we do?

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

Why the US missile system heading to Japan could be a ‘sitting duck’ for China

This approach could be used ‘to strike our land-based targets on one hand, and block vital maritime passages on the other’: Chinese analyst.

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US-China relations

US delegation may herald Hegseth trip to China

Defence Undersecretary Elbridge Colby may visit China ahead of a possible trip by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth amid tension over Taiwan arms sales.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Will US defence strategy architect Colby pave the way for Hegseth’s China visit?

Sources say the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy could arrive in Beijing ‘within weeks’ to finalise arrangements for defence chief’s trip.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied the president on his state visit to China last week. Photo: dpa
China’s military drills

Can PLA training catch up with China’s rapid weapon development?

‘No matter how advanced the equipment is, if people cannot effectively operate it, it remains nothing more than cold steel’: PLA Daily.

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China's military weapons

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

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Artificial intelligence

Iran war shows ‘strategic value’ of AI for China’s military, PLA Daily says

Commentary calls it ‘inevitable’ and necessary for PLA to embrace artificial intelligence to gain the advantage in future warfare.

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China’s military mouthpiece said AI-driven warfare was at a “turning point”. Image: Shutterstock
China's military weapons

How the PLA may use stealth drones in a swarming boat attack from Taiwan

Beijing could send in GJ-21s – which have long endurance and high manoeuvrability – to counter uncrewed combat boats, military magazine says.

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A GJ-21 stealth drone pictured on the deck of the Sichuan amphibious landing ship. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

PLA upgrades ageing tanks with protection system for potential Taiwan operation

Type 96A main battle tanks from Eastern Theatre Command now have APS to counter drones and anti-tank missiles, according to state media.

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Two Sessions 2025

‘Two sessions’ webinar

Experts from the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis joined an SCMP Plus website to discuss China’s biggest political event of the year.

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CPPCC

Video | China removes 3 generals from national advisory body

The dismissal of Han Weiguo, Gao Jin and Liu Lei comes just days before Beijing’s largest annual political gathering.

An identification tag and badges are seen on the outfit of a delegate during the second plenary session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 7, 2024. The “Two Sessions” -- parallel meetings of China’s rubber-stamp parliament and political consultative body -- offer a rare glimpse into the strategy of the Communist Party-led government for the year ahead. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP) / TO GO WITH CHINA-POLITICS-TWO SESSIONS-SCENES
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Two Sessions 2026

Language as a weapon? PLA academics seek training overhaul, cite Ukraine war

Digitised battlefields demand new breed of soldier, as skilled at data analysis and psy-ops as at wielding a weapon, veteran instructor says.

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Coordinated push from military academics reflects a broader recognition within China’s defence establishment as the People’s Liberation Army’s global footprint expands. Photo: Reuters
Two Sessions 2026

‘Two sessions’, Trump tariffs, JD.com earnings

This week: Lawmakers ready for China’s ‘two sessions’, Trump imposes new global tariffs, Germany’s Merz meets Xi. Next week: JD.com reports earnings, toughened trade measures kick in, manufacturing PMI comes outs, Honor debuts robot, and more.

US-China relations

Ex-US Air Force fighter pilot accused of secretly training Chinese military

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr allegedly provided ‘defence services’ after 24-year Air Force career training US pilots on advanced combat aircraft.

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