Storyline
China's Military Modernization and Indo-Pacific Strategy
China is advancing its military capabilities through submarine development, commercial space expansion, and weapons testing against US platforms, while the US and allies are strengthening multinational maritime operations through exercises like RIMPAC to counter Chinese naval power in the Indo-Pacific. These developments reflect an escalating strategic competition between China and US-led coalition forces in the region.
This is a long-running storyline that has developed over 9 days. The homepage highlights its most recent activity, so the outlet count there reflects the latest wave. The totals above cover the full run.
ChinaUnited StatesIndo-Pacific RegionRIMPACChinese Navy
2026-08-02
- Chinese rocket scientists find ‘most effective’ way to nuke a doomsday asteroid
- Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’
- Lurkers in the deep: How Canada's new submarines will be used in peace and potential war
- Will Philippine Sea be the main battlefield for PLA carriers in a Taiwan war?
2026-08-01
- China holds military drills near disputed shoal in the South China Sea
- China holds military drills near disputed shoal in the South China Sea
- China holds military drills near disputed shoal in the South China Sea
- Why China’s JL-3 made waves with first submarine-based missile test in over 40 years
- PLA stages South China Sea drills days after ‘illegal’ Philippine territorial bid
2026-07-31
- A Japanese destroyer fired its new Tomahawk missiles for the first time
- China signals buildout of nuclear missile silos for ‘strategic trump cards’
- Chinese data challenges US-Iran war claims; bamboo vs desertification: SCMP’s 7 highlights
- What China’s hypersonic anti-ship missile fired from a smaller destroyer signals
2026-07-30
- The US is building 15 cargo ships, China is making 4,000 — blame a century-old law
- Could US subterranean warfare be a future threat to China’s military defences?
- New images point to fifth prototype for China’s J-36 fighter jet in air power race with US
- China’s Launch of Advanced Hypersonic Missile Hints at Wider Use
2026-07-29
- US-China space race intensifies
- California underwater drone sneaks up on Chinese ‘ghost ship’ off ally’s coast in bombshell video
- Can the US fend off China’s subsea drones? Its coastguard looks for answers
- Chinese satellite imagery analysis challenges US-Iran war claims
- China’s Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan in final tests with drone catapult
- China puts the ‘squeeze’ on Taiwan with new maritime patrols
- China’s commercial space boom poses strategic challenge for the US