China’s decade-long military shake-up isn’t just about corruption. It’s about control. President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft campaign has purged nearly five million officials since 2012, including top military brass once thought untouchable. His goal? A battle-ready army, free of internal rot, primed for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027. A newly declassified U.S. intelligence…
In February a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task group – comprising the Type 055 cruiser Zunyi, Type 054A frigate Hengyang and Type 903 replenishment ship Weishanhu – sailed deep into the Tasman Sea, the body of water separating Australia and New Zealand. As the warships fired live rounds and caused commercial jetliners to divert,…
The Chinese navy’s newly commissioned stealth frigate has upgraded anti-submarine and radar capabilities and is set to play a key role in escorting carrier strike groups, according to observers. The Luohe, China’s first Type 054B frigate, was commissioned at a military port in Qingdao on Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua reported. The port city in…
A high-profile policy meeting has revealed the key official players behind China’s science and technology drive, as the country pushes for more unified leadership in the sensitive sectors. The line-up includes finance and education ministry officials, academic chiefs, regional government heads and military officers, footage of the national science and technology work conference aired by…
China has launched the first of its next generation of amphibious assault ships, the Type 076, featuring an electromagnetic catapult. The independently-developed Sichuan, bearing the hull number 51, entered the water at a launch and naming ceremony in Shanghai at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The Sichuan will be “a key asset”,…
Two warships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet, including its largest amphibious assault vessel, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a five-day visit. Two government fireboats gave the vessels – the destroyer Changsha and assault ship Hainan – a water salute in the morning as they entered Victoria Harbour through the East Lamma…
In a significant development, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy executed dual aircraft carrier formation exercises for the first time in the South China Sea, as confirmed by the navy. This milestone reflects China’s ambition to enhance its naval capabilities and prepare for a wider array of complex maritime operations amid ongoing territorial disputes in…
China’s latest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year while under construction, US officials said Thursday, in a potential embarrassment for the country as it seeks to expand its military prowess. This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows what appears to be a sunken Chinese submarine at a shipyard near Wuhan, China, June 15,…
China has reportedly lost its newest nuclear-powered attack submarine after the boat sank at a shipyard earlier this year, defense officials said on Thursday. The boat in question, originally identified as a conventionally powered submarine, was the first of the new Type 041 Zhou class, according to defense news and analysis website TWZ. The incident,…
Multiple witness sightings of a Type 094 submarine transiting in the Taiwan Strait in June and earlier may be a sign that China’s nuclear submarines and missile technology has matured, according to mainland observers. A military magazine analysis estimates that the Chinese ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) force has at least two vessels and four crews…