CMG: Top 10 military news stories from China and the world in 2024

China Media Group (CMG) on Saturday released the top 10 military news stories from China and the world in 2024. Here is the roundup:

Top 10 China military news:

1. Third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee stresses deepening national defense, military reform

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its third plenary session from July 15 to 18 with a communique issued.

On national defense, the communique urged maintaining the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces and fully implementing the strategy of strengthening the military through reform to provide a strong guarantee for realizing the goals for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army in 2027 and achieving basic modernization of national defense and the armed forces.

2. Xi stresses enhancing political loyalty in the military

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the armed forces' political loyalty as a crucial meeting on the political work in the military was held in Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), demanded efforts to ensure a solid political guarantee for building a strong military as he addressed the CMC Political Work Conference, held from June 17 to 19.

Xi highlighted key work to enhance political loyalty in the military, urging efforts to arm the military with the Party's new theories and improve the leadership of Party organizations, as well as their capabilities of organization and implementation.

3. Book of Xi's discourses on law-based governance of military published

A compilation of discourses by Xi on governing the military in accordance with the law was published.

The discourses were excerpted from speeches and written works by Xi between November 2012 and June 2024.

The CMC urged military officers and soldiers at all levels to thoroughly study the book and especially required senior officers to play an exemplary role in respecting, learning about, observing and applying laws.

4. PLA sets up information support force

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) set up an information support force on April 19.

Speaking at the establishment ceremony, Xi stressed solid efforts to build a strong and modernized information support force.

Xi stressed that the information support force is a new, strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system. It will play a crucial role in advancing the Chinese military's high-quality development and competitiveness in modern warfare, he added.

5. PLA launches intercontinental ballistic missile in Pacific Ocean

The Chinese PLA Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the high seas in the Pacific Ocean on September 25.

The missile fell into expected sea areas, said the Ministry of National Defense, adding that this was a routine arrangement in the annual training plan and relevant countries had been notified in advance.

6. PLA conducts joint military drills surrounding Taiwan island

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA has organized its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct "Joint Sword-2024A" and "Joint Sword-2024B" drills in the Taiwan Straits and the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan.

The drills involve vessels and planes closing in on the island from multiple directions and assaults by joint forces.

The drills are a powerful deterrent to the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" elements and are legitimate and necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and national unity, said Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command.

7. China releases baselines of territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao

The Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, which is a natural step to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on November 10.

The ministry said that Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory. In accordance with international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao.

The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command on November 28 conducted combat readiness patrols in the surrounding areas and the airspace over the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao.

8. China makes leap-forward progress in building aircraft carriers

In 2024, all three aircraft carriers of the Chinese PLA Navy – Shandong, Liaoning and Fujian – made tremendous achievements.

Since entering active service, the Shandong has been rapidly integrated into joint operations and long-range maritime combat systems, with the carrier strike group's operational capabilities steadily advancing.

In October 2024, the formations of aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong carried out a dual-carrier formation exercise for the first time in the South China Sea. During the drill, J-15 fighters flew in a wedge formation over the two-carrier groups.

The Fujian completed its first sea trials in May 2024, with further trials planned as construction continues.

9. China issues regulations for settlement of veterans

China's State Council and the Central Military Commission issued a set of regulations for the settlement of veterans, aiming to better protect their rights and interests.

The document, which took effect on September 1, outlines the settlement procedure for veterans and clarifies that the location for veterans' settlement should be determined according to their needs for work and the locations of their families, with their contributions during their period of military service taken into consideration.

10. New arms, equipment make debut at Airshow China

The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, was held in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17.

Some star products at the event this year include the J-35A stealth fighter jet, the J-15T fighter jet and the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile weapon system. The cargo hold of the Y-20 aircraft and the Chang'e-6 mission lunar samples, collected from the far side of the moon, were displayed to the public.

Top 10 world military news:

1. New round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues with more parties involved

In 2024, the Middle East once again finds itself at the epicenter of global turbulence. Escalating tensions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Sudan, coupled with the ongoing Red Sea crisis, have severely impacted regional and global security. These challenges have also heightened the desire for peace among the people of the region.

2. Russia-Ukraine conflict drags on with increasing tensions

On August 6, 2024, Ukraine launched an attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast. In November, the U.S., the UK and France authorized Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Russia then updated the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence, lowered the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, and used the Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile to strike targets in Ukraine.

Read more:

Expert: Russia-Ukraine conflict edges closer to a nuclear stage

3. NATO holds largest military drills in decades

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in January kicked off "Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024," its largest military drills in decades.

According to NATO, the drills took place in several locations, with associated exercises running until May 31. "It will show that NATO can conduct and sustain complex multi-domain operations over several months, across thousands of kilometers, from the High North to Central and Eastern Europe, and in any conditions."

4. U.S., Canada, Australia and the Philippines hold joint exercise in South China Sea

The Philippines, Canada, the United States and Australia held their first joint military exercise in August in the South China Sea.

5. Sweden officially joins NATO

Sweden had its national flag rise at the headquarters of NATO in Brussels, marking its position as the military alliance's 32nd member.

Read more:

Hungary ratifies Sweden's NATO bid in historic move

6. Japan adopts new security strategy

The Japanese government has approved three updated documents on its security and defense policies, vowing to acquire the military power to actively attack its enemy and largely increase its military expenditure for the next five years.

A cabinet meeting has updated the nation's key security documents, including the new National Security Strategy, or the top-level strategy document of Japan's national security, which was revised for the first time since it was issued in 2013.

Read more:

Japan's new security strategy eclipses pacifism, raises concern

7. Rising tensions on Korean Peninsula

The current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense with growing antagonism and confrontation, with increasing risks of bloc confrontation.

Read more:

China opposes acts that exacerbate Korean Peninsula tensions

8. Several countries accelerate development of unmanned combat forces

In February 2024, the U.S. Air Force announced plans to establish an unmanned wingman fleet. In May, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces was established. In September, the U.S. Navy conducted a mixed fleet experiment to test the integrated combat capabilities of unmanned platforms and manned ships in various combat domains.

In December, Russia announced that it would establish an unmanned system force. An unmanned combat system is highly deployable and can be equipped with intelligent modules to improve combat effectiveness. It is expected to have a profound impact on future warfare patterns.

9. U.S. launches 'Joint Warfare' concept to prepare for intelligent warfare

On January 29, 2024, the U.S. military established the "Joint Warfare" concept in the form of a strategic guidance document to guide the development of intelligent warfare capabilities.

In February, the Coalition Joint All-Domain Command and Control system, a key project of the concept, achieved initial operational capability. The U.S. established an artificial intelligence task force in the same month.

10. EU presents first-ever defense industrial strategy

In March, the European Union (EU) presented its "first-ever" European Defense Industrial Strategy at the EU level in response to security concerns.

"To increase European defence industrial readiness, Member States need to invest more, better, together, and European," said the European Commission (EC) in a press release, adding that the strategy presented by the Commission "sets a clear, long-term vision to achieve defense industrial readiness in the EU."

The EC said that the program will mobilize 1.5 billion euros (about $1.63 billion) of the EU budget over the period 2025-2027 to continue enhancing the competitiveness of the European Defense Technological and Industrial Base.