Defense/Military - 67. page

In response to Western media’s reactions to the news that Pakistan asked China to help build the Gwadar port, Xu Guangyu, a retired military major general, wrote an article in Global Times “In the future China will surely have overseas bases.” The author argued, “There is no need for much ado about nothing, even if it is true; let alone that China has denied the news.” Xu continued, “[China’s] growing national power and an ever interconnected world do not allow us to avoid exchanges with the outside. It is inevitable to contact and cooperate with other countries on issues of the economy, culture, and security. Since ancient times, the vast ocean has been an irreplaceable platform for such exchanges. Any country, as long as it has a coastline of over a kilometer, will try to build ports and a fleet, exchange voyages and share ports with friendly countries.” “Today, if such a big China peacefully assists Pakistan or other countries to build ports or even naval bases, it will be a breakthrough for China’s normal overseas condition of ‘two zeros’ (no ports, no bases). This is progress. For China, as a big country with the responsibility for regional and world peace and development, such breakthroughs should become quite normal. Are you ready (to accept it)?”

Source: People’s Daily website, May 26, 2011
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/42969/58519/14742139.html

On April 28, Xinhua summarized five topics that the overseas media has discussed about China’s national defense. The topics are: 1) China’s first aircraft carrier will come into being. Speculators have two views. One says it will enhance China’s ability to apply pressure to neighboring countries. The other argues that it is too early [for the aircraft carrier] to have effective combat capability. 2) About China’s military power, one faction believes that China is militarily powerful and should be considered in connection with war. An opposite opinion suggests that China cannot surpass the United States, particularly in the ability to deal with remote distances 3) Regarding China’s Stealth Jet Fighter J-20, the article asks the [media] not use the word “threatening.” 4) About future cyber warfare, the article describes that [the Western media’s reports] are a reflection of a relapse into “paranoia.” 5) As to China’s missile technology, the article asks [the media] not to make any connection between “threat” and “War.”

Source: Xinhua, April 28, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-04/28/c_121353528.htm

On April 25, 2011, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO – founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) held a conference for the Chiefs of the General Staff in Shanghai, as part of the agreement of the Tashkent Summit of SCO Heads of State. China initiated the conference; it will be the first of its kind since SCO was founded ten years ago. Chen Bingde, China’s chief of the general staff of the People’s Liberation Army and also the host of the conference pointed out that, over the past 10 years, defense and security cooperation among SCO member states has been fruitful; mutual military trust has deepened; laws and regulations have continued to improve; the cooperation mechanisms have developed; and joint anti-terror exercises have been effective. SCO defense ministers signed a cooperation plan last month for the period 2012-2013.

Source: Xinhua, April 22, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-04/22/c_121335988.htm

Voice of America (VOA) recently reported that China’s first aircraft carrier is approaching the stage of final delivery. The report saw this as a major milestone in China’s effort to modernize its military –despite the fact that the aircraft carrier is just a refit of the long-retired Ukrainian aircraft carrier “Varyag.” It is widely believed that this new addition to China’s Navy will be used mainly for training purposes and as a reference for future aircraft carrier designs. The real-world battlefield capabilities are far behind the ship’s counterparts in today’s U.S. Navy. The VOA report also mentioned the worries expressed in the media on the part of China’s neighboring countries, such as Taiwan and South Korea.

Source: Voice of America, April 9, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110409-China-First-Aircraft-Carrier-119529679.html

Guo Boxiong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke recently at the PLA’s Military Training Program Reform meeting and asked for “conscientious implementation of Chairman Hu Jintao’s decisions and instructions on military training, … innovations in the training model, and development of the training system, given the conditions of information technology, … and continuous creation of great improvements in military training.” This is one of several recent high level instructions given on military training with a focus on information technology.

Source: Xinhua, March 30, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-03/30/c_121249897.htm

The General Political Department, a chief political organ under the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party, leads all Party and political activities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). PLA Daily recently reported that the General Political Department will circulate a “Practical Handbook for the Chinese Military’s Party Branches.” Its purpose is to “further implement CMC Chairman Hu Jintao’s instructions and the requirement to strengthen grassroots Party organizations.” The Handbook is an addition to two recent CMC documents: “Regulations of the Work of Party Committees” and “Regulations of the Political Work of the PLA,” which are to be distributed in the PLA and the People’s Armed Police (PAP) as training materials for cadres of all ranks, from new recruits to college graduates.

Source: PLA Daily, March 22, 2011
http://www.chinamil.com.cn/jfjbmap/content/2011-03/22/content_53191.htm

At a National People’s Congress meeting on March 12, 2011, Hu Jintao, head of the Chinese Communist Party and Chair of the Central Military Committee, told a delegation of the People’s Liberation Army to “enhance the sense of opportunity, sense of urgency, and sense of historic mission. … Speed up military preparedness, resolutely safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security, and interests, and resolutely safeguard the current important period of strategic opportunity for China’s development.” Hu also reemphasized the Party’s absolute leadership over the army, “(We) must constantly equip the officers and soldiers with socialist theories with Chinese characteristics, so as to ensure that all military personnel remain ideologically and politically alert and firm. (We) must unswervingly uphold the fundamental principles of the Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces.”

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-03/12/c_121179796.htm

On the morning of March 9, 2011, the Chinese Navy joined multi-nation anti-terrorist exercises along with Pakistan, Italy, and France in Karachi, Pakistan. The exercises tried to simulate how the Navy anti-terrorist team would respond to the task of rescuing “an abducted commercial ship” and identifying the suspects, while protecting the hostages.

Source: Xinhua, March 10, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-03/10/c_13771140.htm