Defense/Military - 54. page

China’s defense budget for 2013, released on March 5, shows an increase of 10.7 percent over last year. Although the increase has been widely reported in foreign media and some members of the U.S. Congress are concerned, some mainland observers pointed out that China’s military spending growth is moderate.

Ma Gang, a director at China’s National Defense University, believes a country’s military spending mainly is a function of the needs to safeguard national sovereignty and carry out international responsibilities, as well as its economic development. In recent years, with the growing sovereignty and security challenges, the responsibility of defending national interests, the obligations for international security as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and steady economic development, it is a normal phenomenon for there to be a double digit increase in military spending. Ma said that there is still a gap between the growth in China’s military spending and China’s actual needs. Future military spending growth will still be a function of national security and economic development.

Since the 1990’s, China’s annual defense spending has generally maintained double-digit increases. In 2010, it dropped to 7.5 percent, but double-digit increases resumed in 2011.

Source: People’s Daily, March 8, 2013
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/0308/c1011-20720222.html

Professor Han Xudong of China’s Defense University published an article in Huaiqu (Global Times) in which he discussed China’s display of and the implications of its military power. The article said, “Recently, the aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ sailed for the first time to Qingdao and expanded its activities of research projects and conducting exercises. The General Staff Military Training Department announced that, in 2013, the PLA and the Armed Police Force will conduct nearly 40 military exercise drills. After the Spring Festival, China showed off these large-scale military actions as a means of displaying its military hard power, which will be the main theme of China’s 2013 military activities; in the future China will use military hard power to shape its big country image.” 

On March 1, 2013, China Review News published an article titled, “Expert: China to Establish More Aircraft Carrier Harbors for More Combat Tasks in the Future.” On February 27, 2013, China’s first aircraft carrier the "Liaoning," docked for the first time at a military port in Qingdao after having left its former home port in Dalian on February 26, 2013. According to the article, China will build more aircraft carriers for combat tasks and will establish a harbor system with several harbors where aircraft carriers can dock.

Source: China Review News, March 1, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1024/5/4/3/102454307.html?coluid=4&kindid=18&docid=102454307&mdate=0301114856

Li Fangwei, also known as Karl Lee, the person-in-charge of the operation of the Dalian Metallurgy & Minerals Co., a firm sanctioned by the U.S. for exporting missile parts to Iran, is still making millions in profit from the company’s transactions. Several officials responsible for overseeing the Western countries and the United Nations sanctions said that, since 2009, when he was sued by the New York District Attorney, Li Fangwei has received at least US$10 million in profit from illegally trading with Iran.

Trade sanctions are the major means for the international community to stop Iran from developing its nuclear weapons program. Li has been accused of continuing his company’s illegal provision of materials to Iran. This may be related to Iran, which is very clever at evading the international sanctions and may also be related to China’s export restrictions policy. Although it is difficult to quantify the support that foreign companies and individuals have provided to Iran’s nuclear and missile program, analysts believe that Iran cannot independently manufacture some important components.

Li told Reuters that Iran continues to propose the commercial requirements to him, but he provides only legitimate goods, such as iron and steel products. Li also denied the charge that he has sold any missiles or nuclear related products since a few years ago, when the United States began the sanctions against Iran. However security officials overseeing the United Nations’ sanctions accused Li of adopting deceptive means to continue these illegal transactions with Iran, including changing the company’s name in order to sell Iran advanced alloys, Chinese or foreign-made uranium enrichment, and missile parts. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China has always abided by international regulations on trade restrictions.

Source: BBC Chinese, March 1, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/03/130301_china_iran.shtml

China’s National Space Administration has scheduled a launch of the Chang’e 3 for a lunar exploration mission in late 2013. According to Ye Peijian (叶培建), a space scientist and the chief engineer for the program, the mission will operate by incorporating a robotic lander and a rover; it is part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.

This will be China’s first lunar rover and the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon since the Soviet Luna 24 mission in 1976. It is named after Chang’e, the Chinese goddess of the Moon and is a follow-up to the Chang’e 1 and Chang’e 2 lunar orbiters. Chang’e 3 will perform tasks that include a soft landing on the Moon, lunar surface exploration, survival on the lunar surface, deep space communications, remote operations, and a carrier rocket directly entering the Earth-Moon transfer orbits. The Chang’e 3 lander is said to be carrying an astronomical telescope and  an extreme ultraviolet camera. The rover is said to be carrying radar for lunar exploration.

Source: Xinhua, March 3, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013lh/2013-03/03/c_114868837.htm

The Chinese military unit 61398 that, according to the 60 page report by Mandiant, is the source of cyber attacks against the United States, recruits graduates who have a major in computer science. An example of such an effort can be found at the website of the College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou City.

A recruitment notice dated May 13, 2004, was titled “Announcement of People’s Liberation Army Unit 61398 to Recruit Directed Graduates.” The notice stated the following: “According to the Graduate School, the People’s Liberation Army Unit 61398 (located in Pudong, Shanghai) will recruit master’s degree candidates from the 2003 class, who have a major in computer science, to be directed graduates. Those students who sign the agreement will be provided with a defense scholarship of 5,000 yuan per year. Upon graduation, the students will be directed and assigned to work in the People’s Liberation Army. Interested students from the 2003 master’s degree class in our college may contact Teacher Peng from the Graduate Office of the college by May 20. …”

Source: iFeng.com, February 20, 2013
http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2013_02/20/22299410_0.shtml

On February 11, 2013, China Review News reprinted an article from the People’s Liberation Army publication, PLA Daily, about the improved ability to handle aircraft emergencies.

Beijing Relay Transmission of the Spatial Information Technology Research Center has announced that its tracking and data relay satellite system has achieved global network operation. Compared to the last Chinese New Year, personnel on duty have been reduced from 22 to 7 persons, even though more satellites need to be monitored. With the use of the new “satellite fault diagnosis expert system” software and the comprehensive display software, the tracking and data relay satellite is under surveillance for 24 hours uninterrupted. The emergency response time has been reduced by 28 minutes.

Source: China Review News, February 11, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1024/3/6/6/102436685.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=102436685&mdate=0211184017