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Defense/Military

Xi Jinping: Improve Military Strategic Capabilities In Emerging Fields

Xinhua News Agency published a report following a speech by Xi Jinping on March 7 addressing the need for “comprehensive enhancement of the military strategic capabilities in emerging fields.”  The speech was given during the Second Plenary Session of China’s 14th National People’s Congress at a meeting with a delegation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police Force.

Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of focusing on the “construction of military strategic capabilities,” including plans for strategy and implementation, in emerging fields. “[China should] coordinate the preparations to conduct maritime military struggles, safeguard [Beijing’s] maritime rights, interests, and economic development, and enhance maritime strategic capabilities. [China should] optimize the layout of aerospace and advance China’s aerospace system. [China should] construct a defense system for cyberspace and enhance the country’s ability to safeguard network security. [China should] intensify efforts to coordinate major projects in intelligent science and technology.” Xi also stressed the need for innovation and self-reliance.

The Xinhua report mentioned that Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, presided over the meeting. He Wei-dong, another Vice Chairman, along with Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin, members of the Central Military Commission, attended the meeting. The article did not mention the name of Miao Hua, who is also a member of the Central Military Commission.

Source: Xinhua, March 7, 2024
https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/11922399

Net Ease: China’s Water Cannon Injures Filipino Admiral, Renders Filipino Ship Inoperable

Chinese Internet portal NetEase has published a commentary claiming victory following an incident on March 5 when China’s maritime police used high-pressure water cannons against a Filipino boat, causing injuries to several Filipino crew members and damaging the ship. The Filipino boat was on a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the South China Sea that is claimed by several countries including China and the Philippines.

The Associated Press reported that the Chinese water cannons shattered the windshield glass of the Filipino boat’s cockpit, resulting in four injuries. The NetEase article bragged that Filipino Admiral Alberto Carlos, who was aboard the resupply boat, was among those injured in the incident, adding that Adm. Carlos is Commander of the Philippines’ West Theater and calling him a “big fish” (i.e. an important person in the Philippines’ military).

From the NetEase article: “The Chinese Coast Guard ship fired a high-pressure water cannon at the supply ship where Carlos was, instantly shattering the glass in the cockpit of the Philippine supply ship. The situation in the Philippine ship’s cabin was chaotic. Four Filipino personnel were bleeding and injured, including Adm. Carlos. Subsequently, Chinese water cannons swept across the superstructure of the Philippine ship, destroying external equipment including communication antennas, causing serious damage to the Philippine ship.”

According to the NetEase article, a U.S. Morpheus-class littoral combat ship was in nearby waters during the incident. “The U.S. ship tried to enter the Second Thomas Shoal to assist the Philippine ship. However, not far from the Littoral Combat Ship, a PLA Navy warship and a carrier-based helicopter were on patrol, and so the U.S. ship dared not to act rashly.” The article also commented that, although the U.S. has signed a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, the Biden administration dared not take real actions to help the Philippines; it only offered lip service.

There have been several previous incidents involving clashes between the Chinese Coast Guard and the Philippine military, including another incident with a water cannon in August 2023 and an incident in February 2023 when the Chinese maritime police used a laser against a Philippine boat, temporarily blinding one Philippine soldier.

It is not clear whether the NetEase article is just an individually-authored piece or if it was written at the behest of orders from the CCP. The article appears to be written by an individual journalist, but the Chinese Communist Party has a long-standing practice of writing articles and then letting its fans (members of the “fifty-cent” party) publish the articles in their name, packaging the articles as “public opinion.”

Sources:

NetEase, March 9, 2024
https://m.163.com/dy/article/ISQ2OUKI05561T48.html

Associated Press, March 6, 2024
https://apnews.com/article/south-china-sea-philippines-disputed-second-thomas-shoal-5fec2d298151891d79cc077ff02f3a74

People’s Armed Forces Departments Expanding Within Chinese State Owned Enterprises

Several Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have established People’s Armed Forces departments (人民武装部) within their organizations. Examples include the Shanghai Municipal Investment Group (Shanghai’s government financing company), the Mengniu Group in Inner Mongolia, as well as 10 SOEs in Wuhan City, Hubei Province and several SOEs in Huizhou City, Zhejinang Province.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of National Defense, stated at a press conference on October 26, 2023 that “Our national defense is the defense of the whole people. The People’s Armed Forces departments of state-owned enterprises are part of the national defense system and are the armed work departments of the Party within state-owned enterprises.”

Political observers suggest a few possible explanations for why Beijing is establishing these new People’s Armed Forces departments within state-owned enterprises. Integration between SOEs and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could help to quell potential domestic unrest resulting from China’s economic downturn. It could also help to save resources for the PLA and could potentially enhance the military’s ability to mobilize in preparation for an invasion of Taiwan.

Source: Deutsche Welle, February 23, 2024
https://www.dw.com/zh/中企纷纷设立人民武装部为哪般/a-68353845

CCP Expands Military Recruitment, Especially in Rural Areas

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is expanding its military recruitment, particularly in rural areas.

Recently-leaked CCP recruitment documents state that the CCP’s recruiting focus should be on college students, while also recruiting widely in the countryside, “leaving no dead zones” (no unrecruited rural areas). For those Chinese citizens who leave their city of residence to travel for work or school, it is mandatory that they register with the military regarding their travel plans. Expert observers believe this expanded recruitment activity is preparation for large-scale war.

The CCP is focused on recruiting college graduates, who are suitable for adaptation to modern information warfare. Rural recruits are also targeted to provide a large pool of soldiers whose casualties may have less immediate economic and political impact. There are reports that the CCP has been recruiting discharged soldiers back into service only 5 years after they leave the military, as well as relaxing requirements to allow military service by people with criminal records.

New military recruitment regulations enacted in May 2022 have enabled this expansion. The new regulations include allowing retired soldiers to re-enlist, as well as directives to recruit students with high-tech skills. The CCP has completed a nationwide military service registration covering the country’s entire population, signaling preparation for war.

According to expert Yuan Hongbing, a Chinese legal expert living in exile in Australia, the CCP under Xi Jinping is waiting to see what will happen in the 2024 US presidential election. The CCP believes that, regardless of who wins, the result will divide America for years, creating a window of opportunity for the CCP to attack Taiwan. Yuan says China’s war preparations are likely focused on seizing this window of time in 2025-2027. Expanded recruitment from rural areas in particular will provide “cannon fodder” for large-scale combat operations against Taiwan planned for this period.

Source: Epoch Times, February 12, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/2/12/n14179638.htm

Xinhua: US Defense Companies Profit from Israel-Hamas War

Chinese state news outlet Xinhua published an article about how U.S. defense companies have benefited from the Israel-Hamas War.

“As of January 30th, Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in over 26,700 deaths and more than 65,000 injuries on the Palestinian side. Additionally, around 1.9 million people have been displaced, accounting for approximately 85 percent of the total population in Gaza.

“On the other side of the world, major U.S. defense contractors released outstanding financial reports for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2023. Raytheon Technologies reported sales of nearly $20 billion in the fourth quarter, with a 10 percent increase from the same period last year. Lockheed Martin also performed exceptionally well, with net sales in the fourth quarter of 2023 far exceeding market expectations, reaching $18.9 billion, an increase of $2 billion from the previous quarter. Moreover, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics all indicate record levels of unfilled orders, suggesting strong growth potential in the near future.

“According to data from the US State Department, the amount of military equipment sold by the United States overseas increased by 16 percent in the 2023 fiscal year, reaching a record $238 billion.

“Behind this stark contrast lies the blood-stained profit chain of the U.S. military-industrial complex: defense contractors funding congressional members to achieve personal political goals; lawmakers approving massive military spending to reciprocate and profit; high-ranking officials at the Department of Defense providing a steady stream of arms contracts, profiting through the revolving door between politics and business. Research data shows that over the past decade, 55% of US military spending has ultimately flowed to defense contractors. A US think tank revealed that in 2022, US taxpayers paid an average of $1,087 per person for Pentagon contractors, while the average per capita tax expenditure for U.S. basic education was only $270.”

Source: Xinhua, February 1, 2024
https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=cc059649d832d8b766aad7d1bb90d631

Israel Changed from Pro-China to Anti-China During the Israel-Hamas War

Israel had a good relationship with Beijing for the past several decades. It provided many advanced technologies to China, and it seldom criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its human rights crimes. For example, Israel provided China with military drone technology and air-to-air missiles. It also shared its fighter jet IAI Lavi with China, leading to the development of China’s own J-10 fighter jet.

However, Beijing decided to take a pro-Hamas position in the Israel-Hamas War, keeping to its anti-U.S. ideology. In doing so, Beijing alienated Israel.

On January 23, when the United Nations reviewed China’s human rights record, Israel’s representative stated that the Israeli government is watching developments in Xinjiang and is monitoring the Uyghur human rights situation there. The representative called for China to take measures to improve its human rights record.

Xinhua followed up by publishing an article to counter Israel, saying that “calling attention to China’s human rights record is ridiculous and a ‘double-standard'” since Israel has been killing civilians and creating a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Epoch Times, February 2, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/2/1/n14171594.htm

Chinese Commercial Spaceflight Industry Poised for Liftoff Despite Lagging 10 Years Behind SpaceX

China’s official state news agency Xinhua has published a long article on the country’s commercial spaceflight industry.

The Chinese rocket industry saw significant growth in 2023. Twelve out of thirteen rocket launches by private companies reached orbit successfully, a record among the 8 years that private rocket companies have been operating in China. However, there still remains a gap between these Chinese companies and SpaceX, which launched 96 times in 2023. SpaceX also dominates in terms of launch mass, accounting for 80% of the 2022 global total. Experts estimate China’s commercial space industry lags SpaceX by about 10 years.

Looking forward, China’s private rocket companies are poised to accelerate development. The central government’s fourteenth 5-year plan puts a strategic focus on commercial aerospace. Multiple commercial companies like i-Space and Blue Arrow are aiming to launch reusable liquid-fueled rockets capable of dramatic cost reductions by 2025. The future holds huge demand for satellite launches, with China Satellite Network Group Co planning a constellation of 13,000 satellites. Further policy and financial support for the industry is expected as well.

Financing remains a current bottleneck for the industry, as innovation within the industry requires costly continuous testing and design and iteration are required. Local governments are now the main investors in commercial spaceflight companies. The industry also hopes to tap public capital markets for funding.

China’s economic work conference specifically called out commercial space as a strategic emerging industry. Experts foresee strong momentum for China’s commercial space industry in the next few years as companies move toward mature reusable rocket technologies. Key players are concentrated in Beijing, which aims to build a strong base for the industry centered around China’s Economic Development Zone.

Source: Xinhua, January 24, 2023
http://www.xinhuanet.com/20240124/4dd09cfced3d4931aee94c0e0ca2ef44/c.html

Retired Military Leaders Saluted Zhang Youxia But Not Xi Jinping

The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission (CMC, 中共军委) held a cultural performance on January 29 for the retired military leaders who are in Beijing. Xi Jinping led CMC members including Zhang Youxia, He Weidong, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua, and Zhang Shengmin to attend the event.

The China Central Television’s (CCTV’s) video revealed that, when Xi waved to the retired military leaders, only one saluted him. But those retired military leaders saluted the CMC’s Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia. Zhang also responded back with salutes frequently. CCTV quickly removed this scene.

In CCTV footage from previous years, Xi would enter the venue, shake hands one by one with the retired military leaders in the front row, and many retired military leaders in casual attire would salute him before shaking hands. This year, however, Xi did not shake hands with the retired military leaders; instead, he waved from a distance. Speculation from the public suggests that this change might have been due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Source: NTDTV, February 1, 2024
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/02/01/a103848268.html