The China Africa Project
07.26.16
There Are a Lot More Chinese Soldiers in Africa Today... And Likely More To Come
Around 2014, the Chinese began to shift their military engagement strategy in Africa to include the deployment of combat-ready infantry units to countries like Mali and South Sudan where the United Nations is being actively targeted by Islamist...
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07.18.16China Announces New Military Drills in South China Sea
Financial Times
The new drills are the first since last week’s decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.
Photo Gallery
07.12.16
A Cold War Island Thaws
Mounds of sand sit beneath a row of pile drivers on Dadeng Island, where the Chinese city of Xiamen is building a new airport on reclaimed land.Syril Hung sighs, awe-struck by this scene. The retired editor is looking through a pair of binoculars...
Features
07.12.16
You Ask How Deeply I Love You
“Back when I was a soldier on Kinmen, around 1975, the water demons still sometimes killed people,” Xu Shifu (Master Xu) said. The laugh-lines at the corners of his eyes were not visible now, even in the white fluorescent light shining down from the...
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07.06.16China Has Cordoned 100,000 Square Kilometers of the South China Sea For Military Drills
Quartz
Drills are expected to run a day before the UN-backed tribunal ruling is issued, July 11...
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06.20.16China and Indonesia in Maritime Clash
Financial Times
Southeast Asian nations deeply divided over how to respond to Beijing’s assertive approach.
Conversation
06.13.16
A War of Words Over the South China Sea
Beginning earlier this year, four-star Admiral Harry Harris, the U.S. Navy’s top commander in the Pacific, has spoken out in speeches, interviews, private meetings, and testimony to Congress urging that the U.S. take more aggressive action against...
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06.09.16A First: Chinese Naval Vessel Enters Senkaku Contiguous Zone in East China Sea
Diplomat
Previously, China had only sent its coast guard into Japan’s territorial sea and contiguous zone.
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05.19.16US, Not China, Militarising the South China Sea: FM
Al Jazeera
In an exclusive interview, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi discusses a wide-range of global issues.
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05.03.16China Is Building Its First Overseas Military Base in Djibouti—Right next to a Key US One
Public Radio International
China signed an initial 10-year lease for their base, and will pay $20 million per year in rent.
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05.03.16China Enlists Rap Video for Military Recruitment
Financial Times
China’s military has released a rap music video titled “Battle Declaration” as part of a campaign to lure young recruits.
Conversation
05.01.16
Xi Jinping’s New Military Position
Late last week, China’s news media were filled with images of President and Party General Secretary Xi Jinping touring the joint battle command center of the Central Military Commission, dressed for the occasion in combat fatigues. The occasion for...
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04.21.16China's Xi Jinping Takes Commander in Chief Military Title
BBC
Correspondents say that the move will be interpreted by some as a propaganda message that he is now in absolute control.
The China Africa Project
03.14.16
Africa’s Role in China’s One Belt, One Road Global Trade Strategy
China’s lofty ambition to revive its ancient silk road trading routes is now becoming a reality. When complete, One Belt, One Road (OBOR), or the Maritime Silk Road as it is more commonly known, will connect China via rail and shipping links with...
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03.09.16China Offers Afghanistan Army Expanded Military Aid
Wall Street Journal
Expanded military aid was offered to combat the Taliban, reflecting Beijing’s readiness to deepen its engagement with Afghanistan.
Media
02.19.16
New Video Celebrates Chinese Missiles With Old-School Communist Pomp
Trumpets sound and trombones blare as a warhead launches. Intercontinental ballistic missiles mounted on trucks parade down the center of a boulevard crowded with bystanders. “We are the glorious Rocket Force,” a mixed choir sings in a Soviet-...
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02.16.16China May Put its Nuclear Weapons on High Alert, and It's a Dangerous Idea
Huffington Post
The radical departure from China's longtime nuclear policy could pose a threat not only to the U.S., but also to China itself.
The China Africa Project
01.25.16
China’s Diplomatic Dilemma: Protecting its People and Property Overseas
Chinese special operations forces are training in the western deserts of Xinjiang in complex search and rescue missions, in environments that closely resemble North Africa or certain parts of the Middle East. Recently, these newly-trained military...
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12.17.15Use by Iraqi Military May Be a Boon for China-Made Drones
New York Times
Soldiers used the Chinese drone on Dec. 6 to destroy an ISIS position amid efforts to retake the city of Ramadi.
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12.17.15China Protests Sale of U.S. Arms to Taiwan
New York Times
The Obama administration’s announcement that it would sell $1.83 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.
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12.15.15U.S. Navy Commander Implies China Has Eroded Safety of South China Sea
New York Times
A senior American naval commander has implicitly accused China of creating artificial islands in the South China Sea.
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12.02.15What China Hopes To Achieve With First Peacekeeping Mission
BBC
China started deploying hundreds of troops to South Sudan earlier this year to bolster the UN peace mission in the country.
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11.23.15Obama Pledges Military Aid to Allies in Southeast Asia
New York Times
“We have a treaty obligation, an ironclad commitment to the defense of our ally the Philippines, who can count on the United States.”
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11.20.15Japan Could Risk Chinese Anger by Joining U.S. Sea Patrols
Guardian
Shinzo Abe reported told Barack Obama that Tokyo would think about participating in operations in South China Sea.
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11.20.15Will China Get Involved in the Fight Against ISIS?
CNN
Non-intervention has been a cornerstone of Chinese foreign policy for five decades.
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11.18.15India-China Talks Fail To Make Progress on Border Dispute
Defense News
"This is the highest level defense delegation to visit India in the recent years. The visit signifies the enhanced defense exchanges between India and China."
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11.17.15China in Mind, Obama Pledges Military Aid to Allies in Southeast Asia
New York Times
“My visit here underscores our shared commitment to the security of the waters of this region and to the freedom of navigation.”
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11.16.15China Is Becoming a Supercomputing Powerhouse
Wall Street Journal
China is experiencing a supercomputing boom.
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11.02.15China Sends Armed Jets Over Disputed Waters In Response to U.S. Naval Presence
Time
“It’s a signal China sent to the US that it is serious about its claims.”
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10.29.15White House Moves to Reassure Allies With South China Sea Patrol, but Quietly
New York Times
Lawmakers and national security hawks have urged President Obama to stand up to China’s land reclamation of disputed islands.
Conversation
10.28.15
Making Waves in the South China Sea
Challenging China’s newly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, this week the U.S. Navy sailed some of its biggest ships inside the nine-dash line, exercising its claim to freedom of movement in international waters plied by billions in trade...
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10.27.15China Says It Warned and Tracked U.S. Warship in South China Sea
CNN
Chinese government: Don't push us
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10.21.15Space: China Plays the Russia Card?
Diplomat
Russian engines could offer China a fast track for its ICBM capability building.
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10.16.15China Suggests Joint South China Sea Drills With Asean
BBC
China's Defence Minister Chang Wanquan has suggested drills for "maritime rescues and disaster relief".
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10.15.15Chinese Admiral Visits Iran, Wants Closer Defense Cooperation
Reuters
China wants to deepen military ties with Iran.
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10.14.15China Says Not Planning to Send Military Ships to Syria
Reuters
China said it had no plans to send military ships to Syria to fight with Russian forces.
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10.13.15Japan May Halt Funds for UNESCO Over Nanjing Row With China
Reuters
Japan's military aggression before and during World War Two still haunts ties between Asia's two biggest economies.
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10.13.15Top China Paper Says U.S., Russia Playing Cold War Game in Syria
Reuters
The United States and Russia seemed to be using Syria as a proxy for diplomatic and military competition, as during the Cold War.
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10.09.15China Will Not Allow Violations of Its Territorial Waters
Reuters
China said it would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation.
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10.08.15China Turns Firepower to Soft Power to Try to Win Tiny Taiwan-held Island
Reuters
"In Kinmen, we can do what Taiwan can't, what Taiwan doesn't dare do."
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10.08.15U.S. to Sail Warships Near Disputed South China Sea Islands
Reuters
U.S. ships would sail within 12-nautical-mile zones, that China claims as territory around islands it has built in the Spratly chain, within the next two weeks.
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09.30.15The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War?
Atlantic
In 12 of 16 past cases in which a rising power has confronted a ruling power, the result has been bloodshed.
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09.29.15On U.S. Visit, China’s Xi Jinping Tries to Have It Both Ways
WSJ: China Real Time Report
Xi Jinping often seemed caught between two audiences—his skeptical hosts who needed gentle reassurance and the crowd back home who admire his firm rule and tough nationalism.
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09.24.15Hybrid Warfare With Chinese Characteristics
Diplomat
From Sun Tzu to Xi Jinping: Russia isn’t the only one who knows hybrid warfare.
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09.10.15China to Hold Live-fire Drills in Taiwan Strait
Reuters
The Chinese military will hold three days of live-fire drills in the sensitive Taiwan Strait starting from Friday, the government said in a notice issued to warn shipping away from the area.
Viewpoint
09.04.15
Flying Tiger: Why I Turned Down an Invitation to China’s Victory Parade
I was invited to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-fascist War and the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese war this September, as a guest of a government that wanted me to represent friendship with the U.S...
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09.02.15Five Chinese Navy Ships Are Operating in Bering Sea Off Alaska Coast
Wall Street Journal
Chinese naval presence off Alaskan coast appears to be a first.
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07.23.15Palace Intrigue: Chinese Soldiers Storm Replica of Taiwan Presidential Office
Wall Street Journal
Is Beijing doubling down on its longstanding threat to reclaim Taiwan by force?
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07.22.15China Calls Japan Foreign Policy 'Two-faced'
Reuters
China's Defense Ministry says it reserves the right to a "necessary reaction" after Japan called on Beijing to stop building oil and gas exploration platforms close to disputed waters.
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07.20.15Xi Warns China Military Amid Anti-Corruption Purge
Financial Times
Xi delivered the stern message to the home unit of Xu Caihou, formerly one of China’s highest ranking generals, arrested last year for bribery scandal.
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07.16.15China Warns Japan Over Laws to Allow Troops to Fight Abroad
Guardian
China warns Japan against “crippling regional peace and security” after Tokyo passes bills to allow Japanese troops to fight abroad.
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07.08.15Both China and Taiwan Have South China Sea Obligations
Reuters
China and Taiwan share claims to the South China Sea, a legacy of the civil war when the Communists beat the Nationalists and took control of the mainland in 1949.
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03.17.15South Korea Tells China Not to Meddle in Decision Over Missile System
New York Times
The United States has made it increasingly clear that it wants South Korea to install a American missile defense system.
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03.04.15China’s Military Budget Increasing 10% for 2015, Official Says
New York Times
Increase would put the budget around $145 billion, the world’s second-largest, though still far behind the United States,
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03.03.15India China submarine fleet comparison - Business Insider
Business Insider
This chart shows the competition between India and China's submarine fleet http://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-submarine-fleet-comparison-2015-3
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02.06.15Q. and A.: Andrew Small on the China-Pakistan Relationship
New York Times
The book “The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics” argues that there have always been irritants below the surface.
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01.20.15China’s Scramble for Africa
Al Jazeera
In a remarkable departure from its long history of low-profile foreign policy, especially since Deng Xiaoping took over China's leadership in the late 1970s, Beijing has recently committed up to 700 combat troops to South Sudan in the hopes of...
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01.14.15In Remote Thai Villages, Legacy of China’s Lost Army Endures
New York Times
At night, traditional Chinese red lanterns illuminate the hotels, shop fronts and Yunnanese-style restaurants lining the main road in this highland village of just over 1,000 people. On one recent evening, as the mist rose off a nearby reservoir,...
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12.22.14China Building Base Near Isles Disputed With Japan, Kyodo Says
Bloomberg
The dispute over the East China Sea islets—known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese—clouds ties that remain fractious even after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing last month. Encounters between...