China News
Defence & Aerospace
Real-Life Iron Man? China is developing military exoskeletons
China has joined the Great Exoskeleton Arms Race. With America and Russia developing exoskeletons—essentially the powered armor suits depicted in science fiction and superhero films like Starship Troopers and Iron Man—it was inevitable that China would follow suit. In October 2019, the People’s Liberation Army’s Army Equipment Department held a competition for the best exoskeleton … Continue reading
China paid a big price for stealing a Russian fighter jet design
Remember that Russian carrier-based jet that China copied without permission? Those airplanes are crashing, and Russia doesn’t seem too broken up about it. Though Russia and China are now friends, even holding joint exercises, Russia’s Sputnik News recently trotted out an article titled “Chinese Navy Short on Carrier-Based Fighters, Only Has Problem-Ridden J-15.” The J-15 … Continue reading
China’s bid to challenge Boeing and Airbus falters
Development of China’s C919 single-aisle plane, already at least five years behind schedule, is going slower than expected, a dozen people familiar with the program told Reuters, as the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) struggles with a range of technical issues that have severely restricted test flights. Delays are common in complex aerospace programs, but … Continue reading
A dramatic before and after look at China’s first aircraft carrier
A picture of China’s first aircraft carrier before it was eventually completed has surfaced on the Chinese internet. The images showed up on Tencent’s microblog and show a rusty, unfinished hulk. The ship, built for the USSR but never completed, was towed to China where it eventually became the carrier Liaoning. The article also lists … Continue reading
Make no mistake: China would destroy U.S. cities in a nuclear war
When one reads enough Chinese naval literature, diagrams of multi-axial cruise missile saturation attacks against aircraft carrier groups may begin to seem normal. However, one particular graphic from the October 2015 issue (p. 32) of the naval journal Naval & Merchant Ships [舰船知识] stands out as both unusual and singularly disturbing. It purports to map … Continue reading
China built its J-20 stealth fighter aircraft without any guns
China’s J-20 stealth fighter doesn’t have a gun. That could be a problem for the Chinese air force. Observers of the twin-engine stealth fighter long had speculated that the J-20 lacks a cannon. Photography of J-20s since the type’s first flight in January 2011 hadn’t revealed bulges or openings that might point to an internal … Continue reading
A jungle airstrip stirs suspicions about China’s plans for Cambodia
The Chinese military’s “string of pearls” strategy depends on far-flung regional outposts. Some think Cambodia is becoming one. When completed next year on a remote stretch of shoreline, Dara Sakor International Airport will boast the longest runway in Cambodia, complete with the kind of tight turning bay favored by fighter jet pilots. Nearby, workers are … Continue reading
China commissions 2nd aircraft carrier, challenging U.S. dominance
China commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier on Tuesday, reaching a new milestone in its ambitions to build a modern navy capable of challenging American dominance of the seas, especially in the Pacific. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, presided over a commissioning ceremony at the Chinese naval base in Sanya, on the southern island of … Continue reading
China is not as strong as it seems
American opinion has moved away from its once-benign view of China. That older view, still favored by many business people, held that a prosperous China would threaten its neighbors less than a poor China, and anyway would offer the United States great economic advantages. Accordingly, this view recommended that the West engage China in a … Continue reading
China’s J-20 stealth fighter is capable, but has some big flaws
Reports say China put its stealth fighter — the J-20 — into service last month. The aircraft, built by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, is a twin-engine multi-role fighter that can reach speeds of 2,100 kilometers per hour. It’s believed the J-20 will have two primary missions. First, it could be deployed as a long range … Continue reading
China’s plan to fight a nuclear war against America is to nuke U.S. cities
When one reads enough Chinese naval literature, diagrams of multi-axial cruise missile saturation attacks against aircraft carrier groups may begin to seem normal. However, one particular graphic from the October 2015 issue (p. 32) of the naval journal Naval & Merchant Ships [舰船知识] stands out as both unusual and singularly disturbing. It purports to map … Continue reading
China’s plan for six aircraft carriers just ‘sank’
China reportedly is slowing its plan to acquire two aircraft carriers for each of its regional fleets. Instead of speeding ahead with the development of a six-carrier fleet — two each for the northern, eastern and southern fleets — the Chinese navy could stop after acquiring flattop number four. “Plans for a fifth [carrier] have … Continue reading
China has a new aircraft carrier, but a lack of fighter jets that can use it
Is China’s newest aircraft carrier half-full or half-empty? That depends on how you look at the vessel’s aircraft capacity. The ship, prosaically named the Type 001A for now, is China’s second carrier and the first built in China. The first carrier, the Liaoning, is a refurbished ex-Soviet vessel. The Liaoning could carry twenty-four J-15 fighters. … Continue reading
China says aircraft carrier on way to South China Sea after Taiwan passage
China’s first domestically-built aircraft carrier is on its way to the South China Sea for tests and to take part in exercises, the Chinese navy said on Monday, after sailing through the Taiwan Strait in a mission denounced by Taipei as intimidation. Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Sunday a Chinese carrier group led by the … Continue reading
Fire the missiles! The U.S. navy is ready to sink China’s new aircraft carriers
Ah, yes, the “carrier-killer.” China is forever touting the array of guided missiles its weaponeers have devised to pummel U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs). Most prominent among them are its DF-21D and DF-26 antiship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has made a mainstay of China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) defenses. Beijing has … Continue reading
Beijing’s new 63 billion dollar mega-airport begins international flights
Beijing’s new $63 billion Daxing airport began its first scheduled international flights on Sunday as it ramped up operations to help relieve pressure on the city’s existing Capital airport. Shaped like a phoenix – though to some observers it is more reminiscent of a starfish – the airport was designed by famed Iraqi-born architect Zaha … Continue reading
China’s defence minister says ‘no force’ can stop China-Taiwan reunification
China’s defence minister said on Monday that resolving the “Taiwan question” was China’s greatest national interest, and that no force could prevent the country’s “reunification”. Separatist activities were doomed to failure, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said at the opening in Beijing of the Xiangshan Forum, which Chinastyles as its answer to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue … Continue reading
China’s J-20 stealth fighter is built on stolen F-35 technology
Photos of the J-20 provide an up close and personal look at the fuselage of the new interceptor. But the photos also appear to show a sensor system that looks awfully similar to the Lockheed Martin Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) on the front of the F-35 Lighting II. There’s a reason for this: In 2007, … Continue reading
Canada needs to plan ways to meet China’s military challenge
Forget for a moment Canada’s grave dispute with China over the extradition proceedings in Vancouver involving a Huawei executive. As the New York Times reminded readers last week, China has even gone after that most Canadian of bears, Winnie the Pooh. The orphaned bear cub from White River, Ont., a First World War vet of … Continue reading
Is China’s DF-26 missile a real threat to U.S. navy aircraft carriers?
Last year, Chinese state media reported that a new brigade of Beijing’s most advanced intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) has been “activated.” The newly commissioned brigade is armed with the Dong Feng-26 (DF-26) IRBM. According to the Diplomat, “Video footage carried in Chinese state media showed at least 22 integrated six-axle DF-26 transporter-erector-launchers along with their … Continue reading
China’s Communist Party shows military might in 70th anniversary parade
China’s Communist Party celebrated its 70th anniversary in power with a military parade Tuesday that showcased its growing might and strategic ambitions. An honour guard carrying the Chinese flag through Tiananmen Square, the country’s symbolic political heart, before thousands of spectators who waved flags. Artillery guns fired a salute. President Xi Jinping, wearing a gray … Continue reading
China’s navy to unveil large underwater robot at National Day parade
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is unleashing a new generation of autonomous underwater robots that will fundamentally change the way future naval wars are fought. T he U.S. Navy surely has an advantage, being slightly further along the development and doctrinal path than other less well-funded navies. But as is the nature of AI and robotics, … Continue reading
Back in 2010, the U.S. navy surfaced 3 elite submarines to warn China what could happen in a war
In 2010, China was given a glimpse of what could happen in a war. Nuclear powers rarely go to war with each other, but that doesn’t mean they don’t threaten to do so. Indeed, military posturing is an integral part of what Forrest Morgan, an analyst for the RAND Corporation, called “crisis stability.” In other words, “building … Continue reading
China is speeding ahead with plans for stealth fighters on its aircraft carriers
The competition had been between the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation’s J-20 and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s FC-31 over which aircraft would fly from China’s next generation of aircraft carriers. And the winner is…the J-20, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. A Chinese military source told the Post that the Central Military Commission favored … Continue reading
China unveils DR-8 supersonic spy drone during National Day military parade rehearsal
China’s supersonic spy drone was unveiled for the first time during a weekend rehearsal for the National Day military parade on October 1, according to photographs circulating on social media. The photos, which have prompted discussion among military enthusiasts, show at least two types of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – identified as the DR-8 or … Continue reading
Is China’s new H-20 stealth bomber America’s worst nightmare?
In October 2018, Chinese media announced that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) would publicly unveil its new H-20 stealth bomber during a parade celebrating the air arm’s seventieth anniversary in 2019. Prior news of the H-20’s development had been teased using techniques pioneered by viral marketing campaigns for Hollywood movies. For example, the … Continue reading
Russia is angry that China stole and copied its jet fighter designs, but the Chinese jets are crashing
Remember that Russian carrier-based jet that China copied without permission? Those airplanes are crashing, and Russia doesn’t seem too broken up about it. Though Russia and China are now friends, even holding joint exercises, Russia’s Sputnik News recently trotted out an article titled “Chinese Navy Short on Carrier-Based Fighters, Only Has Problem-Ridden J-15.” The J-15 … Continue reading
Chinese and Indian soldiers face-off in Ladakh
Soldiers of India and China were engaged in a face-off near Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday, which ended after a local delegation-level meeting, Army sources said. “An Indian Army team that was on patrol near Pangong Tso was objected to by the Chinese side. Our soldiers held ground as they were on … Continue reading
Did Israel help build China’s deadly J-10 fighter?
The J-10 “Vigorous Dragon” is a mainstay of China’s effort to modernize its large fleet of single-engine jet fighters, with 350 already in service. An agile tactical fighter similar to the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Vigorous Dragon was the first domestic Chinese design roughly on par with Western and Russian fourth-generation fighters. However, there … Continue reading
China is deploying drones to spy on the South China Sea like never before
China is fielding a far-reaching reconnaissance system reliant on drones to strengthen its ability to conduct surveillance operations in hard-to-reach areas of the South China Sea, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a report Tuesday. The system, which relies on drones connected to mobile and fixed command-and-control centres by way of a maritime information … Continue reading
Chinese combat drones are cheap but effective, and they are headed to Europe
Chinese combat drones are reportedly headed to Europe for the first time, highlighting China’s growing presence in an important part of the international arms market as countries around the world look more closely at unmanned systems for warfighting. Serbia is expected to take delivery of nine Chengdu Pterodactyl-1 (Wing Loong) drones within the next six … Continue reading
How China built its own J-20 stealth fighter from secret F-35 information
Although the two electro-optical systems pictured above are not identical, they share quite a few similarities in shape and placement: compared to the Eurofighter or Su-57’s electro-optical systems and Infrared Tracking Systems (IRTS), respectively, which are also mounted on top of the fuselage, the differences between the Lockheed Martin and J-20’s Systems are relatively minor. … Continue reading
Carriers, missiles, submarines and stealth: China’s military has arrived
China is believed to possess as many as 1,200 short-range missiles and up to 300 intermediate range missiles, according to a Pentagon report. Aircraft carriers, stealth fighters, anti-satellite weapons, drones, cyber attack technology and a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles are all among a series of Chinese weapons said to present serious concerns for Pentagon … Continue reading
Is China’s upcoming ‘super’ stealth fighter the end of the U.S. F-35?
Chinese scientists claim they have developed a new kind of material for making aircraft less detectable by radar. But the development probably is not the breakthrough that some observers claim it is. Prof. Luo Xiangang and colleagues at the Institute of Optics and Electronics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Chengdu, said they … Continue reading
Pakistan refuses Chinese engines in China’s JF-17 fighters
As the JF-17 is one of China’s “clean slate” designs, this bodes well for the reliability characteristics of the current generation of Chinese aircraft. However, the JF-17 still uses a Russian engine, and the Pakistan Air Force rejected offers to use Chinese engines in their JF-17s in 2015. Engines remain a critical weakness in the Chinese … Continue reading
China’s claims it’s lunar rover has found something weird on the far side of the moon
China’s Chang’e-4 lunar rover has discovered an unusually colored, ‘gel-like’ substance during its exploration activities on the far side of the moon. The mission’s rover, Yutu-2, stumbled on that surprise during lunar day 8. The discovery prompted scientists on the mission to postpone other driving plans for the rover, and instead focus its instruments on … Continue reading
Could China’s navy be armed with six aircraft carriers and stealth fighters?
The Chinese military has decided to develop the air force’s J-20 stealth fighter into a sea-based variant to fly from the navy’s growing fleet of aircraft carriers. The Central Military Commission, the People’s Liberation Army’s top decision-making body, favors the J-20 over the smaller FC-31 stealth fighter design, according to the Hong Kong South China … Continue reading
Here are the advanced weapons we might see at China’s military parade
China will showcase some domestically produced, advanced military equipment at an upcoming parade, authorities announced Thursday. The parade, to be held Oct. 1 in the capital Beijing, will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China following the communist victory of nationalist forces in 1949. According to Chinese state news … Continue reading
Beijing hits out as US sends warship past two disputed reefs in South China Sea for the first time
China condemned a US naval patrol near disputed reefs in the South China Sea and called on Washington to stop infringing upon its sovereignty. On Wednesday, the guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E Meyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross and Mischief reefs, China’s two biggest artificial islands in the disputed Spratlys. Other … Continue reading
China rotates new batch of troops into Hong Kong
China‘s military has rotated a new batch of troops into Hong Kong describing the move as routine, state media said on Thursday, as protests against Beijing continue to rock the Asian financial hub. Chinese state media described the troop movement in the early hours as routine, while Asian and Western diplomats watching PLA movements in … Continue reading
China’s navy to pick J-20 stealth fighter jets for its next generation aircraft carriers
China’s military is likely to pick the country’s first active stealth fighter, the J-20, for its next generation aircraft carriers, according to military sources and a recent report on state media. A military insider told the South China Morning Post that the Central Military Commission, the People’s Liberation Army’s top decision-making body, now favoured adapting … Continue reading
Chinese attack on Hong Kong would pose grave danger to America’s Asian allies
Hong Kong is a very big deal. The images of protesters tearing down towers equipped with Chinese face recognition technology tell the world some of what’s at stake in their clash with China’s dictatorship. But there’s much more. More than anything else, the Chinese Communist government seeks control of its own people, Hong Kong, and … Continue reading
American General says China ‘clearly our No. 1 threat out there’
General Jack Keane claimed China is the U.S.’s top geopolitical threat, and he praised new Defense Secretary Mark Esper for echoing that sentiment. Esper was correct Wednesday when he expressed concern over both the Chinese government and the regime of Kim Jong Un in North Korea, Keane said on “The Daily Briefing.” “I’m delighted that … Continue reading
China’s version of the B-2 stealth bomber, the H-20 stealth bomber
In October 2018, Chinese media announced that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) would publicly unveil its new H-20 stealth bomber during a parade celebrating the air arm’s seventieth anniversary in 2019. Prior news of the H-20’s development had been teased using techniques pioneered by viral marketing campaigns for Hollywood movies. For example, the … Continue reading
US will send warships to to stop China blocking smaller nations drilling for oil in South China Sea
The United States has accused China of preventing Southeast Asian countries from accessing trillions of dollars worth of untapped oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea as the Pentagon planned to hold its first exercise with regional powers near the strategic region. In a press statement, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said Thursday … Continue reading
South China Sea showdown: China vs Vietnam
Chinese incursions into Vietnam’s EEZ are by no means a new phenomenon. The most serious recent incident occurred in 2014, when China deployed an oil rig into Vietnam’s EEZ, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the two neighbors. The current situation near Vanguard Bank, however, represents a more serious challenge on several levels. The Haiyang Dizhi … Continue reading
China could overwhelm US military in Asia in hours, Australian report says
A new study by a think tank warns the U.S. has lost its military supremacy in the Indo-Pacific region, with China being able to launch and win a military conflict even before American forces are able to respond. The University of Sydney’s United States Study Center released a study on Friday detailing the profound changes it … Continue reading
China threatens to send troops to stop Hong Kong protests
In a move reminiscent of the Tienanmen Square Massacre 30 years ago, China is threatening to use troops against unarmed Hong Kong protestors. The latest protests in Hong Kong appear to have touched a nerve in Beijing, where officials and state media have escalated rhetoric against the pro-democracy movement, accusing the United States of interference … Continue reading
China signs secret deal to station troops in Cambodia
China has signed a secret deal to allow its military troops to be stationed at a naval base in Cambodia, according to reports. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials who had seen a pact drawn up between the two countries, reported that the Cambodian prime minister, Hun Sen, has agreed to give China access … Continue reading
China-Japan relations won’t be altered by Trump’s ridiculous ‘unfair military alliance’ remark
Tokyo (and probably the whole world) was shocked when Bloomberg News reported on June 25 that: “President Donald Trump has recently mused to confidants about withdrawing from a longstanding defense treaty with Japan, according to three people familiar with the matter, in his latest complaint about what he sees as unfair U.S. security pacts… “… … Continue reading
