Asia-Pacific
Keen Sword 27: Chinese warships, drones and Y-9s around Japan, and Russian Il-20s over the Sea of Japan
While Japanese and US forces train in Keen Sword 27, Chinese warships, intelligence aircraft and drones pass through the straits…
Topic
China
Latest news and analysis on China, Chinese foreign policy, defense developments, technology and strategic competition.
Asia-Pacific
Chinese Navy: 48th escort task force returns to Qingdao after 378 days, with 423 ships escorted and 150,000 nautical miles sailed
The PLA Navy’s 48th escort task force, made up of the destroyer Tangshan, the frigate Daqing and the supply ship…
Asia-Pacific
Putin and Li Qiang in St Petersburg: Russia and China sign a joint communique, and Putin points to a new Xi meeting at APEC in Shenzhen
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a joint communique on 21 October, and Putin told…
Asia-Pacific
Kim Jong Un crosses into China over the new Yalu River bridge, visits Dandong with Wang Huning: first trip to China in over a year
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed into China on October 24 over the new Yalu road bridge, to the…
Asia-Pacific
Liaoning carrier: the steady pattern of China’s first aircraft carrier in the Pacific, as logged by Japan
For the second time in 2026 the Liaoning operated in the Pacific, this time passing between Okinawa and Miyako. Japanese…
Middle East & North Africa
Saudi Arabia expands its ballistic-missile plant at al-Duwadimi; study sees larger missiles with Chinese technology
Satellite imagery analysed by the Foreign Policy Research Institute shows two new buildings at the solid-fuel missile plant near al-Duwadimi,…
Asia-Pacific
Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes a national security threat
The US Department of War has labelled the Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes a threat to US national security. In a video,…
Military & Defense
US Space Force: the Earth–Moon space becomes a battlefield, with requests for information to industry on the way
The Pentagon now treats cislunar space as a high-priority battlefield and wants the Space Force to acquire commercial technology and…
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan MND reports no Chinese military aircraft, but 6 PLA Navy ships and 7 official ships around the island on 22 October
Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected no PLA aircraft in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on 22 October, but…
Asia-Pacific
UN experts say fate of North Koreans returned from China is unknown, urge Beijing to stop repatriations
UN-appointed independent experts say there is no information on the whereabouts or treatment of North Koreans forcibly returned from China…
Military & Defense
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro ends 112-day Arctic patrol after tracking three Chinese research ships
The national security cutter returned to Alameda on October 9 after 23,000 nautical miles, a watch on three Chinese-flagged research…
Europe
Costa and von der Leyen tell MEPs EU sanctions on Russia “will stay until Russia stops the war”
Reporting to the European Parliament on the October summit, Costa and von der Leyen covered the 2028-2034 budget, Ukraine, Russia…