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Chinese Warplanes Aggressive Maneuver Near Canadian and U.S. Planes

On October 17 a Chinese military aircraft provocatively intercepted a Canadian Armed Forces Aurora aircraft in international airspace near China’s territorial waters. At the time, the Canadian aircraft was in an operation to enforce United Nations sanctions that prevent illegal transportation of oil to North Korea. The Canadian crew had identified a “suspicious vessel” that was on a watchlist.

During its eight hours of flight, the Canadian aircraft was intercepted by at least two Chinese fighter jets who flew with the Canadian plane for several hours. Chinese jet aircraft at one point came as close as 15 feet from the Canadian aircraft. The Chinese aircraft also launched multiple illumination flares in the vicinity of the Canadian aircraft.

The Washington Post reported that in the past few years Beijing has intensified these kinds of dangerous maneuvers targeting planes of the U.S. and its allies and partners. The total number of such encounters is now near 300. On October 17, Pentagon released videos and photos of some incidents, including an incident in January 2023 where a Chinese J-11 fighter jet flew about 30 feet from an American RC-135 plane and lingered for 15 minutes, and an incident in May 2022 where a Chinese fighter jet flew 15 feet laterally below a US Navy EP-3 plane.

Sources:
1. Radio France International, October 17, 2023
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/国际/20231017-加媒-中国战机以-挑衅方式-拦截加拿大军机
2. Washington Post, October 17, 2023
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/17/china-fighter-jet-dangerous-maneuvers/

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

New “People’s Armed Forces Departments” in Chinese State-Owned Enterprises

The Shanghai Urban Investment Group recently established a People’s Armed Forces Department (AFD) under the management of the PLA Shanghai Garrison. This follows similar AFDs established by other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in cities like Wuhan and Huizhou this year.

Chinese law allows for establishment of AFDs for purposes of enterprise security and emergency management. Some believe the recent trend represents Beijing’s response to growing social unrest or civil rights activism. Others have wondered if the trend is in preparation for greater “management [of society] by the military.”

The AFD of the Shanghai Group, whose business focuses on urban construction and infrastructure, was established on September 28th with PLA officers present. An attending PLA official requested that the AFD help “grasp the political nature of the Party’s armed forces work.” Commentator Bi Xin provided the interpretation that AFDs are meant to “control unrest between the government and people.” It is plausible that military cooperation with an urban construction business such as the Shanghai Group could aid in suppressing potential unrest.

Over 20 SOEs have now established armed forces departments this year. In August, three SOEs in Huizhou set up a joint AFD. In September, the Wuhan Agricultural Group set up an AFD, noting that other Wuhan SOEs had done so as well. The Mongolian-based dairy distributor Mengniu Group also established a AFD in May.

Commentator Zhang Jianping said that “maintaining social stability” (suppressing unrest) is in the interest of urban construction and real estate businesses given how indebted the sector has become. He also remarked that AFDs are useful in that they provide veteran PLA soldiers with jobs, and that Chinese society has recently become more and more unstable and unlawful.

Source: Radio Free Asia, October 3, 2023
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/gt1-10032023022605.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

PLA Officer Advocates Preemptive Strikes Against U.S. in Event of War

Li Li (李莉), a prominent military commentator and esteemed professor at China’s National Defense University, recently made a bold assertion during a televised discussion. In contemplating the prospect of armed conflict, Li recommended that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) consider a proactive “preemptive” approach, targeting U.S. military installations in Japan as a primary strategic objective.

Li’s perspective can be summarized as follows: “In the event of war, our foremost imperative is to preemptively neutralize U.S. military bases situated in Japan.” In her discourse, Li used the term “American imperialism” to refer to the United States and emphasized that “we will not hesitate like Russia did”. She firmly asserted that “only decisive and swift counteraction can guarantee our nation’s survival and sustained progress. We shall not delay in neutralizing U.S. ‘black’ aircraft carriers and ‘black’ bombers. We shall seize the earliest opportunity to take actions and leave the enemy no chance to breathe.”

Source: Aboluo, September 8, 2023
https://www.aboluowang.com/2023/0908/1951318.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military US-China Relations

Xi Jinping Orders Comprehensive Improvement of Troops’ Ability for War Preparation

Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping inspected the 78th Army Group on September 8th, ordering improvements in war preparedness and ability to fight. Xi emphasized implementing the military strategic policy and innovations in management and operations for the new era’s strong army concept.

Xi was accompanied by Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia of the Central Military Commission. Xi said the 78th Army Group needs to enhance military struggle preparation, strengthen specialized training in difficult courses, build new high-quality combat capabilities, and integrate joint combat systems.

Xi also said Communist Party building in the troops must be strengthened to implement the spirit of the All-Military Party Construction Conference. This will increase creativity, cohesion and combat effectiveness of Party organizations. Grassroots troop education and high levels of centralized unity and stability are also crucial.

The second round of thematic education should be carefully organized to solve troop development bottlenecks, solve officer and soldier problems proactively, and create new progress in army group construction.

In July, Xi visited the Eastern Military Zone authorities, saying war and combat planning should be deepened, joint combat command systems strengthened, and combat-oriented training conducted to accelerate capability improvements for winning.

The Eastern Military Zone covers six provinces near the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea. Xi’s recent visits emphasize building up China’s military strength and readiness for conflict, particularly regarding Taiwan.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), September 11, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202309110135.aspx

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Guangcha: U.S. Media Reported on China’s New Airport at Disputed Island Near Vietnam

Chinese media outlet Guangcha reported on a story run by U.S.-based news website The Drive. The “Warzone” of section of The Drive reported that China is building an airport on Triton Island, a small island among the disputed Paracels archipelago in the South China Sea. Triton Island is the closest of the archipelago’s islands to the coast of Vietnam.

Satellite images show a newly constructed runway, a large construction area, and a cement factory. The Drive’s article notes swift progress on construction of a 600-meter (2,000 feet) runway which the article says enhances logistic and aviation support capabilities, strengthening the Chinese army’s presence. The runway could be used for hosting short takeoff and landing fixed-wing types, such as turboprops and light aircraft, and also unmanned drones. According to the article, the island expands China’s surveillance and regional denial capabilities and may also be able to host forward operations such as submarine base.

The Guangcha article, after republishing some content from the article by The Drive, quoted Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “The U.S.’ use of the South China Sea issue to provoke issues among regional countries is extremely irresponsible and has ulterior motives.” “China, together with ASEAN countries, will continue to work to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and to promote prosperity and development in the region.”

{Editor’s Note: Guangcha is a Chinese media outlet that translates or summarizes reports from media in other countries with the purpose of aggrandizing the Chinese communist regime or of criticizing the U.S. and other Western countries, taking shots at the Western democratic system and “`values.}

Sources:
1. Guangcha, August 17, 2023
https://www.guancha.cn/military-affairs/2023_08_17_705410.shtml
2. The Drive, August 15, 2023
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/runway-being-built-on-chinas-closest-island-outpost-to-vietnam

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: “Strike Hard!” – CIA Spy Busted by Chinese National Security

People’s Daily reported that a Chinese national, last name Zeng, has been arrested for spying on behalf of the US. According to the article, Zeng was born in July 1971 and works at a Chinese military industrial company. Zeng had access to important classified information. When Zeng was sent to study in Italy by the Chinese government, an official named “Seth” from the U.S. Embassy in Italy approached him and eventually recruited him to be a CIA spy. Zeng signed a spy agreement with the U.S. and participated in CIA examinations and training. After returning to China, Zeng met secretly with CIA personnel many times, providing a large amount of core intelligence information to the U.S. and receiving money from the U.S.

The People’s Daily article follows CIA Director William Burns’ recent statement that the U.S. has made progress in rebuilding its spy networks in China, as well as the U.S.’ recent arrest of two Navy servicemen accused of transmitting military information to China.

Source: People’s Daily, August 11, 2023
http://society.people.com.cn/n1/2023/0811/c1008-40054456.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military US-China Relations

Xi Jinping Keeps Replacing Top Military Generals

Xi Jinping has made a series of changes among the top ranks of the People’s Liberation Army.

On July 31, Xi Jinping promoted Wang Houbin (王厚斌) and Xu Xisheng (徐西盛) to the rank of General and appointed them to the positions of Rocket Force Commander and Political Commissar, respectively. These appointments confirm a rumor that has been circulating for the past month: that former Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao (李玉超) and former Political Commissar Xu Zhongbo (徐忠波) had been removed from their positions.

On July 31, Nanjing News said that Liu Qingsong (刘青松) is the Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater. He had previously held the position of Political Commissar of the Northern Theater.

Wu Junbao (吴俊宝) was promoted to Commander of the Air Force of the Eastern Theater. Before, he held the position of Deputy Commander.

Qiao Xiangji (乔相记) became the Deputy Commander of the Southern Theater and the Commander of the Air Force of the Southern Theater. He had been Deputy Commander of the Western Theater before.

Zhang Jian (张践) became the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Western Theater. He served as the Commander of the Army of the Southern Theater before.

Source: NTDTV, August 4, 2023
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/08/04/a103760943.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

CCP Military Probes Procurement Fraud Over 6 Years, Possibly Targeting Dissidents

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military has been investigating arms procurement cases discovered during the past six years. The investigation is focused on irregularities such as lack of integrity and leaked secrets. Some people have questioned whether this anti-corruption campaign is being used as a tool for purging dissidents.

The Equipment Development Department (EDD) of the Central Military Commission (CMC) has issued a notice calling on the public to provide clues regarding irregularities and disciplinary violations in the Chinese military’s arms procurement process. The scope of the investigation includes conduct failures, formation of gangs or cliques, use of individual circumstances for personal gain, leakage of secrets, and supervisory failures.

As of 2019, the EDD has emphasized “strict regulation of the order of bidding and procurement management.” It also set up a supervision team for each equipment procurement project to oversee the bidding process, implemented audio and video recordings of the negotiation and inquiry sessions, and  opened channels for the military’s bidders to report problems.

Some people have questioned whether the current anti-corruption campaign is a tool for purging dissidents. Commentators have pointed to the death of Wu Guohua, a former deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force, who died in Beijing on July 4 at the age of 66. His obituary was dated July 25, 21 days after his death.

There has been some speculation that Wu’s death may have been related to corruption and leakage of secrets involving several senior members of the PLA’s Rocket Force. Some have even speculated that Wu committed suicide. However, there have been no confirmed reports regarding Wu’s cause of death.

In addition, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Li Yuchao, commander of the Rocket Force, Liu Guangbin, deputy commander of the Rocket Force, and Zhang Zhenzhong, a former deputy commander of the Rocket Force and current deputy chief of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department, were removed from their posts in March and under investigation for corruption.

The CCP’s new anti-corruption drive has led to the ouster of several former and current senior commanders of the Rocket Force. The Rocket Force is the fourth-largest branch of China’s army, and is in charge of nuclear missiles and other highly-destructive weapons.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 30, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307300084.aspx

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military