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China Launches an Upgraded Satellite for BeiDou System

A Long March-3C rocket carrying a new-generation satellite for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) left the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Monday, March 30, 2015. China launched an upgraded satellite into space for its own global navigation and positioning network at 9:52 p.m. Beijing Time. It is the 17th satellite for the BDS. The official Xinhua news reported that the launch marked the beginning of the expansion of the regional BDS to global coverage.
According to the center, the latest satellite is tasked with testing a new type of navigation signaling and inter-satellite links, providing the basis to start building the global network.
China launched the first BDS satellite in 2000. The BDS began providing positioning, navigation, timing and short message services to civilian users in China and surrounding areas in the Asia-Pacific in December 2012.
Source: China News Service, March 31, 2015
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2015/03-31/7170962.shtml
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

People’s Daily: Japan Should Get Used to China’s Air Force Exercises in the Far Sea

On March 30, 2015, the Chinese Air Force conducted a military training exercise in the Western Pacific ocean. In response to a Western media report, Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the Naval Research Institute of Military Science, published a commentary on People’s Daily overseas edition. 

The article said, “Regarding the Chinese Air Force’s routine training in accordance with its annual training plan, Japan and some Western media had ulterior motives when they interpreted the events. A Japanese news agency claimed that the training had the purpose of showing off China’s air force to its neighbors. Some individual media also claimed that the move of the Chinese Air Force will likely exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea.” 
Zhang argued, “Japan’s Self-Defense Air Force fighter and reconnaissance aircraft frequently hold activities in the Western Pacific and the East China Sea. U.S. Air Force fighter planes fly over the Western Pacific ocean all year long. [So why can’t China do the same?] ” 
“China is a big maritime country, but not a maritime power. … Now, the Chinese navy and air force badly need to use far sea training to improve their sea defense combat capability. It is one of the objective needs in order for China to safeguard its national maritime security.” 
“With the improvement of China’s comprehensive national strength and international status, China’s international responsibilities and the obligations required by the international community are also increasing. So it also requires China’s navy and air force to go to the far oceans and improve the capability of their ocean activity.” 
“Finally, I hope some countries can look rationally at the development of China’s military power and the Chinese military’s normal training activities. … The concerned countries should gradually become accustomed to Chinese air and sea vessels’ conducting similar trainings in the far sea, instead of continually finding fault.” 
Source: People’s Daily, April 1, 2015 
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2015-04/01/content_1549197.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2015-04/01/c_127646887_2.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Expert: U.S. Has Expanded Its Cyberwar Battle Mode

In an interview with a reporter from China National Radio (CNR), Chinese military expert Li Wei said that the U.S. will use cyberwar deterrence as a new form of battle. He indicated that it would be difficult to break the U.S.’s cyber-hegemony in the short-term. Below is a translation of CNR‘s report: 

Recently, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCall, stated that the Korean network paralysis that occurred last December was due to the retaliatory measures that the United States initiated. It is the first time that a U.S. lawmakers publicly acknowledged the U.S. attack on North Korea. Why did the U.S. lawmaker suddenly release this information? Is the U.S. cyber army really not conquerable? The reporter interviewed military expert Li Wei on these and related issues. 
As early as back in the 1990s, the U.S. proposed the concept of cyber warfare. The U.S. has been developing its cyber army even more in recent years and has actively built up its military activity in cyber space under the banner of safeguarding national interests. Li Wei pointed out that, although the United States followed the previous framework of its military forces, the combat mode has undergone enormous changes. It has become a team of Internet experts in military uniform. 

The United States has often used Hackers as a reason to accuse other countries, but the U.S. Congressman has now acknowledged publicly, for the first time, that the U.S. attacked North Korea’s cyber network. Li Wei said that the U.S. lawmaker’s statement may herald that the United States will add to its cyber deterrence as a new deterrence in addition to its nuclear and conventional deterrence. 

Li Wei suggested that the United States is far ahead in Internet hardware and technology. Such hegemony is difficult to break in the short term. In the face of such a situation, other countries should develop their Internet core technology and, at the same time, use the U.N. and other international organizations to counterbalance the United States. If we allow the United States to stay dominant, the United States will always maintain its Internet hegemony. 

Source: China National Radio (CNR), March 19, 2015
http://military.cnr.cn/jmhd/gfzs/wgfgjq/20150319/t20150319_518053193_2.html
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2015-03/21/c_127603693.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

BBC Chinese: China Has Become the Third Largest Arms Exporter

BBC Chinese recently reported on the results of research data that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released. According to SIPRI, between 2010 and 2014, China surpassed Germany, France, and Great Britain in the international arms market to become the world’s third largest arms exporter. China’s current share of the world arms market is five percent. Two thirds of its exports were to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. China’s customers also included 18 African countries. During the five-year period from 2010 to 2014, the Chinese arms export volume increased by 143 percent, compared to the previous five-year period. In the meantime, Germany’s exports saw a decrease of 43 percent, while France decreased by 27 percent. The United States remains the largest arms exporter and Russia remains the second largest, holding 31 percent and 27 percent of the world market, respectively. 
Source: BBC Chinese, March 16, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/03/150316_china_arms_export
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Study Times: Developing Battlefields for Future Warfare in Different Spaces

Study Times published an article discussing how to develop the capability to build and enhance the battlefields for future warfare that may take place in different spaces.

Outer Space: Send more military satellites to occupy the diminishing number of space orbit tracks and spectrums, develop outer space battle and support exercises, and, in particular, develop a multi-approach space surveillance system for space threat warnings.

The Internet: In addition to developing infrastructure, there is a need to develop Internet surveillance capability, create a global Internet map, establish attack positions for global network warfare, and develop strategic preparations for large-scale network warfare.

The North and South Poles: Increase research activities in the polar areas and gradually build the polar bases’ infrastructure.

Deep-Sea Space: Build deep-sea exploration equipment and deep-sea research centers; create a deep-sea military and establish surveillance bases; deploy deep-sea weapons; improve the capability of deep-sea communication, supply, repair, and rescue.

Underground Space: Improve the protective camouflage system and also improve underground construction capabilities.

Source: Study Times, March 9, 2015
http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20150309/9691.shtml

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

People’s Daily: China Is Building Its Second Aircraft Carrier

People’s Daily recently reported that multiple senior Army generals confirmed a fully China-made aircraft carrier is about to be completed soon. The new aircraft carrier will be much more advanced than the current aircraft carrier named Liaoning, which was only partially made in China. Navy General Ding Haizhong stated that the Chinese Navy will get into exercises with the new ship as soon as it is delivered. The catapult technology used onboard the new carrier is considered very competitive even with the U.S. aircraft carriers. Navy Admiral Liu Xiaojiang said the construction process is very sophisticated, so it may not be delivered in 2015. When asked how many aircraft carriers the Chinese Navy needs, Liu Xiaojiang, expressing his opinion, said, “The more, the better.” Some experts speculated that the total number planned was six carriers. Liu emphasized that staffing the aircraft carriers with enough qualified pilots is very challenging. China is currently far behind in achieving this goal. He expressed the belief that these ships will take at least two to three years before they can sail far into the oceans. 
Source: People’s Daily, March 9, 2015
http://renwu.people.com.cn/n/2015/0309/c357069-26661470.html
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

CRN: Chinese Defense Budget Continues to Increase

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that China’s 2014 defense spending reached US$130 billion. This amount was the second highest in the world, after the United States. In the past several years, China’s defense spending has largely maintained a double-digit annual percentage increase in growth. According to the spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, the 2015 defense budget will have a 10 percent increase over last year. Currently, China is intensifying its investments in submarines and stealth airplanes, as well as other high-tech weaponry. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been massively rooting out corruption in the Chinese Army. As a result, it is expected that the efficiency of resource consumption will improve and the spending growth rate will drop. However, Japanese news media have been expecting a tighter relationship with China this year.
Source: China Review News, March 6, 2015
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1036/5/0/7/103650790.html?coluid=218&kindid=11714&docid=103650790&mdate=0306095019
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Increasing the Defense Budget to Support Achieving the Goal of Having a Strong Army

On March 4, a Xinhua reporter interviewed Major General Chen Zhou, a delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and a researcher at the Academy of Military Science. In the interview, Chen stated that "strong material support is indispensable in achieving the Communist Party’s goal of having a strong army in the new situation.” 

Chen also asked, "How much are the needs for national security and how much will our defense spending be? Wherever our national interests extend, that is where our defense investment will follow. This is the principle that investment in national defense must follow." 
According to the Second Session of the NPC Meeting spokeswoman, Fu Ying, the draft budget proposal for 2015 indicated there was an increase of about 10 percent over the previous year. 

Source: Xinhua, March 4, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015lh/2015-03/04/c_1114523378.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military