Defense/Military - 63. page

A special commentary in the International Herald Leader stated that to become a strong power in the Pacific, China should build its own Pacific Fleet. The article acknowledged that, compared to U.S. activities in the Pacific, China’s naval military exercises are too few and far between. “The objective of the U.S. and Japan is obvious; it is to contain and oppress China and to ensure the dominance of the U.S. and Japan in the Western Pacific region.”

The commentary stated, “The Pacific is not someone’s ‘private swimming pool.’” “Mutual respect, cooperation, and mutual benefit” can only occur when we have a strong Chinese navy. “On condition of anonymity a military expert pointed out that China should build its own Pacific Fleet, and that only then can China become a true power in the ocean and its navy be a true ‘blue water force.’”

Source: International Herald Leader reprinted by Xinhua, December 5, 2011;
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-12/05/c_131284309.htm

On December 6, 2011, Hu Jintao met with senior naval officials in Beijing. At the meeting, Hu stressed the “need to accelerate the transformation of naval buildup, to expand and deepen the preparedness for military struggles, to push forward with modernization of the Navy, and to make new and greater contributions to national security and world peace.”

On December 5, 2011, a separate meeting was held in in Beijing dealing with Chinese military equipment, with the main task being “to fully develop military equipment during the Twelfth Five-Year-Plan Period, to unify thinking, clarify requirements, and advance the scientific development of weaponry and equipment to a new starting point.

Source: Xinhua, December 6, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-12/06/c_111221604.htm

According to China News, on November 22, 2011, the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) established a Strategic Planning Department.

Under the General Staff Headquarters, the newly founded PLA Strategic Planning Department’s main functions include studying critical strategic issues, drafting plans and reform proposals for the PLA’s development, submitting suggestions on the allocation of the PLA’s strategic resources and overall management, coordinating cross-headquarters and cross-field issues, and examining and evaluating the implementation of plans for the PLA’s development.

Source: China News Service, November 22, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/11-22/3479037.shtml

According to Chen Yachang, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering and deputy chief designer of the China-Russia joint Mars explorer, in addition to launching the Shenzhou spacecraft series and the near-earth space station, China will continue to launch probes to explore outer space, including Mars, Venus, and Jupiter.

Source: Guangming Daily, November 17, 2011
http://tech.gmw.cn/2011-11/17/content_2988422.htm

Globe, a magazine under Xinhua News Agency, recently published an article that painted a picture of how future wars will be fought. The battlefields, whether on land and sea or in the air and in space, would be integrated and the different army branches would have to blend into each other to form a unified force. It would require extremely powerful computing capabilities and models. The author thought that cloud computing would be the most suitable to handle the functions for central command. Cloud computing offers the best model for information and resource sharing, which translates into better coordination, as well as a competitive advantage. The article also pointed out that cloud computing is very useful for simulating wars for training purposes, which is especially helpful for countries that cannot constantly deploy their military in real wars like the United States does.

Source: Xinhua, October 25, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2011-10/25/c_131211905.htm

According to an article in Voice of America on October 08, 2011, China is continuing to purchase large numbers of Russian fighter engines. So far this year, China and Russia have signed two fighter engine sales contracts and recently have been negotiating to sign a 3rd one. Up until now, China has bought 1,000 fighter engines. Analysts say that China is still heavily dependent on Russia for fighter engines because China’s domestic made engines have a shorter life span and less power.

Source: Voice of America, October 08, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111008-China-Russia-Fighter-Engines-131381388.html

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has developed night vision maps. Last year, the PLA started searching for practical night vision technology for maps. The University of Lanzhou, the Map Institute of Gansu Province, and the Surveying and Mapping Institute of the PLA General Staff Department jointly worked on the project. The night vision maps emit “cold light” which can only be seen by people nearby; remote enemies cannot see them, even with today’s military night vision equipment. The technology used to print the maps enables them to preserve energy in daylight. They are waterproof, radiation-free, and have good luminous intensity. The material is suitable for mass production.

Source: China Review News, September 12, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1018/3/2/7/101832706.html?coluid=4&kindid=16&docid=101832706&mdate=0912131552

Xinhua reported on the newly formed cyber war alliance between the U.S. and Australia, pointing out that this is the first time the U.S. has included cyber defense in a bilateral treaty, the intention being to increase its military presence in the Asia Pacific region.

The report highlighted U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta’s view that “The Internet is the future battlefield." It quoted Panetta’s statement that, “We not only need to defend against a cyber attack; we also need to be proactive. We not only need to depend on ourselves; we also need to cooperate with our partners. This is the best way to achieve the goal.”

The article also quoted Australia Defense Secretary Smith’s statement, “Cyber security is becoming a big transnational threat. It will be a major topic in the secretary level discussions between Australia and the U.S.”

Source: Xinhua, September 16, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-09/16/c_122041466.htm