Defense/Military - 56. page

On November 1, 2012, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “Scientific Guide to the Political Development of the Army’s Ideology in the New Situation.” The subtitle of the article is the statement, “Study Chairman Hu Jintao’s Important Instructions on the Political Development of the Army’s Ideology.” The majority of the content of the article is nearly the same as similar articles published in the past few years, such as “unswervingly adhere to the party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces.” The big difference, however, is the omission of Mao’s name, ideas, and teaching.

Source: Qiushi, November 1, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2012/201221/201210/t20121030_190237.htm

On October 31, 2012, China’s second stealth jet fighter, the J-31, made its successful maiden flight. Commenting on the significance of the event, China’s aviation expert, Yongling Xu, said in an exclusive interview with a People’s Daily reporter, "China has narrowed the gap in the field of aviation technology between itself and foreign advanced countries to about 15 years. With the support of China’s strong national (financial) power, coupled with the ingenuity of the Chinese people, the day that China’s aviation industry catches up with the United States is just around the corner.” 

On October 25, 2012, the Ministry of National Defense of China updated its official website with a significant reshuffle ahead of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party, which will be held on November 8, 2012. As part of the Central Military Commission, the leaders of all four major military organizations have changed as follows: Fang Fenghui, Chief of Staff of the General Staff Department; Zhang Yang, Director of the General Political Department; Zhao Keshi, Director of the General Logistics Department; and Zhang Youxia, Director of the General Armaments Department.

Source: Ministry of National Defense, October 25, 2012
http://www.mod.gov.cn/leader/index.htm

On October 2, 2012, BBC Chinese published an article titled “Military Professor: Corruption is the #1 Enemy of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).” Professor Liu Mingfu of China’s National Defense University of the PLA, recently published his new book called “Why the PLA Will Win.”  In the book, Liu pointed out, “The most dangerous and the #1 enemy of the PLA is corruption.” He said, “The anti-corruption forces are not as powerful as the forces of corruption. Those who are engaged in corruption have more energy than those who are against corruption. The corrupt officials have a greater chance of getting promoted.”

Source: BBC Chinese, October 2, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/10/121002_china_army_corruption.shtml

Xinhua used the column called “Chen Fu Discusses the Military” to published a statement about the possible role of the U.S. in the Diaoyu Islands dispute. The statement said, “U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta’s visit to China happens to be at a time when the East China Sea dispute over the Diaoyu Islands is growing more intense. Many people believe that it is inevitable for Panetta to discuss the Diaoyu Islands issue during his visit to Japan and China. Some people even expect the U.S. to act as a ‘mediator’ during the dispute.” 

On September 13, 2012, Xu Caihou, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke to the PLA stationed in Shan Xi Province. Xu reiterated the importance of strengthening the PLA’s political ideology education and asked the PLA to further study the key messages from Hu Jintao’s speech delivered on July 23, 2012, and to carry through on a number of on-going educational campaigns in order to maintain the army’s firm political stance and unity as well as the ability to complete its assigned missions.

Xu also emphasized that the PLA should firmly follow the Party’s direction, maintain absolute loyalty to the Party, and closely monitor the current political environment. He advised that the PLA should constantly improve its combat ability with the assistance of modern technology and information while always maintaining military readiness.

Source: Xinhua, September 13, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-09/13/c_113071694.htm

Through Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng, the Chinese army expressed its opposition to and protest against Japan’s "purchase" of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) islands. Geng stated, “The Chinese military is watching the developments closely and reserves the right to take corresponding measures.”

How to interpret the stance of the Chinese military? Where are Sino-Japanese relations headed? Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong, a Professor from National Defense University, answered these questions in an interview with a Xinhua reporter.

Zhang said that the spokesman’s statement made two points: “One is that the Chinese PLA has the ability to defend China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The second is that China reserves the right to use this ability.” As for the military drills, Zhang explained, “They are routine drills planned from the previous year, but because they are conducted at this special time, they can have the effect of causing fear.”

Source: Xinhua, September 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2012-09/12/c_123707856.htm

In an article published on Globe Magazine, a publication under the official Xinhua News Agency, Wang Haiyun, a major-general, former diplomat, and scholar at a government think tank on China-Russian relations, proposed to equip the Chinese navy with three to five carrier battle groups.

“Considering its degree of modernization and oceanic combat capability, the Chinese navy can only be called a ‘near-shore navy’ and ‘offshore navy,’ which can only meet the needs of the coastline and offshore defense. In order to maintain the security of three million square kilometers of sea territory effectively, we must build a more powerful navy.”

“Over the years, the United States, Japan, and other countries have subjected our country to strategic containment. In the past two years, the U.S. has announced a high-profile ‘return to the Asia-Pacific’ by building an alliance system of our neighboring countries with a focus on the oceans. Japan was also eager to organize a ‘value based alliance’ as the vanguard of the U.S. Facing this relatively serious maritime security threat, to deal with the challenges, stabilize the peripheral security environment, and break the US-Japan containment, we must concentrate on the ocean.”

“Another related problem is: with economic development and the rising scale of imports of resources and energy and exports of all kinds of goods, we must place an ever growing reliance on our maritime transport and our ability to secure our maritime transport. With the instability of a few countries at the global choke-points of maritime transport, if China does not have the military capability of sea deterrence and handling emergent events, it will be difficult to avoid being subject to the blackmail of certain countries.”

“As a world power with a growing global interest and responsibility, we need to push for an early start to the construction of the ‘deep blue navy.’ It is essential to build, as quickly as possible, several modern aircraft carrier battle groups with comprehensive combat capability. Neither oceanic territory defense nor military power delivery can be achieved without these aircraft carrier battle groups. As for the number, with our vast ocean territory and difficulties in carrying out our responsibilities as a global power, we cannot do without three to five aircraft carrier battle groups.”

Source: Globe Magazine, July 31, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2012-07/31/c_131737507.htm