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South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan cyberattacks ‘below average' but widespread, Beijing political advisor says
Taiwan 's collection of cyberhackers may not be sophisticated, but they are 'diligent' when it comes to executing attacks on various mainland Chinese targets, according to one of the country's top cybersecurity experts. Zhou Hongyi, chairman of cybersecurity company Qihoo 360 and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , China's top political advisory body, said in an interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV that aired on Wednesday that Taiwanese hackers operated at a 'below global-average level'. 'They take advantage of the fact that many of our organisations neglect security and fail to apply patches, so even old vulnerabilities can still work for them,' he told the media outlet during an internet security conference in Beijing. 'Their only real advantage is their diligence. They launch attacks on the mainland very frequently and target a wide range of organisations, which is why we've collected the most evidence against them,' Zhou was quoted as saying on the conference's sidelines. Zhou Hongyi, chairman of China's Qihoo 360, speaks to media in Beijing in March: Qihoo 360 was among several Chinese firms added to the US Entity List in 2020. Companies listed on the trade-restriction register have been deemed by Washington as a threat to US national security or foreign policy. Once on the list, the firms cannot receive American goods and technology without a special licence.
South China Morning Post
29-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Fan Zhendong condemns ‘battlefield' of China's toxic fan culture
Table tennis superstar Fan Zhendong has voiced a wish for the public to dampen down China's so-called toxic fan culture, saying it had caused him anxiety. Advertisement Fan spoke out in a television interview screened during the second leg of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League in Fujian, which ended on Monday with the Olympic champion having been dominant. The 28-year-old from Guangzhou said fans' actions sometimes hurt not only athletes but also teams, teammates, friends and families. 'To this day, I still can't get over it, and I still think that they shouldn't be in this place that should be pure,' Fan told Phoenix TV in a 26-minute interview that he shared on Chinese social media. 'Sport should not be reduced to a battlefield for fans. It belongs to love, passion, persistence and unity.'
The Print
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
China's information war against Rafale
The claims, however, align with a broader trend of anti-Rafale sentiment across Chinese digital platforms, where the fighter aircraft is frequently described as 'outdated, overpriced, and ill-suited' for contemporary combat, especially since Operation Sindoor. On Weibo, a Phoenix TV post suggested that Rafale's performance may force a re-evaluation of its global combat reputation. One user claimed that the jet had left many countries disillusioned with Western military technology, prompting renewed interest in Chinese options. French military intelligence recently disclosed to Associated Press that Chinese defence attachés have been attempting to undermine Rafale sales by pressuring countries like Indonesia to reconsider their procurement plans in favour of Chinese-made alternatives. The Chinese strategic community and online commentators have dismissed this as 'yet another coordinated smear campaign against the country's diplomacy'. In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Chinese disinformation has become a key instrument in shaping not only the India-Pakistan narrative but also global perceptions of the French military-industrial complex. For China, this is about more than regional rivalry; it is about asserting itself as a credible arms supplier in a market long dominated by the West. A recurring line in Chinese discourse is that 'India's Rafale cannot compete with China's J-10C.' 'After being smashed in the India-Pakistan air battle, Rafale's image crumbled, and France blamed China to save face,' read one such comment. Another argued that even the most advanced jets are ineffective without integrated combat systems—something China claims to possess while France doesn't. Rafale vs J-10CEs In China, a dominant narrative is that during the 7 May aerial clashes, India's Rafales were decisively outmatched by Pakistan's J-10CEs. The supposed shortcomings of Rafale noted by Chinese commentators include limited radar range, shorter missile reach, sluggish electronic countermeasures, and lower agility. Some Chinese commentators argued that even experienced Western pilots could not have turned the tide. Beyond combat performance, Chinese commentary portrayed Rafale as maintenance-heavy, logistically burdensome, and poorly integrated with India's mixed fleet. Li Jie, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, argued that Rafale's recent showing would likely prompt prospective buyers to reassess its value. Some Chinese critiques portray the entire French defence industry as outdated and overpriced, trailing China in areas such as engine development, nuclear capability, and aerospace technology. According to this view, France is shifting the blame for Rafale's failings onto Indian pilots in order to deflect attention from deeper design flaws. Some even claim that France may struggle to stay competitive in civil aviation within a decade. Also read: Why is South Asia strategic studies declining in US? All alignment, no depth China's opportunity In Chinese discourse, France's focus on alleged Chinese interference is being portrayed as a diversion and a sign of desperation. Commentators view this as a turning point for China's defence industry. A suspected Rafale crash in Egypt is being cited as further evidence of the aircraft's high maintenance demands. Chinese reports claim Egypt is now favouring the J-10CE for its affordability, proven combat record, and rapid delivery. Wang Mingliang, a researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences, said the engagement speed is crucial, noting that while the Pakistani Air Force takes just 12 seconds to complete its 'kill chain'—from detecting a target to engaging and neutralising it—the Indian Air Force takes 30 seconds. He also declared that Indonesia's defence ministry is reassessing its $8.1 billion Rafale deal and requesting additional technical verification from France. Also read: Iran-Israel need win-win solutions, not jingoistic brinkmanship Unfailing optimism Following the 2025 Paris Air Show, Chinese analysts are struggling to make sense of the low sales of J-35s as compared to Rafale and American F-35. A Chinese analyst lamented that despite its tarnished combat record, Rafale secured new orders, while China's advanced J-35, having impressed the crowds, failed to sell. This highlights that arms procurement depends on more than technology; political alliances, logistical support, and training ecosystems heavily influence decisions, the analyst wrote. A viral post on Weibo summed it up: 'Buying the F-35 is protection money to the US; buying Rafale joins the EU's circle of friends. China offers arms without strings but also without political protection. China's non-alignment policy limits its appeal in markets where geopolitical cover is as crucial as military hardware.' Nevertheless, the Paris disappointment is being viewed as a transitional phase—a gradual but inevitable rebalancing of the global arms trade. As China expands defence partnerships and broadens its network, it is said, these barriers will diminish. The broader opinion remains that once Chinese arms shed their geopolitical liability, their uptake will reshape the global defence market and China will emerge as the undisputed winner. Sana Hashmi is fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. She tweets @sanahashmi1. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
The Star
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Chinese reporter injured in Ukraine drone attack on Kursk
A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Kursk region on the border with Ukraine injured a war correspondent from the Chinese news outlet Phoenix TV, Russian authorities said, urging the United Nations to respond to the incident. 'A Ukrainian drone today struck the village of Korenevo in the Korenevsky district,' acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday. 'A 63-year-old correspondent, Lu Yuguang, who went to the border area on his own, was injured.' Khinshtein said in a later post that the journalist had skin cuts to his head and after treatment, refused hospitalisation. Russia's foreign ministry called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international organisations to 'promptly respond and give a proper assessment' of the incident. 'The targeted attack .... indicates the intention of the Kyiv regime to silence and de facto destroy representatives of any media that seek to convey objective information,' Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry's spokesperson, said in a Telegram post. Phoenix TV reported the incident but has not issued a separate statement. According to Russia's state and official media outlets, Lu has been reporting on the war since its early days. Russia launched the war with a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022. Lu told Russia's state news agencies that he was feeling fine. 'Western journalists are not visible at all (in Kursk),' Lu said in a video posted by TASS on social media, with his head in bandages, 'We, Chinese journalists, want to convey what happened in the Kursk region.' — Reuters
Observer
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's southeast
KYIV: A Russian missile attack on Friday killed at least five people and wounded more than 20 in the industrial city of Samar in Ukraine's southeast, officials said, the second strike on the city in three days. At least four of the wounded were in severe condition and were taken to hospital, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram messaging app. Officials gave no immediate details on damage in the city, where an attack on an unidentified infrastructure facility on Tuesday killed two people. Hundreds of kilometres to the south, in the Kherson region, authorities urged residents on Friday to prepare for extended periods without power after a Russian attack hit a key energy facility. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that "Russians decided to plunge the region into darkness". In recent weeks Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly its capital Kyiv, more than three years into the war that followed its full-scale attack. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 363 long-range drones and eight missiles overnight into Friday, targeting a small western city of Starokostiantyniv, home to an important air base. There were no details on damage. Russia's drone production jumped by 16.9% in May compared to the previous month, data from a think tank close to the government showed on Friday, after President Vladimir Putin called for output to be stepped up. Putin in April said that more than 1.5 million drones of various types had been produced last year, including about 4,000 first-person view (FPV) drones — lightweight models designed for precision targeting, but said that troops fighting on the front line in Ukraine needed more. Both sides have deployed drones on a huge scale, using them to spot and hit targets not only on the battlefield but way beyond the front lines. Drone production growth of 16.9% in May was significantly higher than previous months, according to the Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, an economic think tank close to the government. The average monthly increase in the previous five months was 3.7%, the report said and the level in May was 1.6 times higher than average monthly output in 2024. Moscow has been developing a new laser-based system to defend against drones, especially important as Ukrainian drones frequently strike sites deep inside Russia such as oil depots, refineries and airfields. A Russian attack damaged energy infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, its governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on the Telegram messaging app on Friday. He said the attack on an "important power facility" caused power cuts in some settlements in the region, which is close to front lines with Russian forces. A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Kursk region on the border with Ukraine injured a war correspondent from the Chinese news outlet Phoenix TV, Russian authorities said late on Thursday, urging the United Nations to respond to the incident. "A Ukrainian drone today struck the village of Korenevo in the Korenevsky district," acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on the Telegram messaging app. "A 63-year-old correspondent, Lu Yuguang, who went to the border area on his own, was injured." Khinshtein said in a later post that the journalist had skin cuts to his head and after treatment, refused hospitalisation. Russia's foreign ministry called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international organisations to "promptly respond and give a proper assessment" of the incident. "The targeted attack... indicates the intention of the Kyiv regime to silence and de facto destroy representatives of any media that seek to convey objective information," Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry's spokeswoman, said. — Reuters
