People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)

Stories

BRICS+ naval exercise exposes fault lines in non-aligned bloc

Leading Will for Peace 2026 exercise

Chinese destroyers, Russian corvettes, and Iranian warships sailed into Simon's Town on January 9 for a week-long joint exercise led by China. Russia and Iran, both heavily sanctioned and fighting active wars, sent forces, while India and Brazil stayed away despite the BRICS branding.

Updated May 19

China–Japan radar row turns East China Sea and Taiwan tensions into an open crisis

Force in Play

Conducting carrier and surface operations near Japan and Taiwan; denies Japanese radar claims

In early December 2025, China's Liaoning carrier strike group sailed through waters near Japan's southwest island chain and into the western Pacific. Over two days, between Okinawa's main island and Minamidaito and then east of Kikai Island, it conducted roughly 100 take-offs and landings of J-15 fighters and helicopters.

Updated May 10