People’s Liberation Army

CB120513: Critical Node: Taiwan’s Cyber Defense and Chinese Cyber-Espionage

Cyberspace is emerging as a contentious frontier in cross-Strait relations. Overt military tension in the Taiwan Strait has ostensibly given way to a cold war in the cyber-domain. A surge in China-sponsored cyber intrusions was highlighted recently by Taiwan’s intelligence chief, Tsai Der-sheng. In remarks made during a public hearing held in late March at […]

Read more "CB120513: Critical Node: Taiwan’s Cyber Defense and Chinese Cyber-Espionage"

CB 033012: Taiwan Navy Sailing Ahead with Indigenous Submarine Program

The Republic of China (ROC) Navy appears to be moving forward with a long awaited program to build diesel submarines in Taiwan. A domestic submarine program—which was aborted under former President Chen Shui-bian’s administration—reportedly has been resuscitated in President Ma Ying-jeou’s second term. While talk of an indigenous submarine program is nothing new, interest in […]

Read more "CB 033012: Taiwan Navy Sailing Ahead with Indigenous Submarine Program"

CB 092410: Advances in China’s UCAV Program

The acquisition of advanced foreign technologies coupled with sustained high rates of investment in its defense industries has helped accelerate the pace and scope of China’s military modernization in recent years. One military platform that apparently benefited from this substantial investment, which has the potential to alter the future battlefield, is China’s unmanned combat aerial […]

Read more "CB 092410: Advances in China’s UCAV Program"

CB 032511: Taiwan’s Intelligence Chief Warns about the PLA’s Growing Strategic Weapon Systems

The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) arsenal of strategic weapons systems is growing in spite of the cross-Strait détente. According to Tsai Der-Sheng, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) director-general, China has deployed a ‘new’ type of missile that will increase the PLA’s capability in terms of range and accuracy to attack hardened targets like airfields and command […]

Read more "CB 032511: Taiwan’s Intelligence Chief Warns about the PLA’s Growing Strategic Weapon Systems"

CB 102210: China’s New Submarines and Deployment Patterns: Aimed at South China Sea?

Images and media reports about new types of submarines appearing in recent months have generated a lot of interest in China’s evolving submarine force. While the magnitude of such developments remains to be seen, since much depends on the submarines’ tested capabilities, these rare glimpses provide important clues about the development of China’s subsurface force […]

Read more "CB 102210: China’s New Submarines and Deployment Patterns: Aimed at South China Sea?"

CB 111909: China’s Fifth-Generation Fighters and the Changing Strategic Balance

On November 9, General He Weirong, deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), confirmed long-standing speculations that the PLAAF is developing fifth-generation fighters (fourth-generation in Chinese standard), which may be in service within 8 to 10 years, and certainly by 2020. During an interview with state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) two days […]

Read more "CB 111909: China’s Fifth-Generation Fighters and the Changing Strategic Balance"