China’s military leadership has been taking notes from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) releasing five major takeaways from the conflict.
Why It Matters
Israel and the U.S. launched attacks Saturday despite ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The strikes have killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 1,000 Iranians, according to state media. China has condemned the offensive as a violation of international law and called for a halt to the fighting as Iran retaliated against targets in countries hosting U.S. forces.
The conflict comes just two months after U.S. forces struck targets across another China ally—Venezuela—and captured former President Nicolás Maduro, catching Beijing off guard. Chinese military planners may apply lessons learned from these episodes to the Pacific, where Beijing seeks to supplant the U.S. as the dominant military power and where both sides are preparing for potential conflict, such as a over Beijing-claimed Taiwan.
Newsweek has reached out to China’s Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment.
What To Know
Cheng-Yu Wu, a policy analyst on international strategy and Middle East security at Taiwan’s leading defense policy think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, weighed in on the Chinese list released Wednesday by the PLA News portal China Military Bugle.
- Deadliest threat: the enemy within
Wu said this point makes sense given the U.S. and Israel’s ability to neutralize so many high-value targets early in the conflict, attributing it to what he called the most critical element—human intelligence.
“The efficiency of Mossad and CIA have proven the depth of infiltration within the Iran regime. This definitely terrifies China because even though China has been exporting its own social surveillance equipment and techniques to Iran; it seems that the U.S. and Israel have found a way to circle around the surveillance system.”
- Costliest miscalculation: blind faith in peace
Iran was taken off guard by the attack as talks, mediated by Oman, were ongoing, giving Tehran the impression there were still non-military options, Wu said.
“However, [President Donald] Trump surprised the world by showing [the] U.S. will do whatever it takes to achieve its own national interests, whether or not there are negotiations. PLA seems to have learned that the hard way when [the] U.S. [was] taking out its allies one by one just at the beginning of 2026.”
- Coldest reality: the logic of superior firepower
- Cruelest paradox: the illusion of victory
“One can only speculate that within an authoritarian regime, the ruling elites needs to secure their narrative that they will definitely win a war no matter who the opponent is, to establish legitimacy of the regime,” the analyst said. “It might be that the PLA is starting to realize propaganda won’t win a modern warfare, especially facing a formidable power like U.S.”
- Ultimate reliance: self-reliance
What Happens Next
It remains unclear how long the conflict will continue, and Washington has yet to outline a clear end-goal for the operation.
The conflict, and the critical role of intelligence, come as Chinese President Xi Jinping continues his purges of current and former senior military officials, with three more ex-generals removed Monday from the PLA’s top advisory body, according to state media.
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