Inside the Ring
China imposes 40-day airspace restriction near coast
The Chinese government recently announced an unusual 40-day air exclusion zone off the coast of Shanghai without explanation.
Chinese weapons failures prompt military, researcher purges
High-profile failures of Chinese weapons and military equipment in Iran and elsewhere have resulted in the disappearance -- and likely purge -- of several key military developers.
U.S. set to resume underground nuclear tests
The U.S. is preparing to resume underground nuclear tests in response to significant covert Chinese and Russian nuclear testing, a senior State Department official disclosed this week.
Threat report reveals China’s plan to annex Taiwan
China's communist government is continuing to work toward the annexation of Taiwan and hopes to complete unification with the self-ruled island democracy without resorting to force, according to the U.S. intelligence community's annual threat assessment.
Vulnerabilities revealed in China’s nuclear warhead storage, transportation system
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force stores and maintains a rapidly expanding arsenal of nuclear warheads for missiles at mountain facilities in China that are vulnerable to strikes or disruption by the U.S. military, according to a report by a military think tank.
China military rapidly expands undersea warfare power
China's military is expanding its forces with new submarines and drone weapons that threaten America's undersea advantage, senior Navy officers disclosed this week.
Hidden Chinese tests bolster ‘nuclear warfighting’
China detonated a secret underground nuclear blast in 2020 that was detected by a seismic station in Kazakhstan and was aimed at improving Beijing's nuclear war fighting, according to a senior State Department arms control official.
Navy drone warship, undersea robot weapon unveiled
U.S. Navy efforts to deploy large numbers of drone weapons advanced this week with the disclosure of a coming autonomous warship and a new undersea drone.
High-level PLA general purged for opposing Xi, official military newspaper of China says
China's official military newspaper disclosed new details on the ouster of the most senior general in the People's Liberation Army, attributing his exit to differences with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China targeting three U.S. ‘centers of gravity’
The military has identified three "centers of gravity" under attack by the Chinese Communist Party with the goal of weakening and defeating the U.S., Inside the Ring has learned.
Navy spy ship, destroyer in Taiwan Strait for drone ops
The Navy deployed an oceanographic survey ship, along with a guided missile destroyer, that sailed through the Taiwan Strait last week gathering key data for future underwater drone operations.
Congress requires Pentagon report on Chinese spying from Cuba
The Pentagon must in coming months provide to Congress a report on China's signals intelligence, or SIGINT, collection capabilities in Cuba, along with what is left of Russian technical spying activities on the communist-ruled island.
China, Russia air defenses faulted in Venezuela
Among the major military failures exposed during the U.S. raid against Venezuela was the inability of a high-technology Chinese radar system to operate.
PLA: War games practice for a Taiwan takeover
China's People's Liberation Army finished its latest round of saber-rattling military exercises near Taiwan on Wednesday, prompting statements of concern from Japan and Australia.
Congress mandates major upgrade to Taiwan defense
Increased U.S. military and political support for Taiwan is now codified in law through several provisions of a defense policy bill signed into law last week.
Energy Department aided China’s nuclear weapons development, congressional panel report shows
The Chinese Communist Party exploited Energy Department programs to gain access to taxpayer-funded research that has fueled the Chinese military, including its nuclear weapons, according to an investigation by a congressional committee.
Trump ends controls on Nvidia chips that DOJ says will boost China’s military
President Trump this week allowed Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 microchips to China -- a decision that came the same day his Justice Department announced arrests in connection with a criminal ring smuggling the same chips to China, where the Chinese military was to use the high-end contraband.
China threat to U.S. electric grid increases
China's government has penetrated networks used to control the U.S. electric grid and could use the covert access to shut down the flow of electricity to Americans in a crisis or conflict, grid experts warned Congress this week.
China lashes out at Times columnist over Taiwan
Washington Times columnist Miles Yu, one of the nation's leading China experts, incurred the wrath of the Chinese Communist Party recently, highlighting the global reach of his reports.
China ready for undersea cable attacks, congressional report warns
The Chinese government is developing capabilities for cutting undersea communications cables as part of its large-scale military buildup and preparation for war, according to a congressional report.
