People's Liberation Army

Li Haoshi, stage name House, got into trouble after a joke about the People's Liberation Army. (Internet)

Can stand-up comedians cross lines and tackle taboos in China?

A Chinese stand-up comedian has landed himself in trouble after cracking a joke seeming to compare the People’s Liberation Army with dogs. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong finds out why people are up in arms, and if the authorities’ slew of punishment is justified.
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, holds a press conference in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, 12 January 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP)

What if US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy visits Taiwan?

With rumblings of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy possibly visiting Taiwan in spring, Yang Danxu observes that this will not be the last we see of the “Taiwan card” being played by US politicians as they move into the second half of the current US presidency.
Taiwan's armed forces hold two days of routine drills to show combat readiness ahead of Lunar New Year holidays at a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 11 January 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

What could stir up trouble in the Taiwan Strait in 2023?

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han notes that tensions in the Taiwan Strait last year reached an all-time high amid the visit by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the subsequent military exercise around Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army. In the upcoming year, mainland China’s policies towards Taiwan, the US factor, along with the campaign for Taiwan’s presidential elections are key variables that could affect cross-strait relations and are worth keeping tabs on.
People attend a media tour ahead of Airshow China 2022 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, 6 November 2022. (CNS)

China’s latest military drones on display at Zhuhai Airshow

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is showcasing its air combat capabilities during the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, with static displays and aerial demonstrations for its advanced military drones, fighter jets and other military weapons and equipment. From boasting of a fully China-made fighter jet, to its home-designed drones, the developments in China’s air combat power shows the impact of the geopolitical situation on the military industry.
Customers dine near a giant screen broadcasting news footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping attending a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, at a restaurant in Beijing, China, 16 September 2022. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

[Party and the man] Xi Jinping faces biggest challenges in decades

While Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to secure a third term at the 20th Party Congress, Loro Horta recalls the saying that one should “be careful what you wish for”. The road ahead in his third term looks to be fraught with challenges, both domestically and externally. This is the first in a series of four articles on President Xi Jinping and the road ahead.
This handout image taken on 9 August 2022 and released by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on 10 August 2022 shows a PLA fighter jet taking part in a military drill in an undisclosed location. (Handout/Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army/AFP)

Prominent PLA elites in 'the cosmos club': Countdown to the 20th Party Congress

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?
Pedestrians walk past a screen showing footage of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers during an evening news programme, in Beijing, China, 2 August 2022. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Post-60s generation takes the helm of China’s military

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.
A vintage doll is pictured near a damaged kindergarten following recent Russian shelling in the city of Slovyansk, Ukraine, as Russia's attack in Ukraine continues, on 2 September 2022 (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

In the China-US-Russia confrontation, it is military power that counts in the end

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?
Birth provinces of 19th Politburo members (2017). (Source: Li Cheng, Brookings Institution)

Birthplace determining political career in the CCP: Countdown to the 20th Party Congress

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?