DefenceTalkChina’s premier said on Wednesday major powers must oppose a new Cold War, a thinly veiled reference to Washington as top Asian and US officials gathered for talks in Indonesia. Beijing has expressed concern about US-backed blocs forming on its doorstep, while facing disputes with other powers in the region over the South China Sea […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-warns-against-new-cold-war-as-big-powers-meet-in-se-asia-80077/

DefenceTalkEconomic cooperation and the disputed South China Sea will be on the agenda when Southeast Asian foreign ministers meet their Chinese, Japanese and South Korean counterparts for ASEAN-plus-three talks on Thursday. China will be represented at the talks by top diplomat Wang Yi instead of Foreign Minister Qin Gang after Qin pulled out for “health […]https://www.defencetalk.com/asean-plus-three-to-meet-on-south-china-sea-economic-ties-80055/

DefenceTalkChina and Russia need to “lead the correct direction of global governance reform”, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hailed the two countries’ partnership at a meeting with a top Russian politician in Beijing on Monday, state media reported. Beijing and Moscow have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts in recent years, with […]https://www.defencetalk.com/xi-says-russia-and-china-should-lead-global-governance-reform-80028/

DefenceTalkChina would probably gain air superiority very quickly in any attack on Taiwan, something Russia crucially failed to do in its invasion of Ukraine last year, leaked US intelligence documents show, according to media reports Saturday. The classified documents, allegedly leaked by a US national guardsman in the worst US security breach in a decade, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-would-gain-swift-air-superiority-over-taiwan-us-leaks-show-80019/

DefenceTalkChina sent warships and aircraft near Taiwan for a second day on Friday and insisted the island remains “an inseparable part of China”, after President Tsai Ing-wen angered Beijing by meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Three Chinese warships sailed in waters surrounding the self-ruled island, while a fighter jet and an anti-submarine helicopter […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-sends-warships-and-aircraft-around-taiwan-for-second-day-80015/

DefenceTalkTikTok was dealt fresh setbacks Tuesday as Australia joined a list of Western nations banning the Chinese-owned apps from government devices and Britain fined it for allowing children under 13 to use the social media platform. The popular video-sharing app has come under growing pressure in Western countries, with the United States urging TikTok to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/tiktok-hit-with-uk-fine-australia-government-ban-80006/

DefenceTalkThe Chinese military said it warned a US warship to “leave” waters in the disputed South China Sea on Thursday, claims swiftly denied as “false” by American forces. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea — a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually — despite an international […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinese-military-says-warned-us-warship-to-leave-s-china-sea-79976/

DefenceTalkFew expect Chinese President Xi Jinping’s diplomacy to yield breakthroughs on the Ukraine war. But in Washington, there are fears Beijing may succeed elsewhere — in winning credibility on the world stage. Xi pushed forward positions on Ukraine during two days of talks in Moscow, a week after China announced the restoration of ties between […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-diplomatic-offensive-lays-down-new-challenge-for-us-79957/

DefenceTalkAustralia has unveiled plans to buy up to five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China. The announcement came Monday at an event at a San Diego, California, naval base […]https://www.defencetalk.com/australia-to-buy-us-nuclear-subs-in-ambitious-new-pact-79939/

DefenceTalkA surprise deal to restore ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran will reverberate across and beyond the Middle East, analysts said Friday, touching everything from Yemen’s war to China’s regional engagement. The agreement calls for the long-time rivals “to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months”. It ends the rupture that […]https://www.defencetalk.com/made-in-china-saudi-iran-deal-goes-beyond-middle-east-say-analysts-79929/