Latest news with #Shijiazhuang
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
China adds aerial refuelling to pilot training in move to boost combat readiness
China's air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People's Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities. Advertisement The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker. The J-10 – seen as China's answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India's military near the disputed Kashmir region last month. The YU-20 tanker can offload up to 100 tonnes of fuel in a single sortie. Photo: Xinhua According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot's training. 'Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,' Song said. 'Now it's moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.' Advertisement He said the programme would help pilots to develop 'a long-range operational mindset early in their careers'. 'It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military's ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.'
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese biotech's mega drug-licensing deals with multinationals surge on cost savings
A potential multibillion-dollar deal unveiled on Friday by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group is the latest in a growing number of agreements by Chinese biotechnology firms to license development rights for innovative medicines to global pharmaceutical firms, according to lawyers advising the companies. Advertisement Many of these deals use a so-called newco structure, which combines traditional intellectual property licensing with fundraising via a newly established corporate vehicle, said the Shanghai-based partners of San Francisco-based international law firm Morrison Foerster. 'Last year we saw at least seven newco deals,' managing partner Sun Chuan said. 'So far this year we have already identified five deals, and more are under discussion.' The broader trend of Chinese biotech firms licensing their intellectual property – as an alternative to raising funds by selling shares amid depressed valuations – was also continuing, with both the number of deals so far this year and their value exceeding the same period a year earlier, he said. On CSPC, based in Shijiazhuang in northern China's Hebei province, said it was in talks with unnamed parties on licensing development and marketing rights for its drug candidates including a targeted cancer therapy. Advertisement Potential payments to CSPC on each candidate could add up to US$5 billion, the company said. CSPC shares surged as much as 12.3 per cent on Friday.
