People's Liberation Army

What China’s submarine missile test reveals about its nuclear strategy

China’s submarine launch shows that Beijing intends to remove strategic vulnerability before accepting strategic constraint. But showing its ability for a second-strike capability does not guarantee stability in Asia, says academic Hao Nan.  

Hao Nan

09 Jul 2026

Purged generals, flying missiles: China’s military paradox

As sweeping anti-corruption investigations continue to shake the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing has responded not with words but with high-profile missile tests, seeking to demonstrate that its strategic nuclear deterrent remains intact despite the ongoing purge. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explains.

Sim Tze Wei

09 Jul 2026

Top tigers fall in Xi’s endless purge

A fresh wave of high-level investigations suggests Beijing’s anti-corruption drive is no longer a periodic campaign but an enduring mechanism for strengthening party discipline and political control. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong analyses China’s efforts.

Han Yong Hong

03 Jul 2026

China’s military purge is reaching the heart of Xi’s reformed PLA

China’s military purge has widened with six senior PLA officers removed from the National People’s Congress, signalling that the anti-corruption campaign is still expanding. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports on the crackdown’s reach and implications.

Sim Tze Wei

01 Jul 2026

China delivers its harshest military corruption sentences in years

China’s crackdown on corruption among high-level officials has recently meted out one of its most severe punishments for two former military leaders. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at the downfall of the top brass over the years.

Han Yong Hong

08 May 2026

China is arming the Global South — and expanding its influence

China has turned its defence industry into a formidable exporter, reshaping security across the Global South. As researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad argues, its weapons come bundled with ties that draw states into Beijing’s strategic orbit.

Tahir Mahmood Azad

05 May 2026

Why China’s firepower fails to translate into sales

Is China poised to capture a greater share of the rapidly expanding global arms market? Academic Ghulam Ali looks into China’s arms export policy, the quantity and quality of its previously exported arms, and the challenges associated with expanding arms trade to evaluate this.

Ghulam Ali

13 Apr 2026

Why Beijing can’t repeat America’s Maduro raid in Taiwan

America’s 2026 raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro relied on months of intelligence, air dominance and regional deployment. China’s PLA lacks the operational conditions needed to attempt a similar decapitation strike against Taiwan, says Japanese academic Sugiura Yasuyuki.

Sugiura Yasuyuki

10 Mar 2026

[Video] The real danger behind China’s military purge

China has purged nearly its entire top military leadership. While debate centres on whether this accelerates or delays a Taiwan conflict, the more consequential question may be how risk is structured, assessed and misread. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

06 Feb 2026

Zhang Youxia purged: Is Taiwan closer to conflict?

China’s latest military purge spills outwards and will reshape the structure and tempo of risk in the Taiwan Strait, says commentator Deng Yuwen. The major factor is not about the “removal of doves”, but the downgrading of professional judgment within decision-making.

Deng Yuwen

30 Jan 2026

How will China fill its military leadership vacuum?

With the recent personnel upheaval in China’s military, the army’s professional competence and judgment will be affected in the short term. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei takes a look at the options ahead to fill the leadership vacuum.

Sim Tze Wei

29 Jan 2026

China’s military leadership vacuum: A boon or bane for Taiwan?

The recent shake-up of China’s Central Military Commission means that the top leadership now lacks real combat experience. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han observes that this could mean a delay in combat readiness of the People’s Liberation Army, or a more aggressive stance from younger generals looking for professional advancement.

Miao Zong-Han

28 Jan 2026