People's Liberation Army

China, Russia
Russian and Chinese coast guards draw closer in North Pacific

Moscow and Beijing are coordinating their North Pacific border security efforts, and in doing so are stoking the flames of Russia and Japan's unresolved dispute over the four Kuril Islands.

China
Xi Jinping forms new security clique to stamp out corruption with iron fist

The Chinese leader has entrusted several members of the CCP's new security faction with the challenging task of ensuring the anti-corruption campaign is strictly implemented, especially within those state structures over which Xi Jinping believes he does not yet have full control.

China
Cybersecurity giant Qihoo's French and US investors demand answers

The company spearheading China's cyber ambitions is facing a long and complicated lawsuit brought before a New York court by its former investors, forcing it to keep one foot in the United States.

China
Shanghai clique gathers intelligentsia around Xi

Coordinated by Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning and Ding Xuexiang, the new Shanghai faction is trying to extinguish the influence of Jiang Zemin's protégés from the world of academia and the military.

The Agencies' Gazette
MIT spending, DC quiet on pilots in China, Sergey Beseda in good form, Tracfin reform toughens, KGB takes swipe at MI6

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community, from Ankara to Moscow via Paris and London.

TurkeyIraq and Syria operations MIT's biggest expense

France/United StatesUS and UK left France out of loop over China pilot training

Russia/UkraineQuestions of Ukraine intel fail to shake Beseda from FSB

FranceFinance ministry's intelligence reform ramps up a notch

United Kingdom/RussiaRussian author takes swipe at MI6

China, France
Are French pilots about to train on Chinese jets?

Last year we reported that French pilots were training their counterparts in the People's Liberation Army. We have since learned that Chinese aircraft could be used to train French military aviators.

The Agencies' Gazette
Kovalchuk clan in Kremlin, INIS fights corruption, Washington in Riyadh, Beijing and its reservists, China's model ambassador in Paris

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from Moscow to Baghdad, via Washington, Riyadh and Beijing.

RussiaKovalchuk clan adds another link to Kremlin spymasters

IraqINIS helps with Sudani's crackdown on corruption

United States/Saudi ArabiaWashington calls for greater intelligence sharing with Gulf Cooperation Council

ChinaBeijing relies on reserves to expand PLA

ChinaLu Shaye, ambassador in Paris, in Beijing's good graces

Australia, China, France, United Kingdom, United States
The West's scattered response to its ex-fighter pilots training Chinese counterparts

For some time, US, Australian, British and French pilots have been training their Chinese air force counterparts, as we revealed in May last year. Caught unprepared, their governments are now scrambling to find legal means to stop the practice from benefitting their strategic adversary.

China
A new faction forms around Xi Jingping: the Tsinghua clique

The group of senior officials gradually emerging as the new clique around Xi Jingping have one thing in common, they all attended the president's alma mater, Tsinghua, in Beijing.

The Agencies' Gazette
UK tight with US space force, Uzbek state probe, Abbas succession reboot, Russian separatists summit, China's reservists

Appointments, reforms and key issues: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week, we hone in on London and Tashkent via Ramallah, Brussels and Beijing.

United Kingdom/United States Britain buddies up with US Space Force

Uzbekistan Senior officials investigated by State Security Service

Palestinian territories Abbas's presumed successor falls from grace

Brussels Kremlin opponents and separatist leaders gather at European Parliament

China Xi changes reservist conscription system

China
Xi Jinping to bring PLA political commissars to heel

In his third term, China's president wants to consolidate his hold over his country's military apparatus. To regain control over the politics of the People's Liberation Army, Xi has chosen to drastically rein in political commissars, who have now been relegated to merely executing the party's will.

Spotlight | China
Inspired by Russia's mistakes, Beijing fine-tunes its military strategy on Taiwan

The Chinese president convened the Central Military Commission last month to discuss Taiwan and the new direction its military strategy should take on the island, and particularly on its eastern flank, in the light of Russian setbacks in Ukraine.

Cambodia, China
Prince Holding Group spearheads Chinese business influence in Cambodia

Chinese influence is growing in Cambodia, thanks in no small part to Prince Holding Group, headed by its mysterious founder-president, 35-year-old Chen Zhi.

The Agencies' Gazette
Syrian chemical programme, UK's Economic Crime Committee, Swedish StratCom at NATO, Pakistani ambassador in Kabul, Skopje and NATO, PLA in Taiwan

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from London to Stockholm, via Kabul and Skopje.

France/SyriaFrench company Smart Pegasus remains under sanctions for participating in Syrian chemical weapons program.

United KingdomOpposition MP's push parliamentary Economic Crime Committee project.

Sweden/LatviaSwedish anti-fake news agency shines at NATO's StratCom.

Pakistan/AfghanistanISI investigates attempted assassination of Pakistani ambassador in Kabul.

North MacedoniaSkopje intelligence chief learns the rope at NATO.

ChinaPeople's Liberation Army tests modern urban warfare techniques to hone Taiwan strategy.

China, United States
Military intelligence research firm BluePath Labs unwraps China's strategic ambitions

The Washington-based consultancy is the US China Economic and Security Commission's contractor of choice to carry out deep investigations into the working of the People's Liberation Army.

The Agencies' Gazette
New Iranian militia in Syria, Chinese retiree recall, Finnish border, Swedish NSA, ANSSI

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week we hone in on Tehran and Zhengzhou, via Helsinki, Stockholm and Paris.

Iran/Syria IRGC mobilises new militia against US interests in Syria

China Retired military, state personnel hired to prevent iPhone production jam

Finland Border guards camp in the east

Sweden Bigger budget for interception agency FRA

France Senators move to make ANSSI more aggressive

The Agencies' Gazette
Access to UK Special Forces, DGSI and criminal records, JIO's new hub, TurkStream under threat and spying on French pilots in China?

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week we hone in on London, Paris and Budapest.

United KingdomBen Wallace and the Defence Committee cross swords over parliamentary control of UK Special Forces.

FranceDGSI to have permanent access to criminal records file.

United KingdomThe Joint Intelligence Organisation creates an OSINT "insights hub".

HungaryBudapest scans TurkStream for sabotage risks.

FranceIs DGSE now keeping an eye on ex-Air Force staff abroad following Intelligence Online's revelations?