As of late January 2026, the Chinese military (primarily the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA) is engaged in routine but intensive activities focused on training, modernization, and maintaining pressure in key hotspots like the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent and prominent developments based on open sources:
Ongoing Annual Training Cycle
The PLA kicked off its 2026 annual training season in early January, with large-scale, combat-oriented drills across all branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and Armed Police). These emphasize:
- Joint operations
- Real-combat scenarios
- Use of advanced systems like J-20 stealth fighters, DF-17 hypersonic missiles, Type 055 destroyers, unmanned systems (drones, robotic dogs), and live-fire exercises
This is standard start-of-year activity but conducted with high intensity to build readiness.
Routine training continues, including:
- Submarine operations
- Naval aviation arrested landings
- Jet trainer flights
- Peacekeeping force inspections (e.g., in Lebanon)
Activities Around Taiwan
The PLA maintains persistent military pressure through near-daily incursions and patrols:
- Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense regularly reports PLA aircraft (typically 2–4 sorties per day recently) and PLAN vessels (around 5) operating around the island, plus occasional balloons.
- A notable escalation occurred in mid-January: A PLA WZ-7 surveillance drone flew through Taiwanese airspace over Pratas (Dongsha) Island — possibly the first confirmed violation of Taiwan’s territorial airspace in decades. China described it as “normal training” near “China’s Dongsha Island.”
- Late 2025 saw major exercises like Justice Mission-2025, which rehearsed blockades, live-fire strikes, and port seizures around Taiwan. While no equivalent large-scale drill has been reported in January 2026 yet, the pattern of “joint combat readiness patrols” continues as a new normal.
Taiwan has responded with its own drills, including spring exercises simulating defense against sea assaults using missiles, drones, and patrol boats.
South China Sea and Broader Naval Activity
- PLA Navy ships have been active, including transits through the First Island Chain (pushing into the Western Pacific).
- Recent operations included a joint rescue of a capsized foreign cargo ship near Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal).
- Troops on South China Sea islands (e.g., Nansha) conducted multi-domain combat drills.
- There’s ongoing use of maritime militia (fishing vessels in coordinated formations) to assert presence in contested waters like the East China Sea.
Internal Developments and Purges
A major story dominating coverage is Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the military:
- Gen. Zhang Youxia (vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and once seen as close to Xi) is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law” — potentially including corruption or even leaking nuclear secrets.
- This is part of a broader purge (multiple generals and officials removed in recent years), which analysts say consolidates Xi’s control but creates some turmoil in leadership.
- Official Chinese sources insist the PLA grows stronger through these efforts, with no major impact on readiness reported.
Other diplomatic/military notes include:
- Defense minister video talks with Russia
- PLA aerobatic team (J-10 jets) participating in the Singapore Airshow
Overall, there’s no indication of imminent large-scale conflict or unusual mobilization beyond the norm. The PLA is in a phase of sustained high readiness, modernization pushes, and gray-zone pressure (especially toward Taiwan), while dealing with internal purges. Activities are consistent with long-term goals of becoming a “world-class” military by mid-century.