People's Liberation Army

Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, notes that well-educated and professionally capable military technocrats are prominently represented in the PLA leadership, and this trend is set to continue after the 20th Party Congress. What contributions will this new corps of military technocrats make as Xi Jinping heads into a likely third term?

As the 20th Party Congress approaches, key reshuffles of theatre command leaders have taken place, with the post-60s generation becoming the backbone of the PLA’s senior military generals. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes us through the key military leaders, and who will be part of the Central Committee of the CCP.

The Russia-Ukraine war has turned into a stage for the US and Russian militaries to flex their muscles, and so too in the case of the Taiwan Strait for the People’s Liberation Army and the US military. Against this backdrop, says political commentator Jin Jian Guo, the arms race in East Asia is quickening its pace, with Japan seeking to revise its constitution, Taiwan aiming to raise military spending next year, and North Korea holding firm to its nuclear programme. How will these developments affect geopolitics and security in the region?

Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, notes that a large proportion of top CCP leaders come from eastern and central China, with less emphasis on those from the south and southwest. Much of these trends are closely related to some crucial political issues that China now faces, including the enduring economic gap between coastal and inland regions. Will the same patterns emerge in the 20th Party Congress?

With the 20th Party Congress expected to commence in the next two months, Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong says that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s position has been strengthened following the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s historic visit to Taiwan. China has shown its trade and military prowess in the Taiwan Strait with its recent countermeasures, and all eyes will be on whether a timeline for armed reunification will be set during the congress.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have intensified after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s military exercises encircling Taiwan. Taiwanese commentator Chen Kuohsiang assesses that a war in the Taiwan Strait would have implications for the Asia-Pacific region that go beyond geopolitics.

In the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the furore that it has caused, Indian academic Amrita Jash explains why in lieu of a foolproof action plan for a total win, China’s best response over Taiwan is not an invasion, but to choose to be “reactive yet act with restraint”.

In the aftermath of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit and reprisals from the mainland, Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) seems to have the upper hand in the “nine-in-one” local elections that will be held at the end of the year. But the KMT could still get one up on the DPP if it employs the right strategy. Which party will play its cards right and seize the opportunities that open up?

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited and left Taiwan safely. While she spent 19 hours in Taiwan with seemingly little consequences to herself and the US for now, it is Taiwan that has to bear the brunt of Beijing’s wrath. Did Pelosi's visit accomplish anything? In the case of mainland China, its people are expectedly mad about Beijing's mild actions towards the US, but the current situation could be to Beijing's advantage.