Defense/Military - 58. page

The People’s Liberation Army Daily recently published a commentary entitled “Communists’ Loyalty Cannot Be Incomplete.” It warns that Communist Party members must be on guard against “incomplete loyalty.” The commentary states, “The so-called ‘incompletel loyalty’ is the state between loyalty and disloyalty. For instance, a person may look loyal, but at the critical moment, be wavering; loyal when things are in line with his own preferences but complaining when his desires are not met; asking others to be loyal but treating himself differently; pledging loyalty at meetings but doing things his own way after the meetings; loyal when supervised but unable to discipline himself when alone. Instances like these are totally inconsistent with the requirements of loyalty to the Party.”

The commentary further pointed out that Communist Party members or cadres who are in the state of incomplete loyalty are doomed to be defeated. “In this sense, ‘incomplete loyalty’ is disloyalty.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted at the Communist Party of China Website, April 26, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49150/17753358.html

East Day, the large news site based in Shanghai, recently republished a Russian report on the successful completion of building the Electromagnetic Catapult System for Chinese aircraft carriers. The Chief Designer, Ma Weiming, received honorable recognition from the Central Military Commission. Ma got his Doctor’s degree at Tsinghua University in 1996 and was elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2001. According to the report, the Carrier Electromagnetic Catapult System is more than 100 meters in length and has a sophisticated power supply and command system. Its key component is an energy storage system that can accumulate enough energy in 45 seconds. Each Catapult System may consume 4 MW of power. An aircraft carrier with 4 Catapult Systems may need 60 MW to power all systems. This suggests that China’s future aircraft carriers may have to employ nuclear power.

Source: East Day, April 28, 2012
http://mil.eastday.com/m/20120428/u1a6520067.html

On April 22, 2012, China and Russia started their first joint naval exercise. The 6-day exercise took place in the Yellow Sea. PLA Daily published an article rebutting the Western media’s warning that behind the apparent trust and friendship of the Sino-Russian military exercise, there is “hidden tacit friction.” It criticized the Western media, saying their intent was to interfere with China’s development, sow discord between China and its friends, and create a hostile environment for China. “Some Western countries not only fear that China will improve; they also fear that China and Russia, the two big countries, will be friends.”

The article praised steady growth of the Sino-Russian relationship and the strengthening of their military ties. Not only do the two militaries have friendly visits but they also frequently cooperate substantively and practically at high levels on a wide range of issues. “Relations between the two countries are now the best they have ever been.”

Source: PLA Daily, April 23, 2012
http://txjs.chinamil.com.cn/junshity/2012-04/23/content_4841936.htm

On April 20, 2012, Global Times reported that, given the background of the recent conflict with the Philippines, the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese Navy is reportedly having much more activity in the region. The Chinese Navy is improving the underground ammunition repository and new construction is being completed. Also, at least one of the three 094 nuclear submarines based in the Sanya Naval Base is leaving the base for the South China Sea patrol. Both the President and Defense Secretary of the Philippines recently called for taking a firm stand against China.

Source: Global Times, April 20, 2012
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2012-04/2642808.html

On April 10, 2012, the People’s Liberation Army’s General Political Department and the PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences jointly published an editorial in the PLA Daily. The editorial called for heightened vigilance in following the Communist Party’s orders. “The standard of conduct that Party organizations at all levels and all Party members must abide by is the discipline of the Party. It is essential to the unity of will and action within the whole Party. As the military forces of the ruling party implement the political tasks of the Party, we [the People’s Liberation Army] must be highly conscious of observing and maintaining Party discipline.” The editorial urged the upper leadership to lead by example with respect to following the Party’s orders.

The editorial appears to be part of a series of State media articles to ensure the military’s allegiance to the Party’s leadership.

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted on the Communist Party website, April 10, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49150/17613793.html

China News recently reported that the Chinese Central Military Commission approved the establishment of the Army Audit Leadership Team, which is set to improve the Army’s administrative system. The Chief of the Army Audit Leadership Team is Liao Xilong, who also heads the Army’s General Logistics Department. Liao gave a speech at the first meeting of the Leadership Team. He emphasized that the decision [to form the team] was made directly by Central Military Commission Chairman Hu Jintao, who is also the president of the nation. The primary mission of the Leadership Team is to improve the order of the “military’s economy” and to attack corruption in the armed forces. In his speech, Liao described his near term action plan to focus on military construction work, real estate management, large scale procurement, and medical cooperation. Chief commanders, construction project managers, and high ranking administrative officers are the key people falling within the scope of the audit. Liao also made clear the requirement that the Party system would play the leading role in this mission.

Source: China News, April 6, 2012
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2012/04-06/3801219.shtml

A commentary jointly issued on March 28, 2012, by the People’s Liberation Army General Political Department and China’s National Defense University called for the highly centralized unity of military personnel and stressed having the utmost discipline. It stated that maintaining the Party’s highly centralized unity is critical to the enhancement of the cohesive combat effectiveness of the military. Regardless of the changes and new challenges ahead, the military must be under the absolute leadership of the Party and “firmly follow the orders of the Party’s Central Committee, the Central Military Committee, and President Hu under all circumstances.” If the military is not politically correct, “it will likely lose direction amidst complex and confusing political struggles. … For every Party member, following the Party’s discipline is a political requirement; the most important requirement is to be in compliance with political discipline.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, March 27, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/BIG5/49150/17497817.html

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently published a piece on its official website quoting the Chinese Embassy in Russia, which revealed that negotiations between China and Russia on the purchase of 48 Su-35 fighter jets are close to being finalized. The contract will total US$4 billion. This is China’s largest single international military procurement contract in a decade. There is one key issue that still remains unresolved in the negotiations: intellectual property protection. The Russians are requiring a legally binding guarantee to ensure that China will not illegally copy Russian technology and use it to eat into Russia’s share of the international military aircraft market.

Source: Ministry of Commerce, March 10, 2012
http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/i/jyjl/m/201203/20120308007354.html