The first Quad ministerial meeting of Australia, India, Japan and the US since President Donald Trump took office was held on Tuesday. The joint statement said officials from the four nations will meet on a regular basis in the coming months to prepare for the next leaders’ summit hosted by India. US Secretary of State…
The Chinese military has “the world’s leading” hypersonic missile arsenal, weapons that are helping it to operate “deeper into the Indo-Pacific region”, according to the Pentagon’s latest assessment of its rival’s armed forces. In its annual report to the US Congress on Wednesday, the Department of Defence said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remained focused…
An official at the Chinese embassy in Washington on Thursday called Donald Trump’s invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to his second inauguration a “welcoming signal”, but did not say whether Xi would attend the ceremony on January 20. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed earlier media reports that Trump had invited Xi, but…
Legislation banning everything from Chinese laser-based navigation technology to Chinese garlic has passed the US House of Representatives and is set to become law by the end of the year. The House advanced Congress’s annual defence bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), on Wednesday by a vote of 281-140. The Senate is…
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China and economy stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US conducts first ballistic missile intercept in Guam amid contest with China Washington has conducted the first-ever test of a ballistic missile interception from Guam, which US…
Washington should aim to avoid a full-scale nuclear war if Beijing takes military action against Taiwan, experts say, but they disagree on how to achieve that goal, according to a US think tank report. The report presents the responses of five academics to “strategic deterrence failure” scenarios involving nuclear strikes against US allies by Beijing…
VIENTIANE, Laos — China’s defense minister will not meet with America’s secretary of defense this week, marking the first time in a year that Beijing has paused high-level military talks. A senior American defense official, speaking with reporters before a summit of Asian defense officials in Laos, said that the Pentagon had offered to meet…
PALAWAN, Philippines — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited a Filipino military base only miles from the South China Sea, a sign of resolve against Chinese harassment in the waterway that flared this summer. Antonio Bautista Air Base was Austin’s final stop in the Philippines, a country he’s visited more than any previous secretary…
Days after Donald Trump’s electoral win sent shock waves of concern through Europe and Asia, India’s top diplomat seemed to mock the response, expressing confidence in being able to navigate the US president-elect’s approach to foreign relations. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that many countries might be nervous, but that “India was not one…
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told Chinese President Xi Jinping that their two countries should cooperate for peace in the face of North Korea and Russia’s military cooperation, Yoon’s office said on Saturday. Yoon expressed his hope that “South Korea and China will cooperate in promoting stability and peace in the region in response to…