Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 15:15 IST Select units of the People’s Liberation Army have been placed on first-level combat readiness, typically associated with elevated threat perceptions or internal security concerns Analysts also point to long-standing distrust between President Xi Jinping and sections of the PLA, as well as sensitivities surrounding succession planning. (AP) Unusual military…
A former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier has been sentenced to eight months in prison for illegally carrying passengers in his Tesla Model S luxury car using a ride-hailing platform while in Hong Kong as a tourist. Fanling Court on Monday heard that Zeng Yulin, 39, travelled to Hong Kong from Shenzhen between June and…
China’s air force now seriously threatens the US and Western counterparts in key areas, representing “a potentially revolutionary challenge” to the Indo-Pacific region, a new report says. It has long been assumed that the US had a superior air force to China and would comfortably handle any aerial battle in any conflict involving Taiwan. China…
The extreme precision of the US in its Venezuelan operation shows why nations must be able to execute a complex special surgical strike, according to analysts who said China had long pursued the capability but had yet to master it. In a complex joint endeavour integrating its air force, navy, intelligence agencies and space and…
A former People’s Liberation Army soldier has been remanded in custody in Hong Kong pending sentencing for offering paid rides with his Tesla Model S luxury sedan while using a tourist visa last year. Zeng Yulin, 39, pleaded guilty to 19 charges on Thursday after a police sting operation uncovered his illicit business, which earned…
The US defence chief touted a message of peace, communication and “flexible realism” with China in a speech over the weekend, foreshadowing an American national defence strategy that is expected to be released soon. In his keynote address at the annual Reagan National Defence Forum on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was…
Beijing has dismissed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s latest remarks on Taiwan as “prevarication”, warning that it “absolutely does not accept” her continued refusal to retract comments made in early November. On Wednesday, Takaichi appeared to attempt to dial down weeks of tensions when she told a parliamentary questioning session that Tokyo’s “fundamental position regarding…
Politburo member Wang Yi has become the most senior Chinese official to wade into the war of words over the new Japanese prime minister’s comments on the Taiwan Strait, saying her remarks “crossed a red line”. Wang, who is China’s foreign minister, said China must “resolutely respond” to the comments to safeguard the country’s sovereignty…
Japan’s export of lethal weapons sent an “extremely dangerous signal” indicating expanded military capabilities, Chinese observers and media said on Thursday as relations between the two countries continued to nosedive. The assessment followed Japanese media reports on Wednesday that Japan had exported domestically produced Patriot surface-to-air missile interceptors to the United States. The US would…
A man from southern China who donated 140 yuan (US$20) as a child to help build an aircraft carrier has seen his dream of the country becoming a stronger nation come true. To top his wish, in November, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation invited him to visit the carrier fleet and gave him a commemorative…