China Quietly Changes Army's Top Commander as Internal Purge Widens
Lt. Gen. Cai Zhijun has been named the chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force, according to footage of a meeting with Pakistani military leaders that was aired on CCTV, China's state broadcaster, on July 25, which showed Cai's new title.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
What New Satellite Photo Reveals About China's Invasion Plans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New satellite imagery has surfaced showing China's enigmatic new landing barges—vessels believed to have been designed to support large-scale amphibious assaults, such as a potential invasion of Taiwan. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese defense ministry by email with a request for comment outside of office hours. Why It Matters Taiwan, a global hub for high-tech supply chains and a major U.S. trade partner, faces increasing pressure from China. Beijing's Chinese Communist Party government claims Taiwan as its territory—despite never having ruled there—and has vowed unification is inevitable. China has intensified pressure on Taiwan through near-daily military sorties in the Taiwan Strait, large-scale exercises and simulated blockades. Current and former U.S. officials believe Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be capable of taking the island by 2027. What To Know First reported by Naval News in January, the vessels were constructed in Guangzhou Shipyards by the CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering Company (COMEC), which provides the PLA with provider replenishment oilers and other support ships. The barges, dubbed "Shuiqiao"—Mandarin for "water bridge"—barges, are notable for their jack-up legs and bridges that extend nearly 400 feet. These features allow multiple barges to be connected, forming a single long span, as seen in images and video shared by military enthusiasts on Chinese social media. A Shuiqiao barge functions as a temporary pontoon. Tanks and other armored vehicles ferried to the coast by China's roll-on/roll-off ships could drive over the bridge and disembark farther inland, bypassing heavily defended beaches. 🔎PLAN Shuiqiao Update & Correction Earlier, I noted the absence of the first batch of #Shuqiao class amphibious assault barges. Huge thanks to @SinoTalk (Joaquin Camarena) for the excellent clarification (and great posts on the topic)! New imagery confirms these 3 barges (seen… — MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) July 30, 2025 A July 27 photo captured by satellite imagery provider SkyFi shows three of the barges near Nantian Island in Zhejiang province, accompanied by a PLA Fujian-class tanker. Open-source analyst MT Anderson, who shared the photos on X, formerly Twitter, wrote that the barges appeared to be undergoing verification testing. Analysts say the choice of location is intentional, as the terrain closely resembles coastal areas northeast of Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. "It reflects a deliberate effort to simulate Taiwan's northeast coastline, particularly areas like Yilan County and New Taipei City, where rugged, less-defended beaches could offer the PLA an asymmetric opening," Bryce Barros, former China affairs analyst with the German Marshall Fund, told Newsweek. This image uploaded to Chinese microblogging site Weibo on June 16 shows three of the Chinese military's "Shuiqiao" amphibious barges. This image uploaded to Chinese microblogging site Weibo on June 16 shows three of the Chinese military's "Shuiqiao" amphibious barges. Weibo "This suggests the PLA may be preparing to rapidly disembark vehicles, troops, and supplies near the capital if a beachhead can be secured," he added. The barges, however, would be highly vulnerable without established air and sea superiority and could still face threats from Taiwanese drones and portable missile launchers like the Javelin, Barros said, pointing to Ukraine's defense against invading Russian forces as an example. What's Next A more recent satellite photo, also shared by Anderson, showed the barges—which bear the hull numbers "Dongong" 401, 402 and 403—were still at Nantian Island as of Sunday. If the ships are undergoing verification training, they could soon be incorporated into the PLA Navy.
Chicago Tribune
15 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Pakistan and US reach a trade agreement to develop oil reserves and reduce tariffs
ISLAMABAD — The United States and Pakistan reached a trade agreement expected to allow Washington to help develop Pakistan's largely untapped oil reserves and lower tariffs for the South Asian country, officials from both nations said Thursday. Officials did not specify where the exploration would take place, but most of Pakistan's reserves are believed to be in the insurgency-hit southwestern province of Balochistan, where separatists say the province's natural resources are being exploited by the central government in Islamabad. 'We have just concluded a deal with the country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive oil reserves,' U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'We are in the process of choosing the oil company that will lead this partnership,' Trump added. 'Who knows, maybe they'll be selling oil to India someday!' Total U.S. trade with Pakistan was an estimated $7.3 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the United States Representative, which said on its website that U.S. exports to Pakistan in 2024 were $2.1 billion, up 4.4% ($90.9 million) from 2023. U.S. imports from Pakistan totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9% ($238.7 million) from 2023, it said. There was no immediate comment from the Baloch nationalists and separatist groups. Balochistan has long been the center of violence mostly blamed on groups including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA, which the U.S. designated a terrorist organization in 2019. Separatists in Balochistan have opposed the extraction of resources by Pakistani and foreign firms and have targeted Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Oil reserves are also thought to exist in the southern Sindh, eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the 'long-awaited' deal and thanked Trump for playing a key role in finalizing it. Pakistan had been pursuing a trade agreement since May, when Trump mediated a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following an escalation triggered by Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory in response to the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan's Finance Ministry said in a statement early Thursday the agreement aims to boost bilateral trade, expand market access, attract investment and foster cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The breakthrough came during a meeting in Washington between Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and senior U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer. The deal includes a reduction in reciprocal tariffs, particularly on Pakistani exports to the U.S., the statement from the ministry said. 'The agreement enhances Pakistan's access to the U.S. market and vice versa,' it said. The agreement is also expected to spur increased U.S. investment in Pakistan's infrastructure and development projects, it added. The ministry said the deal reflects both nations' commitment to deepening bilateral ties and strengthening trade and investment cooperation.
17 hours ago
Pakistan and US reach a trade agreement to develop oil reserves and reduce tariffs
ISLAMABAD -- The United States and Pakistan reached a trade agreement expected to allow Washington to help develop Pakistan's largely untapped oil reserves and lower tariffs for the South Asian country, officials from both nations said Thursday. Officials did not specify where the exploration would take place, but most of Pakistan's reserves are believed to be in the insurgency-hit southwestern province of Balochistan, where separatists say the province's natural resources are being exploited by the central government in Islamabad. 'We have just concluded a deal with the country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive oil reserves,' U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'We are in the process of choosing the oil company that will lead this partnership,' Trump added. 'Who knows, maybe they'll be selling oil to India someday!' Total U.S. trade with Pakistan was an estimated $7.3 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the United States Representative, which said on its website that U.S. exports to Pakistan in 2024 were $2.1 billion, up 4.4% ($90.9 million) from 2023. U.S. imports from Pakistan totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9% ($238.7 million) from 2023, it said. There was no immediate comment from the Baloch nationalists and separatist groups. Balochistan has long been the center of violence mostly blamed on groups including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA, which the U.S. designated a terrorist organization in 2019. Separatists in Balochistan have opposed the extraction of resources by Pakistani and foreign firms and have targeted Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Oil reserves are also thought to exist in the southern Sindh, eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the 'long-awaited' deal and thanked Trump for playing a key role in finalizing it. Pakistan had been pursuing a trade agreement since May, when Trump mediated a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following an escalation triggered by Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory in response to the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan's Finance Ministry said in a statement early Thursday the agreement aims to boost bilateral trade, expand market access, attract investment and foster cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The breakthrough came during a meeting in Washington between Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and senior U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer. The deal includes a reduction in reciprocal tariffs, particularly on Pakistani exports to the U.S., the statement from the ministry said. 'The agreement enhances Pakistan's access to the U.S. market and vice versa,' it said. The agreement is also expected to spur increased U.S. investment in Pakistan's infrastructure and development projects, it added. The ministry said the deal reflects both nations' commitment to deepening bilateral ties and strengthening trade and investment cooperation.
