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American Military News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Taiwan holds annual live-fire, air raid drills that simulate Chinese attack
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. Air-raid sirens blared in Taipei and other cities in northern Taiwan on Thursday, part of annual drills testing the country's response to a potential invasion by China. Police stopped personal vehicles and public buses and directed pedestrians into shelters, such as basements and subway stations. Some shops and restaurants pulled down shutters and turned off lights, moves aimed to reduce their visibility during a potential nighttime attack. The drills also involved simulating wartime aid distribution and a mass-casualty event. Earlier this week, Taiwanese forces held their largest-ever military drills, which included simulating a response to an amphibious invasion of the Penghu Islands. Troops fired Javelin missiles, machine guns and tank rounds at maritime targets. Taiwanese forces also conducted maritime drills around the Matsu Islands involving speed boats, drones and mortars. Soldiers fired from rubber speed boats and positions on shore, responding to a simulated 'grey zone harassment' of the islands by Chinese Coast Guard and fishing vessels. In an early morning drill, Taiwan's military police used Taipei's subway system as it simulated the redeployment of troops and supplies. Taiwan's military also practiced securing and defending a major bridge in Taipei. This time they were firing blanks. Taiwanese military officials said the Han Kuang drills replicate full combat conditions, including simulated enemy attacks on communications and command systems and a full-blown invasion scenario.
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Chinese Ships Put On Show of Force in Neighbor's Economic Waters
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. A Chinese coast guard and paramilitary ship are nearing two weeks of patrols in the energy-rich waters of Malaysia's exclusive economic zone. Chinese government or state-sponsored vessels were observed in the area on 359 days last year, a slight uptick from 2023, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. Why It Matters China claims most of the South China Sea, citing historical rights—despite an international tribunal's 2016 decision rejecting the country's sweeping claims. These claims overlap with competing claims by several neighboring countries. The encroachment has been met with a more muted response from Kuala Lumpur compared with U.S. ally the Philippines. Yet Beijing's challenge could set the stage for increased tensions as Malaysia expands its oil and gas exploration and development. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassy in Malaysia and the Malaysian foreign ministry via emailed requests for comment outside of office hours. What To Know Chinese coast guard vessel 5403 and a maritime militia vessel Yue Hui Wan Yu 22888 on Tuesday remained around 100 miles off the coast of Sarawak state in Malaysian Borneo after first being observed on July 10, according to ship-tracking data shared with Newsweek by maritime analyst Ray Powell. This is well within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone, within which Malaysia alone is entitled to natural resources under maritime law. Powell described the patrols as "intrusive" and intended to normalize China's sovereignty claims in its neighbor's maritime zone. A Chinese Coast Guard ship is seen near the Philippine-occupied island of Thitu in the disputed South China Sea on June 3, 2025. A Chinese Coast Guard ship is seen near the Philippine-occupied island of Thitu in the disputed South China Sea on June 3, 2025. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images One of three gas fields that began production last year, state-owned operator Petronas started producing gas at Kasawari in August 2024, with an initial flow rate of 200 million standard cubic feet per day. The field is estimated to hold about 10 trillion cubic feet of gas. In a diplomatic note from China's foreign ministry to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing—leaked to The Philippine Daily Inquirer—China reiterated its "firm opposition" to Malaysia's exploration and development activities, calling them an infringement on China's sovereignty. The leak prompted a rare public statement on the issue from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who played down the impact of the controversy on bilateral relations while pledging to continue the projects. What People Have Said Ray Powell, the director of the Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group SeaLight, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "People's Republic of China maritime militia ships 'act as frontline enforcers of China's maritime claims and work in close coordination with the China Coast Guard'—as with Yue Hui Wan Yu 22888 clearly coordinating with China Coast Guard 5403 on this patrol." Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in September after China's objections over the gas exploration: "We will continue, but we will not close the door on discussions with any country. "We have issues but these issues do not affect diplomatic relations. These issues do not affect trade relations and close friendships with our neighbors." What's Next Production from Kasawari and the other new offshore fields is expected to deliver a significant boost to both Malaysia's domestic energy supply and exports. The Center for Strategic and International Studies has cautioned, however, that Malaysia's increased activity could prompt more assertive behavior from China. "With Malaysia's expanding drilling and a potential reduction in China-Philippine tensions, Beijing could ratchet up the pressure on Malaysian hydrocarbon production," CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative wrote in a report late last year.
Nikkei Asia
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
China's war of ideas in the South China Sea
A Chinese Coast Guard ship, left, used a water cannon and sideswiped a Philippine fisheries vessel on a research mission near one of three sandbars called Sandy Cay in the disputed South China Sea on May 21, 2025. © AP James Borton is a non-resident senior fellow at Johns Hopkins Strategic Advanced International Studies Foreign Policy Institute and the author of "Harvesting the Waves: How Blue Parks Shape Policy, Politics, and Peacebuilding in the South China Sea." Sherry Chen is presently pursuing a dual degree between Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, and she is a research associate at the South China Sea NewsWire. While naval patrols and island-building dominate headlines about the South China Sea, China is waging another, quieter campaign -- one that unfolds not at sea, but in seminar rooms, policy briefings and academic dialogues. At the forefront of this campaign are state-aligned Chinese think tanks that are steadily shaping the narrative surrounding Beijing's maritime ambitions.
Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘Greatest strategic challenge': Japan reiterates China threat in annual defence review
A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flying close to a Japan Air Self-Defence Force YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the high seas in the East China Sea, on July 9. – China's repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial airspace and waters, coupled with a series of dangerous manoeuvres, mark a relentless campaign to change the status quo by force, Tokyo asserted in its annual defence review released on July 15. Such actions mean China poses 'an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge' to Japan's security – a descriptor that was first adopted in 2022 in revised National Security Strategy documents. This demands a response rooted in 'comprehensive national power', the Defence Ministry said in its white paper, which has been chronicling security developments yearly since 1976. The release of the 538-page document comes days after cannon-equipped Chinese Coast Guard ships again entered Japanese waters near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islets on July 9. That same day, a Chinese JH-7 fighter bomber flew within 30m – roughly the length of a basketball court – of a YS-11 Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea. The following day, a JH-7 bomber again came close to a YS-11 plane, this time within 60m. Japan's defence ministry released photographs that show that the JH-7 might have been equipped with air-to-air missiles, and stressed that such 'abnormal' encounters carry a significant risk of accidental aerial collisions. Beijing retorted that its actions were legitimate and, instead, criticised Japan for entering China's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). China had unilaterally declared an ADIZ in 2013 that encompasses overlapping areas with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms, 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Air India crash: SIA, Scoot find no issues with Boeing 787 fuel switches after precautionary checks Opinion What we can do to fight the insidious threat of 'zombie vapes' Singapore $230,000 in fines issued after MOM checks safety at over 500 workplaces from April to June Business 'Some cannot source outside China': S'pore firms' challenges and support needed amid US tariffs Opinion Sumiko at 61: Everything goes south when you age, changing your face from a triangle to a rectangle Multimedia From local to global: What made top news in Singapore over the last 180 years? Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years These incidents come just a month after China's unprecedented simultaneous deployment of two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific, accompanied by Chinese J-15 fighter jets' 'unusually close' encounters with Japanese P-3C patrol planes. While the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) are called upon as Japan's first responders to external threats, the extent of their capabilities is constrained by demographic pressures. The trend of declining births , which is only picking up speed with fewer than 700,000 babies born in 2024 for the first time on record, has contributed to a chronic shortage of boots on the ground. 'Each and every SDF personnel constitutes the greatest pillar of our defence capability,' Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani wrote in the white paper's foreword. 'Stably securing personnel is an utmost priority, and it is essential to establish arrangements so that they can dedicate themselves with pride, honour and a strong sense of mission to national defence, a duty critically important to the nation.' Yet recruitment has consistently fallen short of targets in a nation that, unlike regional territories like Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, does not have mandatory conscription. This means there is no large reserve force to tap on, while any attempt to mandate conscription – like in Cambodia, which said on July 14 it would do so from 2026 – is constitutionally difficult. This is despite recent measures to raise the recruitment age ceiling from 27 years to 32 years old, and loosen rules on haircuts and tattoos. But the SDF enlisted fewer than 10,000 new recruits each in 2023 and 2024, with the total number of personnel now at 90 per cent of the intended 247,154 people. The shortfall between the targeted strength and actual headcount is only widening, exacerbated by a cut-throat battle for manpower with the private sector that promises far better wages. It is not for the lack of trying. The Defence Ministry has an ongoing recruitment blitz with direct outreach to universities and, controversially, targeted advertising at poor families. It has put up recruitment banners outside train stations and city halls, and produced snazzy advertisements on social media. 'In order to fundamentally strengthen defence capabilities in response to the most severe security environment since World War II, it is urgent and essential to secure the necessary personnel, lest the situation worsens,' the white paper said. A senior defence ministry official told ST on condition of anonymity that the recruitment challenge is typically 'impacted by a better economy'. This is not unique to the SDF and is also felt in 'other uniformed public sectors such as the police and fire departments'. Tokyo has historically struggled to raise wages for its public service, even as it has exhorted the private sector to do so. In 2025, private sector wages increased by an average 5.25 per cent – the biggest pay hike in 34 years – although salaries have still failed to keep pace with inflation. For the first time, the SDF is targeting millennials and Gen Z. The manga-style cover art of the defence white paper was done by 29-year-old digital illustrator Honoka Yoshifuku, featuring three SDF personnel from the three branches of Air, Ground and Maritime, including a female pilot. This artistic choice is noteworthy, as Tokyo uses the cover design of the white paper to reflect the mood of a particular period. Japan's Defence White Paper 2025 features manga-style illustrations of three Self-Defence Forces personnel from the Air, Ground and Maritime branches. PHOTO: JAPAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE In 2024, the cover featured a sword being forged on an anvil to mark the SDF's 70th anniversary and to symbolise deterrence in how Japan has been 'working very hard to forge its 'sword' to avoid having to draw it'. Previous covers have included one generated by artificial intelligence to symbolise nascent threats, and another, rendered in sumi-e (ink wash painting) to reflect bushido, or the righteous samurai way. For 2025, the Defence Ministry devoted a new section of the report to highlight better perks. Wages are being bumped up with the 'unprecedented introduction and raising of more than 30 allowances'. Starting salaries for enlistees will also be raised to 198,800 yen (S$1,725) per month, from 157,000 yen per month. Living conditions are being improved with private sleeping quarters, 'stylish' furniture in shared spaces, better showers and toilets, and even internet connectivity on the high seas. The document further humanises active service personnel through first-person anecdotes like that of Air Self-Defence Force staff sergeant Tomohiro Miyazaki, who admitted to 'experiencing first-hand the nerves from using real ammunition' during a joint live-fire training exercise with the United States. Maritime Self-Defence Force lieutenant (junior grade) Yukiko Nojima said she was able to 'spend time in a well-balanced way' even when out at sea, with satellite communications allowing crew to keep in touch with their families on social media and even watch videos on YouTube. But would all these perks be enough to reverse the yawning recruitment shortfall? Professor Heng Yee Kuang of University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy told The Straits Times: 'The SDF has difficult recruiting because the job is perceived as 'three Ks': kitsui (demanding/hard), kitanai (dirty), kibishii (strict/harsh).' Despite attempts to rehabilitate the SDF's image, perceptions of a volatile security environment amid wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and potential conflict over Taiwan 'may unfortunately entrench negative perceptions that life in the SDF only means the 'three Ks'', he said. 'The operational military environment is becoming harsher with ever more risky intercepts of Japanese surveillance aircraft by Chinese warplanes and more frequent lengthier intrusions by Chinese vessels into Japanese waters,' Prof Heng added. The silver lining, defence officials said, was that technological innovation is one way the SDF can compensate for the widening manpower shortfall. 'One way is to use unmanned technology as far as possible,' the defence ministry official told ST, when asked if the chronic shortage of personnel would hurt Japan's ability to defend itself in case of an imminent war. 'We must urgently promote research and development of artificial intelligence, drones and other technologies such that we can continue our activities even if there is a lack of personnel.'
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Taiwan takes cue from Ukraine's fight against Russia to prepare for potential Chinese invasion
The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese ships around offshore island groups close to the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry said read more Earlier this week, Taiwan launched its annual 10-day-long military exercise as China expands its belligerent moves against the island nation, which it considers its own. The drills are intended to guard against Beijing's expansionist behaviour. This year's 10-day live-fire Han Kuang drills are the longest yet and follow the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to waterborne drones. The drills in Taiwan come as regional tensions and harassment by China and its People's Liberation Army (PLA) are increasing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese ships around offshore island groups close to the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry said. Concerns are that China could launch an invasion under the guise of petty harassment, and the drills will include fortifying ports and possible Chinese landing points on an island lying 160 kilometres (100 miles) off the Chinese coast. Lessons from Ukraine As Taiwan conducts its longest-ever drills, its actions come as Taipei learns its lessons from Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for more than three years. Taiwan is systematically incorporating key lessons from Ukraine's defence, such as decentralised command, civil preparedness, and countering hybrid warfare, into its largest-ever military drills. The country's military leadership openly acknowledges that the Han Kuang drills are shaped by lessons from Ukraine's resistance to Russia, focusing on realistic combat scenarios and the vulnerabilities exposed in that conflict. How are the drills inspired by Ukraine? The drills prioritise decentralising command structures and protecting communications infrastructure, reflecting how Ukraine maintained operational effectiveness under cyberattacks and missile strikes. Taiwan is enhancing air-raid shelters, issuing new civil defence guidance, and running public air defence exercises, steps modelled after Ukraine's approach to protecting civilians during large-scale attacks. Countering 'grey zone' tactics is being seen as an important part of modern warfare. Taiwan's exercises have begun with countermeasures against Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia harassment, mirroring the hybrid warfare and ambiguous aggression seen in Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Taiwan has deployed US-supplied Abrams tanks and HIMARS rocket systems, both used by Ukraine. An innovation from observation experience During the drills, Taiwan will recreate invasion scenarios through live simulations. It includes round-the-clock, live-fire operations, anti-landing exercises, and the mobilisation of 22,000 reservists, the largest number to date, to test readiness for a full-scale invasion. The country is also preparing its citizens for a possible war scenario. It's devising public messaging systems and fighting misinformation. Authorities are warning citizens about potential disruptions and urging vigilance against disinformation, a challenge Ukraine has faced throughout the conflict. There could be more behind the ongoing Taiwan exercise. It could also be aimed at strategic signalling. By making the drills more rigorous and public, Taiwan looks to aim at deterring China by demonstrating that it is an unpredictable adversary, just as Ukraine has proven to be for Russia. With inputs from agencies
