Taiwan defence logistics under fire over missing chargers for US drones

South China Morning Post - Sep 14, 2026

Taiwan’s military has taken delivery of 291 one-way attack drones from US maker Anduril Industries, only to discover they came without chargers and require American assistance to recharge them. The revelation involving the Altius-600M loitering munitions has prompted Taiwan’s opposition lawmakers to question the military’s procurement and logistical planning, days before the drones join other weapons systems in a three-day live-fire exercise. The controversy comes at a sensitive time in...

Read full article
MORE NEWS
Hong Kong aims to raise zero-carbon energy share of fuel mix to 30% by 2030
Hong Kong aims to raise zero-carbon energy share of fuel mix to 30% by 2030
Hong Kong has pledged to boost the share of zero-carbon energy in its electricity generation fuel mix to 30 per cent by 2030, up from the current 28 per cent...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese defence chief skirts flashpoints at Xiangshan Forum ahead of Xi-Trump summit
Chinese defence chief skirts flashpoints at Xiangshan Forum ahead of Xi-Trump summit
With just a week to go until Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Washington for his first state visit in more than a decade, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun opted...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong Jockey Club to plough HK$3b into new research facility in Northern Metropolis
Hong Kong Jockey Club to plough HK$3b into new research facility in Northern Metropolis
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has said it will funnel HK$3 billion to support the construction of a Life and Health Academic Research Building at the city’s new Northern Metropolis...
Sep 16, 2026See more
As US slashes funding, UN peacekeeping head says global body can rely on China
As US slashes funding, UN peacekeeping head says global body can rely on China
The United Nations can count on China’s support, the UN’s peacekeeping chief said in Beijing as he flagged the body’s financial strains – due in large part to Washington’s funding...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Kimi creator Moonshot draws global funds seeking ‘top-tier’ Chinese AI developers: sources
Kimi creator Moonshot draws global funds seeking ‘top-tier’ Chinese AI developers: sources
China’s Moonshot AI has attracted global investor interest spanning Europe, Asia and the Middle East, people familiar with the matter say, as international capital scrambles for access to Chinese frontier...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong to invest in primary care to cut premature death risk to 6.9%
Hong Kong to invest in primary care to cut premature death risk to 6.9%
Hong Kong aims to reduce the risk of premature deaths from some major chronic diseases to 6.9 per cent by 2030 by investing heavily in primary healthcare and prevention, authorities...
Sep 16, 2026See more
US military prepares ceremonial welcome for Xi Jinping at the White House
US military prepares ceremonial welcome for Xi Jinping at the White House
A US military honour guard held a rehearsal at the White House as Washington fine-tuned diplomatic protocols and preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the United States...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Geologists find unexpectedly large water sources in Xinjiang beneath China’s largest desert
Geologists find unexpectedly large water sources in Xinjiang beneath China’s largest desert
Geologists have discovered two large water sources beneath China’s largest desert, potentially offering the northwestern region a vital new tap for sand-control projects and agriculture. The desert region has drawn attention...
Sep 16, 2026See more
14 key takeaways from John Lee’s policy address, Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan
14 key takeaways from John Lee’s policy address, Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has placed deepening integration with mainland China and developing new economic engines centre stage as he unveiled the city’s first-ever five-year plan alongside...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan seeks to boost innovation
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan seeks to boost innovation
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu presented the city’s first ever five-year plan, including steps to bolster innovation, birth rates and financial activity. The city aims to raise spending on...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese research ship completes month-long mission near Scarborough Shoal
Chinese research ship completes month-long mission near Scarborough Shoal
China confirmed on Wednesday that a research vessel conducted a month-long, wide-ranging geological survey in the waters near Scarborough Shoal, a South China Sea flashpoint between Beijing and Manila. The Haiyang...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong must prepare for the impact of heat-related work stoppages
Hong Kong must prepare for the impact of heat-related work stoppages
At the beginning of August, when temperatures in Hong Kong hit highs not seen for at least 140 years, the Labour Department’s Heat Stress at Work Warning system remained at...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong court winds up Wang Fuk Court renovation consultant over debt
Hong Kong court winds up Wang Fuk Court renovation consultant over debt
A Hong Kong court has ordered the winding-up of an engineering consultant behind a HK$336 million (US$42.8 million) renovation project at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court over an unspecified debt. The...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Should Beijing use its maritime militia as a backup force in the South China Sea?
Should Beijing use its maritime militia as a backup force in the South China Sea?
China should strengthen its maritime militia to be an extra force to collect information and maintain a regular presence in the South China Sea, where it is coming into frequent...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong court terminates trial after suspect in deadly 1991 hold-up dies of cancer
Hong Kong court terminates trial after suspect in deadly 1991 hold-up dies of cancer
A Hong Kong court has terminated a trial arising from a deadly shooting during a botched robbery three decades ago after the defendant died in custody earlier this week. The High...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese scientists build world’s smallest CT scanner, weighing just 6kg
Chinese scientists build world’s smallest CT scanner, weighing just 6kg
Chinese researchers have developed the world’s smallest CT scanner, a portable device designed to produce images of tiny fossils and archaeological relics. Built by the Shandong province-based Rayim, the Xtomo-Cube is...
Sep 16, 2026See more
How will the Okinawa governor’s race result reshape China’s local messaging?
How will the Okinawa governor’s race result reshape China’s local messaging?
The leadership change in Okinawa could deal a quiet blow to Beijing’s attempts to leverage local opposition to remilitarisation and the US-Japan military alliance, according to analysts. They added that the...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Policy address 2026: John Lee says accountability needed if 5-year plan targets missed – as it happened
Policy address 2026: John Lee says accountability needed if 5-year plan targets missed – as it happened
This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the city’s first five-year plan at the...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Dong Jun takes softer line on US at Xiangshan Forum as Xi prepares for Trump summit
Dong Jun takes softer line on US at Xiangshan Forum as Xi prepares for Trump summit
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun’s address to a defence gathering in Beijing on Wednesday carried a message for Washington but it was delivered in a notably softer, less critical tone,...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese FM Wang Yi meets ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn
Chinese FM Wang Yi meets ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn
Chinese FM Wang Yi meets ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn
Sep 16, 2026See more
Asia-Pacific regional integration in focus at Haikou roundtable
Asia-Pacific regional integration in focus at Haikou roundtable
Asia-Pacific regional integration in focus at Haikou roundtable
Sep 16, 2026See more
China's Pinglu Canal opens for navigation
China's Pinglu Canal opens for navigation
China's Pinglu Canal opens for navigation
Sep 16, 2026See more
Fragility and cooperation: takeaways from Dong Jun’s Xiangshan Forum speech
Fragility and cooperation: takeaways from Dong Jun’s Xiangshan Forum speech
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun gave a keynote speech to the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, with just over a week until a summit in the United States between...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Why more export controls won’t stop China’s industrial engine
Why more export controls won’t stop China’s industrial engine
The first “China shock” was fairly easy to understand. Beginning in the 1990s, cheap Chinese goods poured into global markets, displacing large parts of lower-end manufacturing across the world. Now,...
Sep 16, 2026See more
How hard is it to cross a 4,000-meter snow mountain?
How hard is it to cross a 4,000-meter snow mountain?
How hard is it to cross a 4,000-meter snow mountain?
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese VP addresses welcome banquet of Beijing Xiangshan Forum
Chinese VP addresses welcome banquet of Beijing Xiangshan Forum
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Tuesday addressed the welcome banquet of the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which was attended by official representatives from nearly 100 countries, regions and international...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Chinese defense minister urges deeper cooperation on global security
Chinese defense minister urges deeper cooperation on global security
The Chinese military is willing to work with all parties to deepen practical cooperation, jointly address global security challenges, and resolutely safeguard world and regional peace and stability, Minister of...
Sep 16, 2026See more
China to work with ASEAN for closer community with shared future
China to work with ASEAN for closer community with shared future
China is willing to work with ASEAN to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when meeting with Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Hong Kong policy address to unveil bold youth housing and mediation initiatives
Hong Kong policy address to unveil bold youth housing and mediation initiatives
Hong Kong’s leader will unveil two bold initiatives on housing and mediation in his policy address, the South China Morning Post has learned, with the government planning to boost home...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Xiangshan Forum: China’s defence chief on security in a fragile world – as it happened
Xiangshan Forum: China’s defence chief on security in a fragile world – as it happened
This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account below. Beijing is hosting China’s most important annual defence conference, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum,...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Southeast Asian buyers emerge as top non-local investors in Hong Kong commercial property
Southeast Asian buyers emerge as top non-local investors in Hong Kong commercial property
Southeast Asian investors have emerged as the largest non-local buyers of Hong Kong commercial property, led by Singapore-based capital, according to Savills. As of Tuesday, local and non-local investors – including...
Sep 16, 2026See more
Top Chinese official leads 87-member committee for Tung Chee-hwa state funeral
Top Chinese official leads 87-member committee for Tung Chee-hwa state funeral
The first vice-chairman of the nation’s top political advisory body is overseeing an 87-member committee of political and business heavyweights to arrange the state funeral for Hong Kong’s first chief...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China pushes back against AI fear-mongering
China pushes back against AI fear-mongering
China is pushing back against what it describes as “threat narratives" and “vicious competition” around artificial intelligence, saying the fear-mongering will only disrupt global governance.
Sep 15, 2026See more
Will ‘transactional’ America assist India in a future border crisis with China?
Will ‘transactional’ America assist India in a future border crisis with China?
When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week on the sidelines of the Brics summit, another country loomed large in the background,...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Why I am grateful for Asean’s endless meetings
Why I am grateful for Asean’s endless meetings
I remember 2011 well. Indonesia was chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and I was serving as deputy foreign minister for Asean cooperation. I learned a great deal, although...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Scott Bessent confirms weekend meeting with He Lifeng days before Xi’s US visit
Scott Bessent confirms weekend meeting with He Lifeng days before Xi’s US visit
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday confirmed that he will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend for the final preparatory talks between the two sides, less than...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China funds major renovation of Bangui Friendship Hospital
China funds major renovation of Bangui Friendship Hospital
The Sino-Central African Friendship Hospital in Bangui is undergoing an $11.5 million renovation and expansion project as China and the Central African Republic seek to strengthen healthcare services in the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Sep 15, 2026See more
Art education and growth can't be measured
Art education and growth can't be measured
Art education and growth can't be measured
Sep 15, 2026See more
Hong Kong finance chief urges Cathay to keep fares attractive, add routes
Hong Kong finance chief urges Cathay to keep fares attractive, add routes
Hong Kong’s finance chief has called on Cathay Pacific Airways to offer attractive fares and expand its route network, as China’s national development plan reinforces the city’s status as a...
Sep 15, 2026See more
RECOMMENDED