China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when it forced South Vietnamese forces off the islands. (AFP pic) HONG KONG: China has completed the first phase of construction on Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago, building a man-made island in the hotly-disputed South China Sea that analysts say will form part of its…
Australian PM Anthony Albanese (right) and Vietnamese leader To Lam exchange documents after a bilateral meeting at Parliament House in Canberra. (EPA Images pic) SYDNEY: Australia and Vietnam said Tuesday they would expand cooperation between their militaries as the middle powers face down Beijing’s expanding reach in the Pacific and the South China Sea. Following…
Filipino protesters hold placards against China during a rally over the South China Sea dispute outside the Chinese Consulate in Manila. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON: Washington on Monday condemned what it called “dangerous and aggressive” action by China, whose personnel are accused of injuring a Filipino sailor at a shoal in the disputed South China…
Australia and its partners in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have issued a rare joint notice warning about Chinese spies aggressively using LinkedIn and other job platforms to “lure” recruits with access to sensitive information. “China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target…
ESET has published a report on nation-state-aligned cyber activity between October 2025 and March 2026, identifying sustained operations by China-aligned groups against targets in Venezuela, Syria, South Korea and the Gulf. Chinese threat actors remained active across maritime, energy, government and advanced technology targets during the period. ESET linked that activity to areas where Beijing…
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, said stronger, more self-reliant allies are key to deterrence. (EPA Images pic) SINGAPORE: US defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of “rightful…
Citing sources, CNN said Beijing is preparing to transfer shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs. (AFP pic) WASHINGTON: US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN reported late on Friday, citing three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments. The network said there are indications…
China news correspondent, Lianhe Zaobao More than 50 years after Apollo, the US races back to the moon amid growing fears that China could beat it. What was once a symbol of exploration is now a high-stakes arena of strategic rivalry. Lianhe Zaobao’s correspondent Yush Chau finds out more. When American astronauts stepped onto the…
Revenues of China’s top military firms fell 10% last year. (EPA Images pic) HONG KONG: Revenues at China’s giant military firms fell last year as corruption purges slowed arms contracts and procurement, according to a study released today by a leading conflict think tank. The Chinese declines contrast with strong revenue growth globally for big…
The Chinese and Russian militaries have pledged to deepen cooperation in sensitive areas including missile defence, following high-level talks in Moscow involving China’s top general. General Zhang Youxia, the first-ranking vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on Thursday, according to China’s defence ministry announcement. The visit – Zhang’s…