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South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China releases rare footage of DF-100 cruise missile to deter US
Last week's clip showed a rocket force brigade conducting a cable communications exercise that began before dawn and included a scenario in which enemy forces attempted full-spectrum jamming, requiring the unit to rapidly establish a wired communications link before launch. The programme was among commemorations for the PLA's 98th anniversary. The People's Liberation Army will also conduct a massive parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of China's triumph over Japan in the second world war and the global victory against fascism. State media, including China News Service and an account affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, later shared the footage under the headline 'Rare public release of DF-100 cruise missile launch video', confirming the weapon model. The latest footage of the model, a two-minute segment, is part of the fifth and final episode of a People's Liberation Army documentary aired on Tuesday. The only previous official footage of the model in action, lasting just two seconds, was released in 2019 by the PLA Rocket Force and later deleted. The blurred footage marked one of only a few public appearances the missile has made since its 2019 debut. In previous appearances, the missile has been obscured on its launch vehicle, making it difficult to analyse the technical specifications and operating model. China has released rare footage of its mysterious DF-100 supersonic cruise missile in action, shedding new light on the specifications and mobility of the model believed to be a major deterrent for US warships and military bases in the region. 'We are on standby for long periods,' Brigade deputy commander Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Guodong told CCTV, adding that 'sometimes we can't get a solid night's sleep for days'. 'Our targets are mobile, and so are our positions,' Zhang said. The South China Morning Post has previously reported that the DF-100 is an anti-ship cruise missile. The DF-100 made its debut in 2019 during the 70th national anniversary parade, but the announcer referred to it as CJ-100 despite the 'DF-100' markings on its launch canister. The DF – or Dong Feng – prefix is generally reserved for ballistic missiles, while CJ – or Chang Jian – designates land-attack cruise missiles. 00:52 China's DF-26 ballistic missile drill sends 'clear message' to the U.S. China's DF-26 ballistic missile drill sends 'clear message' to the U.S. It appeared at the 2024 Zhuhai air show, where its specifications were made public: a range of 3,000-4,000km (1,865-2,485 miles), Mach 4 cruising speed, strong penetration capabilities, high strike accuracy and rapid reaction time. In other words, it could hit its target about 40 minutes after launch. The DF-100's maximum range enables strikes far beyond mainland China's immediate periphery, spanning both the first and second island chains. This places within reach key military headquarters and major logistics hubs in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, along with US bases in Okinawa and Guam – threatening America's primary Pacific staging area and its aircraft carriers, and potentially weakening its capacity to project power west of the second island chain. James Char, an assistant professor in the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies' China Programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, said the DF-100 'has a dual platform and can be deployed via land-based off-road launch vehicles, or from the H-6N bomber if air-based', effectively extending its strike range by 6,000km. Before the launch sequence, the video showed an urban setting, a rare departure from the remote desert locations typically used for missile tests. Retired US Army lieutenant colonel Dennis Blasko said the site resembled the PLA's 656th Brigade under Base 65, citing a US Air Force think tank report and his own review of satellite imagery that showed distinctive orange sheds and a training hangar on the outskirts of Laiwu in Shandong province. 'Looking at Google Earth imagery of the Yangfang parade training area in Beijing, I'm pretty sure we'll see the DF-100 again soon in the September parade,' said Blasko, a former US defence attaché in Beijing and Hong Kong with 23 years of service as a military intelligence officer. Yun Sun, a senior fellow and director of the China programme at the Stimson Centre, said the urban backdrop 'is evidently aimed at illustrating the flexibility and mobility of DF-100's launching capability. If it can be launched close to urban areas, it will be more difficult for adversaries to locate, identify, target and destroy it.' From the blurred footage, the DF-100 appears to have a sharp, conical warhead to aid supersonic penetration and tail fins much larger than those of similar missiles, suggesting both high speed and high manoeuvrability. It also confirmed details shown in the 2019 footage: it uses a three-stage propulsion system, with a solid rocket booster for launch, a supersonic combustion ramjet for sustained flight in near-space, and a high-altitude booster for terminal acceleration. Its aerodynamic design features elongated strake wings for stability and manoeuvrability, and a specialised warhead for evasive low-altitude strikes. Yang Zi, an associate research fellow at NTU's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the release was intended to 'project strength in a time of increasing global disorder … to showcase military prowess to adversaries'. Unlike advanced weapons, such as the Fujian aircraft carrier and the J-35 fighter, which were shown clearly, Yang said, the blurring protected sensitive data such as 'tactical plans and DF-100/CJ-100 specs'. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said the DF-100 could also target fixed targets. 'Other than slow-moving targets, it was designed to effectively strike fixed targets, particularly high-value military assets,' he said, adding that these could include 'command centres for decapitation strikes, key nodes to paralyse operations and other high-value objectives'. Song said its composite guidance system allowed it to achieve 'high precision for pinpoint operations', making it 'one of the PLA's trump-card weapons'. Play The DF-100 remains the only known land-based cruise missile to sustain full-flight supersonic speeds at Mach 4, combining inertial navigation, terrain or scene matching, and BeiDou satellite positioning to achieve 'metre-level' accuracy. Analysts also said the display suggested the rocket force remained ready despite being dogged by corruption scandals. 'The rocket force may have faced internal upheavals, but its hardware capability still makes it a formidable force,' Sun said. Advertisement
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Lockdowns and quarantines return as deadly virus spreads across China
A rampaging virus has seen thousands of people hospitalised across China, after they became seriously ill with a painful condition caused by mosquito bites. The overwhelming number of cases has prompted health authorities in parts of China to impose mass quarantines and lockdowns not seen since Covid, even though the virus is not spread by humans. The 'Chikungunya' virus spread rapidly to about 8,000 patients in just under four weeks, with most cases across China's Guangdong province to the south, with the city of Foshan hit the hardest. A mosquito having a bloody bite. But worryingly, Hong Kong's first case was confirmed Monday, and there are growing fears of a potential pandemic sweeping Asia. Infected people are already being sent to 'quarantine wards' in hospitals where they are recovering in beds covered by mosquito nets. They must remain in hospital for at least a week, unless they test negative for the virus before the seven-day quarantine ends. Chinese soldiers have been dousing public spaces with insecticide in an effort to curb any spread of the virus and authorities have begun releasing 'elephant mosquitoes' who devour the smaller, virus-carrying mosquitoes. GUANGZHOU, CHINA – JULY 30: A staff member carries out mosquito eradication work on a rooftop sewer on July 30, 2025 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China. China's Guangdong Province has launched targeted measures, including citywide cleanup efforts, to effectively curb the spread of Chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease. (Photo by Chen Chuhong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images) Thousands of fish who feast on mosquitoes have also been released into public ponds in the city of Foshan. Media reports in China say residents have been told to remove any stagnant water from garden ponds or pools, where mosquitoes breed, and people may face huge fines if they fail to comply.
Gulf Today
25-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Exposure to heat waves may be tied to depression in adolescents, researchers say
Exposure to oppressive and often life-threatening heat waves has been tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents. Chinese researchers found that young males and rural students in the East Asian country may be the most susceptible, suggesting that targeted response strategies should be implemented. "Our findings emphasize the need to develop public health strategies to protect students from the adverse effects of extreme heat," the authors wrote in a research paper recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The study's authors were able to estimate exposure to the heat waves by looking at the health data of nearly 20,000 adolescents between the ages of 10 to 18. The data was collected from a national school-based health survey conducted in 2021. Of those, more than half of the adolescents were females and the majority were junior high school students, aged around 15. Measured using a questionnaire and scale, 19.37 percent and 16.27 percent of adolescents reported depression and anxiety, respectively. The students' exposure to heat was assessed by using three heatwave metrics: excess heat, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. They found that there higher odds of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions for each unit increase in the magnitude of the heat wave. Although, when using different definitions of heat waves, the results were not as consistent. The study comes as heat waves become more frequent and intense due to the effect of human-caused climate change. The dangerous heat across the East Coast of the US this week was made between three and five times more likely because of climate change, according to the non-profit Climate Central. Heat alerts were also issued in Beijing this week, the official English-language website of China News Service reported. Research published earlier this year found that the number of people suffering mental health crisis is spiking in areas most impacted by climate change. The authors said young people in southern Madagascar reported extremely high levels of anxiety and depression. In a separate report, authors said that climate change stress is also responsible for symptoms of anxiety. The effects of heat on mental health have also been established, with hot weather disrupting hormones and sleep and resulting in changes to mood and behavior. Last summer, the American Psychological Association urged that policy and infrastructure changes been implemented to safeguard mental health from the impact of high temperatures. "The way we are headed right now, things are only going to get worse," Dr. Kim Meidenbauer, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University, told the association then. "If we don't even understand the scope of the effect heat is having on us, that bodes poorly for our ability to protect people from the negative psychological consequences." Yizhen Yu, a co-author of the new study and professor at the Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told PsyPost that their conclusions highlight the importance of recognizing the well-being of youth during extreme climate events - and the need for policymakers and others to pay attention. "Policymakers should integrate heat resilience into public health strategies - for example, by revising school safety protocols during heatwaves. Ultimately, meaningful collaboration across health, education, and environmental sectors is essential to protect and promote youth mental health in the face of climate challenges," he said. The Independent
Jordan News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
China Begins Evacuation of Its Nationals from Iran - Jordan News
China Begins Evacuation of Its Nationals from Iran The China News Service reported on Wednesday that Beijing has organized the evacuation of the first group of its nationals from Iran. The agency added that Chinese nationals left Iran by land from Tehran to Turkmenistan on Tuesday. اضافة اعلان China had urged its nationals to leave Iran as soon as possible amid escalating military confrontations between Iran and Israel. The Chinese Embassy in Tehran posted online that it has coordinated with Iranian authorities to facilitate departures and reminded Chinese nationals in Iran to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible. Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in Israel had urged its citizens to leave 'as quickly as possible' on the fourth day of the military escalation between Israel and Iran. In a statement on the WeChat app, the embassy said: "The Chinese mission in Israel urges Chinese citizens to leave the country as soon as possible through land border crossings, provided they can ensure their personal safety." It also recommended departure via Jordan. The embassy added that the conflict "is continuously escalating, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure, increasing civilian casualties, and deteriorating security conditions." Israel launched a broad campaign of attacks against Iran on Friday, primarily targeting military and nuclear sites, with the declared aim of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks on Israel.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese travel thousands of miles to flee Iran overland
By Joe Cash and Liz Lee BEIJING (Reuters) -The first Chinese evacuees from Iran have started sharing on social media their desperate efforts to reach the Islamic Republic's borders and the safety of Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the Israel-Iran air war entered a sixth day. Several thousand Chinese nationals are thought to reside in oil-rich Iran, according to state media reports, highlighting Beijing's efforts to deepen strategic and commercial ties with Iran over the past two decades. "My heart was pounding but amid the haze of war, everything became clear: I packed my bags and tried to evacuate to the embassy," wrote a Chinese travel blogger under the alias Shuishui Crusoe, a nod to Daniel Defoe's fictional castaway, Robinson Crusoe. The travel blogger had decided to leave after sitting through Israel's overnight bombings last Friday when the conflict began, even as the embassy advised her to stay put. Emboldened by news of fellow citizens who made it across to Armenia, 750 km (500 miles) from the Iranian capital Tehran, she chose the same route, arriving by bus in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday, a day before China's embassy officially urged its citizens to leave Iran. China started evacuating its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan by bus on Tuesday, a distance of 1,150 km, state-run China News Service reported Wednesday. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said Beijing had not received any reports of Chinese casualties. "Seven hundred and ninety-one Chinese nationals have already been relocated from Iran to safe areas, and over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated," he told a regular news conference. While the embassy emphasised evacuation, some other Chinese netizens still in Iran shared video compilations showing an orderly scenario of well-stocked grocery shops and fruit stalls, with only a couple of clips of large purchases of bottled water. Most Chinese in Iran are engineers who moved there to work for Chinese firms that have invested just under $5 billion in the country since 2007 - primarily in its oil sector - according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank. If the regime in Tehran is severely weakened or replaced, Beijing loses a key diplomatic foothold in a region long dominated by the U.S. but vital to President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road initiative and its aim to link the world's second-largest economy with Europe and the Gulf. China, the world's leading energy consumer, has also benefited from importing heavily discounted Iranian crude, despite Washington's sanctions aimed at curbing the trade.
