DefenceTalkThe US and Chinese defence ministers will hold their first face-to-face talks in Singapore Friday, Chinese state media said, as the superpowers lock horns over security disputes ranging from Taiwan to contested waters. The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated due to myriad issues in recent years. As well as Taiwan and the South […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-us-defence-ministers-to-hold-talks-in-singapore-78945/

DefenceTalkChancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday announced a major shift in Germany’s foreign and defence policy, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forces Europe’s biggest economy to ditch decades of reluctance in raising its military profile. Haunted by its post-war guilt, Germany has always treaded lightly and quietly on the world stage when it comes to conflicts. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/a-new-era-germany-rewrites-its-defence-foreign-policies-78136/

DefenceTalkBritish military equipment maker BAE Systems on Thursday said annual net profit jumped over a third following asset disposals, while its shares were a rare riser after Russia attacked Ukraine. Net profit jumped 35 percent to pound1.76 billion ($2.36 billion) last year, compared with 2020, BAE said in an earnings statement. BAE profited also from […]https://www.defencetalk.com/defence-giant-bae-systems-grows-profits-shares-rise-78058/

DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has walked back on a decision to end a key military deal with the United States, his defence secretary said Friday during a visit by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. Duterte told the United States in February last year he planned to axe the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after Washington cancelled the […]

DefenceTalkBritain is “closely monitoring” the takeover of UK defence technology firm Ultra Electronics by US-owned Cobham amid security concerns, the government said Tuesday. Ultra last week agreed to a pound2.6-billion ($3.6-billion, 3.0-billion-euro) takeover from Cobham, the former London-listed defence giant now owned by Advent. US private equity group Advent has pledged to protect sensitive government […]

DefenceTalkThe UK government was preparing to unveil its much-anticipated military modernization plans on Monday, vowing to bolster its defence of British interests “across multiple domains and in all corners of the globe”. The long-awaited proposals, detailed in a report entitled “Defence in a Competitive Age”, focus heavily on boosting the country’s navy and global footprint, […]

DefenceTalkChina’s foreign ministry said on Thursday it would not make concessions to the US on key issues including Xinjiang and Hong Kong, ahead of high-level meetings between the two countries’ diplomats in Alaska. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan are set for talks with senior Chinese official Yang […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkNuclear-armed North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un vowed to strengthen its military capabilities at a key ruling party meeting, state media reported Thursday, just weeks before Joe Biden’s inauguration as US president. In his work report to the Workers’ Party congress Kim pledged to place “the state defence capabilities on a much higher level, and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-pledges-to-strengthen-defence-capabilities-kcna-76635/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkChina’s top diplomat on Monday called for the resumption of talks with the incoming US administration of president-elect Joe Biden, as relations between the world’s two largest economies continued to nosedive. Beijing and Washington have locked horns over issues from trade and China’s human rights record to its expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-calls-for-new-talks-with-us-after-biden-win-76587/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe NATO Western military alliance on Tuesday approved a new defence plan for Poland and the Baltic states after the allies reached a compromise with Turkey which had been vetoing it, officials said. The deal marked a breakthrough after months of talks over Turkey’s demand to receive more support in its fight against a Kurdish […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-lifts-veto-on-nato-defence-plan-for-poland-baltics-75788/