China conducted a ballistic missile test in the South Pacific nuclear-free zone, coinciding with Fiji joining Australia's treaty allies. The test, using a new JL-3 SLBM, is seen as a provocation and demonstrates China's increasing willingness to use military force for coercion in the Indo-Pacific.
Three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships were spotted transiting the Tsushima Strait en route to the East China Sea last week, as Tokyo closely tracks such passages amid heightened regional tensions. The vessels were two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers and a Type 052D destroyer, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defence and Self-Defence Forces on Saturday. The ministry said the Japanese force’s JS Ootaka conducted “alert surveillance and intelligence gathering” on the Chinese...
A Chinese naval video titled Into The Deep, released to mark the 77th anniversary of the PLA Navy, has fueled speculation that China's next aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered. The film featured officers named after China's three existing carriers – Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian – but a fourth character, 19-year-old recruit He Jian, prompted analyst speculation. The name He Jian combines characters sounding like 'nuclear' and 'ship', while the carrier is expected to have hull number 19.
