By Lawrence Chung in Taipei Taiwan’s parliament is set to prioritise review of a disputed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget bill when its new session begins on Tuesday, as pressure mounts from Washington. But US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about consulting Chinese President Xi Jinping on arms sales could complicate the debate, […]
Read MoreBy Jeoffrey Maitem The United States’ plan to expand deployments of advanced missile systems and unmanned platforms in the Philippines is less about hardware than geography and what it signals about Washington’s long-term strategy in the region, analysts said. Announced after the 12th Philippines–US Bilateral Strategic Dialogue this week, the move reflects a steady effort […]
Read MoreBy Liu Zhen The Central Military Commission, the top decision-making body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army, is set for a leadership reshuffle after the downfall of most of its members. President Xi Jinping is now in his third term as chairman of the commission. But now five of the other six members of the commission […]
Read MoreBy Liu Zhen The US faces critical “sustainment risks” that might lead to rapid defeat in a conflict with China, according to a Heritage Foundation report, which also found that while such a scenario could start in the Taiwan Strait, it would not be contained there. Based on the findings of an AI-based study called […]
Read MoreThe European Union and India will explore possibilities for Indian participation in European defence initiatives, according to a draft security and defence partnership document seen by Reuters. The new partnership comes at a time when Europe is seeking to reduce its dependence on the US and China and deepen its diplomatic and economic ties to […]
Read MoreJAKARTA: Indonesia has received three Rafale fighter jets from France in the first deliveries from a multi-billion-dollar defense deal between the two countries, a defense ministry official told Reuters on Monday, marking a major upgrade to the country’s aging military hardware. Jakarta, France’s main arms client in Southeast Asia, has placed orders for as many […]
Read MoreBEIJING: China said on Saturday the senior vice chairman of its powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and another high-ranking official were under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline,” a common euphemism for corruption. The announcement marks the latest push in a sweeping drive to root out graft at all levels of the party and […]
Read MoreThe Indian military is set to recreate its tri-services campaign against Pakistan from last May during the 77th Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on 26 January. The display, an annual exhibition of the country’s military and diplomatic reach, will feature the specific aircraft formations and hardware used during the 88-hour conflict. Air Commodore Manish […]
Read MoreIndia has selected the national song Vande Mataram as the main theme for the Republic Day parade to be held in New Delhi on 26 January, marking 150 years since it was written. Bengali litterateur Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in the 1870s as a poem, and it remains a prominent cultural and patriotic […]
Read MoreBy Tom Hussain Pakistan is increasingly confident of making billion-dollar arms sales, headlined by the JF-17 fighters its co-produces with China, as up to six Muslim-majority countries look to upgrade their air forces amid growing geopolitical turbulence and civil wars. A preliminary deal worth US$4 billion was struck last month with the Libyan National Army […]
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