
~ 2000 ; 2001 ; 2002
[ News ] [
Papers ]

China Aims to Touch the
Moon:top National Defense Official
(AFP, Oct. 6, 2003) China's space ambitions will not stop
at just sending a person into space; the country plans to send astronauts to
the moon, a top national defense official said.
China is NO.1 Weapons
Importer
(Reuters, Sep. 27, 2003) China
ordered US$3.6 billion worth of conventional arms last year. China has become the "centerpiece"
of Russia's
arms exports, buying at least 72 Su-27 fighters since 1996 along with two Sovremenny-class destroyers, associated missiles and four
Kilo-class attack submarines.
China to Launch First Manned
Spacecraft
(AP, Sep. 26, 2003) China's
first manned spacecraft could be launched "as early as next month"
from a site in the remote northwest and will probably contain one crew
member.
China Develops Its First
Solid-Fuel Satellite Rocket
(AFP, Sep. 25, 2003) China has successfully test-fired its first
four-stage solid-fuel rocket capable of putting small satellites into space
on short notice, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
FM Spokesman: China's
Military Policy Defensive
(Xinhuanet,
Sep. 11, 2003) China's
national defense policies and military deployments are aimed at safeguarding
national security and territorial integrity, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
China to Export Fighter Jet
Rivalling US' F-16
(Straits Times, Sep. 5, 2003) China plans to export a fighter jet, jointly
developed with Pakistan,
which it says has a combat capability that rivals the US F-16, state media
said.
China to Cut Troops by
200,000 Before 2005
(People’s Daily, Sep. 1, 2003) China plans
to cut the People's Liberation Army by a further 200,000 before 2005, said
Jiang Zemin, Chairman of the Communist Party's
Central Military Commission.
China Plans
Airborne Unit Near Taiwan Strait
(AFP,
Aug. 26, 2003) China
is planning to set up a combat airborne division closer to Taiwan in response to the growing
independence movement on the island, a report said.
China Puts Air Force and
Navy Generals in Key Posts
(Straits Times, Aug. 14, 2003) China has stepped up preparations for any
battle over the Taiwan Strait by moving
several generals with experience in air and coastal operations to key
positions.
China's Latest Satellite
Reaches for the Stars
(People’s Daily, June 4, 2003) Work
on a new satellite called Dongfanghong-IV is
progressing smoothly. All the key technical issues for the satellite have
been resolved and design and production work has started.
China to Shrink Military by 42,000,
Officials Reveal
(AP, June 21, 2003) China's military
will move 42,000 soldiers to civilian jobs this year as part of efforts to
shrink the world's largest military, the main Communist Party newspaper said.
China Replaces
Top Navy Officers Over Sub Disaster
(WP, June 13, 2003) The government has replaced the navy's two top officers
in a move apparently connected to a deadly submarine disaster in late April.
Beijing Plans to Reorganize
Its Armed Forces
(WP, June 11, 2003) China
has decided to eliminate 500,000 members of the People's Liberation Army in
an effort to turn the world's largest standing military into a streamlined,
modern organization.
Australian Army Chief Leaves for China
Visit
(AFP, May 27, 2003)
Lieutenant General Peter Leahy left at the weekend and was scheduled to hold
talks beginning Wednesday with senior Chinese officials on regional and
bilateral security issues.
China Launches Third
Navigation Satellite
(AP, May 26, 2003)
China
launched a third navigation satellite Sunday in a step that could aid in the
development of advanced military technologies, such as cruise missile
systems.
China Said to Take 2 Weeks
to Disclose Sub Disaster
(NYT, May 5, 2003)
The catastrophe may have resulted from a malfunction in the craft's diesel
engines that sucked the oxygen from the interior during a descent.
Politics Behind China's Sub Accident Report
(Reuters, May 4, 2003)
'By announcing the accident, Jiang is trying to absolve himself,' the source
said. Whoever should be held responsible will be held responsible.
Chinese Submarine Accident
Kills 70
(WP, May 3, 2003) An accident
aboard an overcrowded Chinese submarine operating off the country's northeast
coast has killed 70 officers and crew members.
China Puts
Forward Disarmament Scheme to UN
(China Daily, Apr. 1, 2003)
China
put forth a 10-point proposal to the 2003 Session of the United Nations
Disarmament Commission to promote sound development for disarmament and arms
control.
Jiang Calls for Military
Reform of Chinese Army
(People’s Daily, Mar. 11, 2003)
Jiang Zemin called on the People's Liberation Army
to step up its military reform, and to set the target of fully equipping
itself with IT by the middle of the century.
MND Warns of PLA Coastal Buildup
(CNA, Mar. 10, 2003)
China's
People's Liberation Army has conspicuously intensified its combat
preparedness in coastal regions over the past year, according to a report to
be delivered by Defense Minister Tang Yiau-ming.
Budget Surprise for China's
Army
(CNN.com, Mar.7, 2003) China
has announced its lowest military spending hike in 13 years, recommending a
budget increase of 9.6 percent for the People's Liberation Army.
Budget Boost for China's Military
(AP, Mar. 4, 2003)
For 13 consecutive years, Beijing
has lavished double-digit increases on the 2.5-million strong People's Liberation
Army. Reported defense spending grew 17.6 percent to US$20 billion last year,
and a similar increase seems likely this year.
China Gets Jets
(Washington Times, Feb.
14, 2003) Russia
delivered the latest batch of advanced SU-30MKK fighter bombers to China
within the past month and additional jets are on the way.
China Successfully Tests Multi-Warhead
Missiles
(Yomiuri Shimbun,
Feb. 8, 2003) China
successfully test-launched a medium-range missile with multiple warheads in
December 2002, indicating a rapid modernization of China's nuclear missile
capability.
China Stages
Major Military Maneuvers
(News International, Jan.
17, 2003) China's
armed forces have conducted a series of large-scale military maneuvers
against the backdrop of increased tension on the Korean peninsula.
Jing Appointed New Commander of the
PLA Second Artillery
(China Times, Jan. 17,
2003) At a recent meeting of the Central Military Commission,
Lieutenant General Jing Zhiyuan, Chief of Staff,
PLA Second Artillery Corps (2D), was appointed the new Commander, 2D.
PLA General Seeks Regional
Co-operation over Conflict
(South China Morning Post, Jan.
16, 2003) China
should actively promote regional security and economic co- operation over
confrontation, according to a leading mainland military commander.

Chinese Military ready for
"Necessary" Casualties over Taiwan
(AFP, Dec. 3, 2003) Senior
Chinese military officers warned Taiwan it was staring into the
abyss of war and the mainland was ready for "necessary" casualties
if the island pursued its independence drive.
China's Navy Floats a
Warning to Taiwan By Iris Tsang
(Asia
Times, Nov. 25, 2003) A Chinese submarine intentionally surfaced in the
vicinity of Japanese waters recently after a stealthy drill, sending a
warning to the United States,
Japan and even Taiwan.
China Readying
for Taiwan Showdown By Ching Cheong
(Straits Times, Nov. 21,
2003) It's moving towards battle-readiness over Taipei's independence plans, and is
prepared to take on US if it intervenes.
Defense Diplomacy, Chinese
Style By Stephen Blank
(Asia
Times, Nov. 10, 2003) Beijing, as it reacts to
the world around it, has seen the value of stepped-up military relationships
with its neighbors in ways that go far beyond China's traditional military and
foreign policies.
China in Space: Military
Implications By Arun
Sahgal
(Asia Times, Nov. 5, 2003) Chinese leaders have
always believed prowess in science and technology to be an essential
ingredient of its national strength.
China's Wen Calls for "New Security Concept" for Asia at Boao Forum (AFP, Nov. 2,
2003) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and other Asian leaders have called for stronger
efforts to promote regional economic growth, although they offered differing
views over the region's security priorities.
The Crucible of Tragedy:
SARS, the Ming 361 Accident, and Chinese Party-Army Relations By James Mulvenon (China Leadership
Monitor, Fall 2003) Hu Jintao,
despite the potential opening offered by the governance crisis over SARS,
appears unwilling or unable to directly challenge Jiang Zemin's
leadership at this point in time.
China's Disappointing Armed
Forces Reforms By Willy Lam
(CNN, Aug. 12, 2003) Major restructuring that is taking place in the People's
Liberation Army says much about the future of the world's largest fighting
forces -- and the prospects of reform under the new Hu
Jintao leadership.
Pentagon Fires Off New China
Report By David Isenberg
(Asia Times, Aug. 5, 2003) The report said Chinese strategists may be modifying the conditions
they believe would justify Chinese use of theater nuclear weapons against US
forces in East Asia, possibly in the context of a war over Taiwan..
Annual Report on the
Military Power of the People's Liberation Army of China (Department of
Defense, USA, July 2003) While China interacts with the United States in
order to benefit from U.S. trade and technology, Beijing apparently believes
that the United States poses a significant long-term challenge,"
especially with regards to Taiwan.
China Accelerates Navy
Building By Richard
D. Fisher, Jr.
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, July 29, 2003) A naval arms race is now underway across
the Taiwan Strait that has wider implications for the United States and its Asian
allies.
Is China a Crouching Tiger or Paper
Dragon? By Yu Maochun
(Straits Times, July 19, 2003) When a senior defence
expert testified recently before a United States congressional commission on
China's military capability, he detailed the extraordinarily robust weapons programme the People's Liberation Arm has been pursuing.
China Embraces Long-Range
Missiles By Brian Hsu
(Taipei Times, July 8, 2003) Beijing
hopes long-range missiles will further its intimidation tactics as they are
more destructive and less susceptible to anti-missile systems.
The Rise of China as a
Security Linchpin By Shiping
Tang
(Asia Times, June 21, 2003) China's
rise has generated a lot of attention, but the predication that China's
rise will cause havoc in regional security has been an exaggeration of fear.
China to Chop Half Million
Military Jobs - Analysts
(Reuters, June 16, 2003) China aims to cut up to half a million people from
the armed forces over the next two years as it reinvigorates a decade-old
plan to make its bloated military more efficient.
PLA Seeks A New Leap Forward By Willy Lam
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, June 3, 2003) President Hu Jintao issued a remarkably
tough message on defense and armaments at a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Politburo meeting in late May.
China's New Missile
Destroyer: the 'Magic Shield of China'
(People’s Daily, May 29,
2003) The launch of China's
first destroyer equipped with home-made ship-based missile operational system
was dubbed the "magic shield of China" by Western military
strategists.
China Seeks Russian Military
Edge By Willy Lam
(CNN.com, May 27, 2003) Closer defense ties with Moscow coincides with a
thorough-going restructuring of the PLA, which is being masterminded by
ex-president and CMC Chairman Jiang.
CFR Report on Chinese Military Power
(Council on Foreign Relations, May 22, 2003) China
is pursuing a deliberate course of military modernization, but is at least
two decades behind the United
States in terms of military technology and
capability. China's
current force structure provides effective defense against any effort to
invade and seize Chinese territory.
China Seen
Decades Behind U.S. in
Military Might By Carol Giacomo
(Reuters, May 22, 2003)
China is at least two
decades behind the United States
in modernizing its military and is unlikely to seriously challenge America globally or in Asia
for an even longer period.
Beijing's Naval Threat By Richard Fisher
(Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2003) As Taiwan tarries, the PLA Navy is
outfitting two destroyers launched last year with very effective Russian
SA-N-12 SAMs and Russian long-range radar.
China Learns Cover-Up
Lessons By Willy Lam
(CNN.com, May 6, 2003) The deadly submarine accident off the Bohai
Sea may have an impact
on the People's Liberation Army (PLA) that is comparable to that of the
pneumonia epidemic on civilian authorities.
China Sub Deaths 'Must Rouse
Navy'
(BBC, May 5, 2003) Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged the faster modernisation
of the navy after 70 sailors died in a mysterious submarine accident.
Wanted:
PhD Holders to Join the Army By David
Hsieh
(Straits Times, Apr. 21, 2003) In a bid to transform itself into a modern
army able to fight high-tech wars, the PLA wants better-educated recruits
Beijing Studies the U.S. War
in Iraq By Willy Lam
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Apr. 8, 2003) Chinese strategic and
military experts are scrutinizing the U.S.
war in Iraq,
and for several reasons.
China Army Looks to
Technology By Willy Lam
(CNN.com, Mar. 10, 2003) China's
People's Liberation Army will boost its capability to fight hi-tech warfare,
especially its ability to handle "emergencies."
PLA to Outclass ROC Military by
2010: Scholar By Chris Cockel
(China Post, Feb. 27, 2003) Taiwan's military still maintains a slender
qualitative edge over mainland China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) but the
balance is rapidly shifting and by 2010 the PLA will have gained the upper
hand, David Shambaugh said.
China Ramps Up Missile
Capability
(CNN.com, Feb. 11, 2003) China's People's Liberation Army is developing
missiles that may soon be capable of penetrating America's proposed national
missile defense system as well as threatening U.S. aircraft carrier battle
groups.
China Military Official
Outlines Anti-Terror Policy
(Xinhuanet, Feb. 9, 2003) Xiong
Guangkai, deputy chief of the General Staff of the
People's Liberation Army of China, outlined China's basic anti-terror
policies based on the new security concept.
Missile Technology Sent to
China By Scott L. Wheeler
(Insight Magazine, Feb. 5, 2003) An important U.S.
high-tech manufacturer is shutting down its American operations, laying off
hundreds of workers and moving sophisticated equipment now being used to make
critical parts for smart bombs to the People's Republic of China.
More Russian Weapon Go to
China By Sergei
Blagov
(Asia Times, Jan. 30, 2003) Over the past decade, Russia
has steadily increased its arms sales to China. The Chinese air force received
its first Russian-made Su-27 in
1992. In 2003, China
is expected to receive 19 Su-30MKKs.
Is Chinese Military
Modernization a Threat to the United States?
By
Ivan Eland
(CATO Institute, Jan. 2003) Even without U..S.
assistance, Taiwan's
modern military could probably dissuade China from attacking. Taiwan does not have to be able to win a
conflict; it needs only to make the costs of any attack unacceptable to China. The
informal U.S.
security guarantee is unneeded.
Beijing Aims To
Be Big Shot in Arms Exports
(Straits Times, Jan. 24, 2003) China has set its sights on
making its defence industry a top player in the
global arms market by 2020. It hopes to shift its focus from conventional and
small-arms production to a research and development centre for high-tech
weaponry.
China's "Tsushima"
Anticarrier Strategy By Thomas Woodrow
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Jan. 14, 2003) China's
navy is developing a Taiwan-scenario strategy to defeat U.S. naval forces by luring them
into predetermined target areas and ambushing them with an array of anticarrier attack forces.
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