The latest defence white paper suggests an increasing willingness to use a modernizing military to settle diplomatic disputes.
Assessing China’s domestic achievements and reviewing the international lay of the land last October, President Hu Jintao declared to the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee that the country was still in a period of ‘strategic opportunity.' Almost six months later, and it’s clear from the latest defence white paper that military planners agree.
The paper, released Thursday, places significant emphasis on the importance of China’s growing economic prowess. There is inevitably the familiar lament over US arms sales to Taiwan, the United States’ involvement in the Asia-Pacific and the reinforcement of US military alliances in the region. But the watchword in what is an extremely upbeat assessment of the country’s national strength is ‘economy.’ This isn’t to say that China isn’t fully aware of the perceived threat that its unprecedented economic growth has created – it’s clear from the paper and elsewhere that it is. But it’s also hardly surprising that China is feeling ever more confident after successfully weathering the turbulent economic waters that the global economy has faced in recent years.
The latest white paper argues that China’s ‘comprehensive national strength has stepped up to a new stage.’ However, unlike the previous paper, which simply stated that China ‘would not seek hegemony or engage in military expansion…no matter how it develops,’ last week’s document is much firmer, stating that ‘China will never seek hegemony…no matter how its economy develops.’
Still, despite such soothing remarks, there’s also an unmistakable self-assurance in the face of increasing suspicion about China, with the paper noting ‘interference and countering moves against China from the outside’ and pressures on China as it seeks to preserve the rights and the interests of its ‘vast territories and territorial seas.’
Looking ahead, the white paper sets out four key tasks for China’s national defence:
- Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and the interests of national development.
- Maintaining social harmony and stability;
- Accelerating the modernization of national defence and the armed forces;
- Maintaining world peace and stability.
Although there’s little new in these broad strokes, there are some interesting differences between this latest document and its predecessors. For example, on the question of defending the country’s security interests, cyber space has been included as a key national defence consideration for the first time. With the creation of a joint operation system having been declared a key feature of the People’s Liberation Army modernization, this emphasis on information technology is set to grow. The document also states that China has achieved a step-change in development of information infrastructure within the armed forces, with the total length of ‘the national defence optical fibre communication network’ apparently having grown by a ‘large margin.’ All this is part of a next generation information transmission network under which optical fibre communication is the mainstay, while satellite and short-wave communications are supplementary. Such a modernization of the PLA is described by the paper as a rational extension of a process already underway.
Photo Credit: US Marine Corps
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Tom
The problem is some Chinese especially those in the PLA have underestimated the USA’s potential and strength (after 2008 financial crisis!)! Together with some American declinists, these Chinese have thought now is the ‘unique unprecedented opportunity’ for China to ‘ remake and rule the world’ because China is rising, and the US is declining for good and not able to protect its global interests any more!! These very miscalculations and hubris are very dangerous because it could bring the world to the verge of total war and destruction!
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-nye-china-20110406,0,1974198.story
George
Tom, what you’re saying is absolutely wrong. Look at how much national debt China is holding which is printed by the US Gov? Look at how China manage to hold back and defeat the USA in both Korea and Vietnam War, as a relatively weak power and a country in internal crisis we still manged to do it. So bring it on.
Tom
You’ve made a ‘very big mistake’! China never won the Korean war! Do you know how many young Chinese had perished in those inhumane human waves!At least several hundred thousands of those pitiful soldiers had fallen down for what?! And in Vietnam War, without USSR’s advanced weaponry then NVN hardly ‘won’ the war! Thanks to the deal with the US , China had had a chance to survive and develop in a quite hostile environment with an ambitious bellicose USSR being around!Without a friendly consumption market in the USA , then China would have nowhere for its exports!Remember currently, American multinationals in China account for 60% of China’s exports!Even though, China holds a large number of US T-bonds, this is not an advantage for China but just a future trouble instead!! Customer is always always right, do you know that?!!
Tom
By the way, give you some numbers so you could understand more ! Actually, the biggest holders of US debt are American individuals, institutions, and Social Security (42.2%); China holds only 7.5% and Japan, 6.4% of US debt! Although presently China holds the largest amount of US T-bonds, but it’s just over 7% of total US debt. It’s not a significant portion in any sense!Hope the Chinese people should understand more about the oft-mentioned myth ‘China is funding the US debt’!!
Johnny
@Tom I agree to this well thought post of yours. Chinese it seems have forgotten some very interesting events of history like fall of Soviet Union. Nobody had predicted that Soviet Union will fall as it was doing good in pretty much every front and them wham! it went and got splintered into pieces. No matter what they say Democracies have always come on top in the end.
Another event was Vietnam war in which china lost huge number of people and the war too. Not to mention death toll of Great Leap forward and Cultural Revolution!
Another thing is that they tout that they ‘have America in pocket’ but they forget what happened during Nixon Shock.
Johnny
@George What YOU are saying is historically wrong. China was defeated in Vietnam war and I would encourage you to read history first.
As for China’s holdings, I would recommend the world economic history. You will be surprised that similar things have happened before. USA however comes on top everytime. Keep providing us with goods and keep getting papers in return. We will just ‘adjust’ price/policies and you will be in dust.
Caseyorourke
@ George
The Korean war has never ended. There is currently a cease fire in place, but no negotiated settlement. The US has never completely pulled out their forces, but are still their waiting for the North to either attack again or just fall apart.
Vietnam was a defeat only because American public opinion turned against it and the political leadership could not justify staying there, so we just left and left South Vietnam to fend for itself. Besides, China didn’t have a dog in the Vietnam war, it was the USSR’s baby. China only came into play when Nixon used his trip to China to make it look like he was going to use China’s influence to make N. Vietnam come to an agreement, which scared the Russians into pushing the North back to the negotiation table
megakids
What ‘unique unprecedented opportunity’ are you talking about? China doesn’t care, and hasn’t cared much about others (incl. US) when she charted her own developments. You are up, you are up. You are down, so be it! Don’t over-state your importance because you just are not THAT important. Sorry to hurt your ego, but that’s the fact!
Tom
Just a gentle reminder! China to date is still an export-oriented country with exports accounting for 40% of its GDP. The US and EU are still the biggest markets for Chinese goods! If you don’t buy US T-bonds, then how can you maintain your unfair export advantage over other developing countries? The stark reality is China has been still heavily dependent on the US for its’peaceful rise’! So, don’t ever say ‘China doesn’t care!’!!
Frank
Relax Tom. Chinese love money. They will never attack their best customer and borrower. How can they retrieve their loan?
Americans are smart people. They knew if they go to war with China “it could bring the world to the verge of total war and destruction!”
Most likely, they will just whack each other’s dogs.
North Korea for China, India for USA.
Simon
Tom,
the world is changing… it is going back to the normal state. pls read some history. Cheap talk, pleads, or threats or even cocky(look u down) talk dont work with the Chinese. They been there, done that .. way before USA was around. And pls go read the book>> The Global Bell Curve.
What i think is the Chinese is playing a shadow game, i think what they really want is to get off Earth and go to the stars… remember , those people have 100 yrs planning. LOL.
JD
Regardless, despite the reassurances, the report leaves the impression that China will increasingly lean on its military and economic might to resolve diplomatic disputes.Very well said in view of “China’s presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is “increasing steadily” and its troops are “actually present” along the Line of Control, a top Army Commander said, adding the Chinese footprints are “too close for comfort” for India.
“Chinese presence in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Northern Areas is increasing steadily… There are many people who are concerned about the fact that if there was to be hostility between us and Pakistan, what would be the complicity of Chinese. Not only they are in the neighbourhood but the fact that they are actually present and stationed along the LoC,” Northern Army Commander Lt Gen K T Parnaik said here last week while addressing a seminar.
He said China’s links with Pakistan through PoK “lends strength” to the “nexus” between the two countries which is a cause of “great security concern” for India.
“As part of (China’s) ‘strings of pearls’ policy, Chinese footprints are too close for comfort,” Parnaik added.
The Army Commander said such a nexus between the Chinese and Pakistani military “jeopardises our regional strategic interests in the long run and and facilitates speedy and enhanced deployment of Pakistan armed forces to complement China’s military operations and thus outranks India.”
He said China has been found to be involved in the construction of numerous roads and and several hydro-power projects inside PoK.
Beijing is laying a web of roads that run across areas as distant from each other as Skardu in PoK and Kunming in China near Myanmar border.
China has already constructed roads connecting all its highways to logistic centres and major defence installations that dot the border with India and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in south-eastern Jammu and Kashmir.
http://www.samachar.com/Chinas-presence-in-PoK-increasing-steadily-Army-Commander-legcLdechdc.html
It is high time the Indian politicians and babus wake up.
John Chan
Roads are neutral, they do not favour one or another, if Indian troops are good enough to capture those roads, those roads will become a network for India to move its troops for free. So India military planners should think positively about those roads and welcome those roads. India should focus on how to utilize those roads. Spending 17% of India’s GDP on military a year for the next 20 years is the starter to think positively about those roads.
Johnny
@JohnChan China ‘claims’ to spend 2% of GDP on military while India spends 2.6% of GDP on military. I don’t know why on the earth you make 17% suggestion.
Furthermore, China’s spending claim is widely known to be understated. Global security.com has stated that it is ‘estimated that actual Chinese defense expenditure is 3 times the stated figures’ i.e. China is spending 6% of GDP on military.
megakids
@Johnny
“Furthermore, China’s spending claim is widely known to be understated”…
Widely known, by whom? Guess you mean CNN, Pentagon. They always under-state other’s budget when the military brass needs more money. No matter how many multipliers you add on, China is still so far away from the spending level of that of US. So move on Buddy, do you homework first!
Johnny
@megakids My reply was to the Chan’s ‘suggestion’ about 17% spending. Why drag USA into it?
Oh and by the way Globalsecurity.com is widely believed to be a credible source. Though you will denounce it because it doesn’t suits you right now.
Leonard R.
1. – Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and the interests of national development.
2. – Maintaining social harmony and stability;
3. – Accelerating the modernization of national defence and the armed forces;
4. – Maintaining world peace and stability.
****
I think #2 will keep them too busy for 1 & 3.
#4 is a laugher.
megakids
Laugh all you want, just like you have laughed for 30 years.
See who will have the last laugh!
nobu
@megakids
Speaking of laughing…have you seen the Chinese clone of a Rolls Royce? I can’t wait for them to export it to the UK! I’m sure my friends will never be able to tell the difference…but I digress, back to our regular programming.
Johnny
It is true indeed that China is using its military to solve border disputes by threatening its neighbors in South-China sea.
Take a look at map in Page 3 of http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/South_China_Sea/pdf.pdf and you will find that China’s claim are completely in violation of United Nations Convention On Law of Sea (UNCLOS) which defines the boundaries all around the world not just in South-China sea.
How is that different from a thug pointing gun at you and throwing you out of your house?
Yang zi
Indian authors are obessed with China. I have never seen a Chinese author write anything hostile to Indian on this site.
Indian’s anti china stance is short sighted and eventually will harm Indian
Snaket Upadhyay
So what your point is? Any article from other nations gives a better perspective of matter at hand especially if the country in question has state controlled media. We have seen plenty of India focused article from Chinese authors but we don’t question their credibility on the basis of their nationality and instead present our view/counter view. It will be appreciated if you can learn to do same instead of questioning author on the basis of his nationality!
harry
thats not true, indians are obessed with China, you must know it, how a country with what your government calls “an inferior goveroning system” is doing better than your country in ever respect. =)
Johnny
@Harry So is China doing very well? Why there are enormous protests, Jasmine revolutions and ‘Worst Crackdown of the Decade’? Why you have captured WeiWei when he hasn’t committed any crime. That man gave everything to China (he designed Olympic stadium) and how CPC repayed him?
JD
Zi,even I wonder why Indians only are obsessed with China?You got any ideas?
Sanket Upadhyay
Perhaps it has something to do with China’s irresponsible stance on border issues, or perhaps because of its nuclear supply to Pakistan or perhaps because of backing of insurgents in its neighbors. We don’t want conflict with them, we simply realize that some nations can’t be made friends or relied upon. Thats it.
I stand firmly on my point. One should try to post something valuable about topic at hand instead of questioning author on the basis of his nationality. Treat others like you want yourself to be treated.
Frank
I do.
If allowed to publish, I would elaborate.
You may not like my observations.
Johnny
@Frank Kettle says Pot black!
In every India related article Mr.Frank ALWAYS makes comments and post derogatory remarks about them. So who is to be blamed?
@Sanket I agree, None shall ever believe an authoritarian regime, good to see India has woken up. I think that Indians should join NATO to stand with us against this common threat.
Frank
“I think that Indians should join NATO to stand with us against this common threat.”
Who are “us”?
Did you try not to be an Indian?
If overseas Indians are ashamed of themselves to be called Indians, then there must be a reason they all doing so.
For most overseas Chinese, being called Chinese is an honor.
Johnny
@Frank My head exploded while reading you comment! So if I say that ‘India shall join hand with us’ I am an indian? What on the earth is wrong with you?