{
  "id": 9347888,
  "title": "US Air Force to shut down research centre focusing on Chinese military",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/us-air-force-to-shut-down-research-centre-focusing-on-chinese-military-9347888",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-23T14:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3368540/us-air-force-shut-down-research-centre-focusing-chinese-military"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US Air Force is discontinuing a research centre that analysed the Chinese military's capabilities in air, space, cyber, and missile technology, according to a statement released on Tuesday. The China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI), operating under the Air University, will cease operations from October 1 as all its roles become unfunded. The institute, which has been under Air University since 2017, will continue to publish articles and reports already in progress and conduct courses on the People's Liberation Army (PLA). However, a scheduled 10th anniversary event in February has been canceled. The institute's staff may move to other positions within the Air Force, or they will depart once all civilians leave. The institute's closure contradicts the Air Force's earlier announcement that civilian staff would continue until further notice and that the institute's mission would persist with the assistance of military personnel. CASI's mission involved conducting primary-source research, translation, and analysis on China's aerospace capabilities, which would be crucial for senior air and space force leaders and policymakers. The institute has previously published detailed studies on the PLA's rocket force organization, naval aviation reorganisation, and aerospace power trends. Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, criticised the closure, stating it sent a message to Beijing that the United States was not serious about deterring China.",
  "summary": "The US Air Force is shutting down a major research centre dedicated to open-source analysis of the Chinese military’s air, space, cyber and missile capabilities. The China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) said in a statement on Tuesday that Air University, the US Air Force institution under which it operates, had decided to close the institute, with all of its roles becoming unfunded from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "US Air Force to shut down research centre focusing on Chinese military",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/us-air-force-to-shut-down-research-centre-focusing-on-chinese-military",
        "published": "2026-09-23T14:00:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Top PLA generals' ouster removed political danger, says Chinese military mouthpiece",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/top-pla-generals-ouster-removed-political-danger-says-chinese",
        "published": "2026-09-23T17:27:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}