PLA

2007

~ 2000 ; 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005; 2006

China and India Hold First Joint Military Exercise
(Straits Times, Dec. 21, 2007) India and China will launch their first-ever joint military exercise today in the mountain ranges of China's south-western Yunnan province. The anti-terrorism drill, called Hand-in-Hand 2007, involves only 100 troops from each side. But analysts said it is not the scale but the scope for potential cooperation between the Asian giants in combating international terrorism that is significant.

China's Hu in Control of Rapidly Modernizing Military
(Agence France Presse, Oct. 20, 2007) After five years in power, President Hu Jintao has finally gained unquestioned control of China's massive military while transforming it into wealthy, high-tech fighting force, analysts said.

Chinese Warships Arrive in Sydney
(AFP, Sep. 29, 2007) Two Chinese warships arrived in Sydney ahead of the first joint military exercises between Australia and the Asian nation, with officials saying more operations were planned. Australian Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said next week's joint exercises involving the Australian, Chinese and New Zealand navies signaled closer military cooperation between Beijing and Canberra.

China Replaces Air Force Chief
(AP, Sep. 26, 2007) China has replaced the head of its air force and other top military chiefs ahead of a major Communist Party congress next month at which President Hu Jintao is expected to fill several top posts with younger leaders loyal to his rule. Lt. Gen. Xu Qiliang, a former deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army's general staff, has taken over from Gen. Qiao Qingchen as head of the PLA Air Force.

PLA Names New Chief of General Staff
(AP, Sep. 25, 2007) China has named as new chief of general staff for its military. General Chen Bingde's promotion as the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) head of day-to-day operations came in the past six weeks - in a transfer that was unusually quiet even for an institution as secretive as China's military.

China to Build New Satellite Launch Site
(AP, Sep. 24, 2007) China is planning to build a new satellite launch site — the country's fourth — to boost its burgeoning space program. The facility will be located in Wenchang on the southern island province of Hainan.

China Says Suffers "Massive" Internet Spy Damage
(Reuters, Sep. 12, 2007) China has suffered "massive" losses of state and military secrets through the Internet, a senior official said, urging sweeping controls and new security agencies to fight computer threats and uncensored news. Vice Minister of Information Industry Lou Qinjian's claims come as China faces reports that it has raided the computer networks of Western powers.

France Latest to Accuse Chinese of Hacking
(AP, Sep. 11, 2007) Government computers in France have been the target of hackers linked to China, claims a top French official, following allegations that they have also infiltrated systems in Germany, Britain and the United States.

China to Give Data to U.N. On Its Military Spending
(New York Times, Sep. 3, 2007) China said that it would submit information about its military spending and weapons trading to the United Nations, in what appears to be an effort to calm fears about its secretive and rapidly expanding armed forces.

Russia, China Flex Muscles in Joint War Games
(Reuters, Aug. 18, 2007) Russia and China staged their biggest joint exercises but denied this show of military prowess could lead to the formation of a counterweight to NATO. The war games were staged under the flag of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional grouping that includes Russia, China and four Central Asian states.

China Exudes Military Confidence on PLA Anniversary
(Reuters, Aug. 2, 2007) China called its growing military strength a force for peace and Communist Party rule on the 80th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, even as a senior commander warned Taiwan against risking war.

China Military Getting Trendier Uniforms
(AP, July 3, 2007) China is rolling out sleeker uniforms for its 2.3 million-member military, prompted by a bigger budget and growing involvement in U.N. peacekeeping, state media said.

China Military Commander Advocates Offensive Strength
(Reuters, June 13, 2007) A senior Chinese defense strategist has said his nation needs to build offensive strength and an "effective nuclear force" but has no intention of renouncing its no-first-use nuclear doctrine.

China Says U.S. Report on Its Military Exaggerated
(Reuters, May 28, 2007) China hit back at a Pentagon report on its rising military might on Monday, saying it was exaggerated and an interference in Chinese domestic affairs. ''The Pentagon report exaggerates China's military strength and expenditure with ulterior motives,'' the Foreign Ministry said.

Chinese Media Blast Pentagon Report
(Reuters, May 27, 2007) Chinese state media blasted a Pentagon report on Beijing's defense plans as misleading and insulting, and said China had to pursue military modernization to avoid falling further behind the United States.

U.S.: China Lacks Power for Taiwan Fight
(AP, May 27, 2007) The Pentagon is warning China in blunt language that despite Beijing's massive military buildup, it lacks the power for a successful attack against rival Taiwan. The annual report on China's military is likely to add to rising tension between Washington and Beijing.

Pentagon Warns That China Is Adding Missiles and Building Capacity to Fight Abroad (Washington Post, May 26, 2007) The Pentagon said China's short-term focus remains the Taiwan Straits, where the nation continues to position more short-range ballistic missiles. By October, China had increased its force of mobile short-range missiles based in garrisons opposite Taiwan to 900, the report said.

Latest Chinese Missile to Target US Carriers: Report
(AFP, May 16, 2007) China plans to equip its upcoming missiles with infrared technology to give them the ability to hit US warships in Asia, a Japanese newspaper said. The upgrade is part of preparations for a potential conflict over Taiwan.

China Wants Brightest People for Army
(AFP, May 1, 2007) Recruiting high-calibre people is key to a new technology driven training plan adopted by China's military as it seeks to cope with the challenges of the future, state media said.

China Boosts Military Spending
(WP, Mar. 5, 2007) China announced that it will increase military spending at a sharply higher rate this year, budgeting a rise of nearly 18 percent, and a senior U.S. official immediately called for clarity on the planned expenditures.

China Rejects U.S. Criticism of Military Build-Up
(Reuters, Feb. 27, 2007) China dismissed U.S. criticism of its military build-up, saying the world's most populous country was an important force for world peace.

China Seeks Talks on Space Weapons Treaty
(AFP, Feb. 14, 2007) China called for talks on a space weapons treaty, a day after its defense minister reportedly said the country had no plans for a repeat of last month's test of an anti-satellite weapon.

China Says No More Satellite-Killer Tests
(AFP, Feb., 2007) China does not plan another anti-satellite test, its defence minister was quoted as saying, a month after Beijing became the third country to shoot down an object in space.

China Calls for Space Treaty
(AP, Feb. 2, 2007) China said it is ready to work with other countries on an agreement to prevent an arms race in space amid an international uproar over its firing of an anti-satellite missile.

China Confirms Space Test; Denies Intent to Intimidate
(NYT, Jan. 24, 2007) The Chinese government publicly confirmed that it had conducted a successful test of a new anti-satellite weapon but said it had no intention of participating in a “space race.”

MND Concerned over Satellite Blast
(China Post, Jan. 24, 2007) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) expressed concern over China's shooting down of a satellite two weeks ago, raising the possibility that Taiwan's archrival will be able to destroy Taiwan-friendly satellites in the event of an attack on the island.

China Tells US Not to Worry about Anti-Satellite Test
(AFP, Jan. 23, 2007) China has told Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill that a recent test of a Chinese satellite killer missile did not signal a threat to other countries or a bid to militarize space, the State Department said.

U.S. Officials Try to Interpret China’s Silence Over Satellite
(NYT, Jan. 22, 2007) Bush administration officials said that they had been unable to get even the most basic diplomatic response from China after their detection of a successful test to destroy a satellite 10 days ago.

China Deploys Advanced Fighters
(Taipei Times, Jan. 22, 2007) The Chinese-language daily China Times yesterday cited a military source as saying that 12 J-10 jets had been deployed at an air force base around 500km from Taiwan.

World Leaders Press China to Explain Anti-Satellite Test
(Reuters, Jan. 20, 2007) China's anti-satellite weapons test has raised concerns in Asia and the US about the rising militarisation of space and prompted governments to demand explanations, while China has played down fears.

China Criticized for Anti-Satellite Missile Test
(WP, Jan. 19, 2007) The Chinese military used a ground-based missile to hit and destroy one of its aging satellites orbiting more than 500 miles in space last week -- a high-stakes test demonstrating China's ability to target regions of space that are home to U.S. spy satellites and space-based missile defense systems.

Chinese Military Sets New Rules to Fight Graft
(Straits Times, Jan. 17, 2007) China will keep a closer watch on its military personnel as part of a sweeping campaign against corruption. New auditing regulations make officers more accountable in use of funds.

China Unveils New Fighter Jet Amid Fanfare
(Straits Times, Jan. 5, 2007) China has unveiled its most advanced fighter jet, the Jian-10, with a wave of unprecedented media publicity - a sign that Beijing could be targeting the export market soon.

China Reshuffles Military But No Hint of Succession By Benjamin Kang Lim (Reuters, Oct. 22, 2007) China reshuffled its top military body, reappointing President Hu Jintao as chairman but elevating no other civilian -- a sign that the country's leadership succession remains up in the air. People's Liberation Army generals Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou were reappointed vice-chairmen of the powerful commission.

China Promotes Military Officers Experienced in Taiwan Affairs By David Lague (International Herald Tribune, Oct. 9, 2007) China has promoted senior military officers with experience in planning for war over Taiwan ahead of a key political meeting next week at which the Communist Party has said it will adopt a new strategy to stop the self-governing island moving toward independence.

US Official Notes China's Military Gains
(Associated Press, Sep. 30, 2007) While the U.S. has been tied up in Iraq, China is modernizing its military and its air defenses are now nearly impenetrable to all but the newest of American fighters, the senior U.S. military official in Japan said.

China and India Leading Asian Missile Buildup
(International Herald Tribune, Sep. 19, 2007) Two decades after developed nations agreed to halt the proliferation of strategic missile technology, China and India are leading the most significant modernization of nuclear-capable ballistic missile and cruise missile forces in Asia since the Cold War.

China Emerges as Leader in Cyberwarfare
(Christian Science Monitor, Sep. 14, 2007) A central aim of the Chinese hackers may not have been top secrets, but a probe of the Pentagon network structure itself. The NIPRNet (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network) is crucial in the quick deployment of US forces should China attack Taiwan. By crippling a Pentagon Net used to call US forces, China gains crucial hours and minutes in a lightning attack designed to force a Taiwan surrender, experts say.

Hacking Reports Raise Concerns about Cyberthreat from China
(International Herald Tribune, Sep. 6, 2007) Reports that Chinese military hackers have attacked the computer systems of Western governments have renewed uncertainty about the control China's civilian leaders exert over the country's increasingly powerful armed forces, defense experts say.

The PLA's New Talent Strategy By Li Mingjiang
(Straits Times, Aug. 22, 2007) The PLA is accelerating its new military revolution program. In addition to introducing various hard weapons systems, the Chinese military is also paying unprecedented amount of attention to human talent.

Hu Jintao Defends China's Military Build-Up
(Straits Times, Aug. 2, 2007) China will 'gradually increase' its defense spending and accelerate the upgrading of its weaponry, President Hu Jintao said. Warning that the world was 'not at all peaceful', he said China needed a powerful military that could meet the country's growing security and developmental needs.

A Mystery in Beijing: Who Runs the Military? By David Lague
(International Herald Tribune, June 22, 2007) As China converts its growing economic power into military muscle, a lack of transparency and a habit of secrecy pose formidable challenges in assessing the country's long-term ambitions, according to defense experts. For foreign governments and analysts monitoring the Chinese military, one of the biggest mysteries is who is actually in charge.

The Power China Is Building By Gary Schmitt
(Washington Post, June 14, 2007) Greater transparency by the Chinese would be helpful. But absent a significant shift toward political liberalization in China, there's no reason to expect that to happen. And anyway, after a decade and a half of military buildup, do we really need greater transparency to understand what China is up to?

China Appears to Confront U.S. Defense of Taiwan By David Lague
(International Herald Tribune, June 10, 2007) An increasingly wealthy China is now building a military force tailored specifically to challenge any attempt by the United States to intervene in a conflict over Taiwan, Western and Chinese military analysts say.

Military Power of the People’s Republic of China, 2007
(Department of Defense, U.S.A.) China’s near-term focus on preparing for military contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of U.S. intervention, appears to be an important driver of its modernization plans. However, analysis of China’s military acquisitions and strategic thinking suggests Beijing is also generating capabilities of other regional contingencies, such as conflict over resources or territory.

Chinese General Says Military Build-Up Purely Defensive
(AFP, June 2, 2007) "Strategically, we adhere to self-defense and would win only by striking after the enemy has struck," Lieutenant General Zhang Qinsheng, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told an international defense forum in Singapore.

The China Threat
(Wall Street Journal, May 31, 2007) China is a black box by comparison. Precisely how it envisions using its modernized military is a matter of guesswork, albeit of the educated variety. China could help defuse such anxieties by lifting the veil on more of its military policy making. Doing so is a responsibility of any modern great power.

Pentagon Asks Right Questions Knowing It Will Get No Answers
(Straits Times, May 29, 2007) Will China execute pre-emptive strikes and abandon its vow not to use nuclear weapons first in times of crisis? These were the two difficult questions raised by the US in its 2007 report on China's military capabilities - the first time Washington has raised the topic in such a manner.

China and the Aircraft Carrier It Doesn't Have By Richard Halloran
(Taipei Times, May 28, 2007) Fresh from a visit to China, the new commander of US military forces in the Pacific said he found Chinese military leaders intensely interested in acquiring aircraft carriers. The admiral said all the Chinese leaders with whom he spoke during a five day stay earlier this month indicated their inclination to pursue the development of aircraft carriers.

Arms Balance Tilting in PRC's Favor: US
(Taipei Times, May 27, 2007) The military balance in the Taiwan Strait continues to tilt in China's favor, with the pace of its missile deployment opposite Taiwan accelerating and an intensive effort by China that aims to prevent the US from coming to Taiwan's aid in the case of a Chinese attack, the Pentagon said.

Pentagon Tracks Global Buildup in China's Military By Bill Gertz
(Washington Times, May 26, 2007) China's military buildup is moving beyond countering Taiwan to global operations from the Middle East through Southeast Asia, according to the Pentagon's annual assessment of Chinese military power.

'Mistake to Overestimate China's Military'
(Straits Times, May 25, 2007) The United States and the rest of the world should not overestimate China's military might. If they continue to do so, they will be playing the wrong game, China studies professor David Lampton of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

Group Sees China Military Rise as a Threat
(Associated Press, May 19, 2007) The growing power of China's military poses a fundamental challenge to existing order in East Asia, the Rand Corp. said Thursday in proposing wide-ranging changes in strategy for U.S. forces around the world.

China’s Bid for Asian Hegemony By Hugo Restall
(Far Eastern Economic Review, May 2007) China’s increased military spending is one part of Beijing’s efforts to sideline the U.S. and Japan, and become the preeminent power of Asia. At the same time, Beijing has discovered the virtues of using a range of other enticements to increase its standing within the region.

Is There a Plan Behind China's Subs? By Richard Halloran
(Taipei Times, May 02, 2007) A US military intelligence officer, asked some years ago how far the Chinese could project their military power, only half-jokingly answered : "About as far as their army can walk." That is changing rapidly today as Beijing fuels the budgets of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

China's Military Put in the Spotlight
(Associated Press, Mar. 12, 2007) Anyone seeking a reminder of the People's Liberation Army's influence on Chinese politics need only look at the swaths of green-and-blue uniforms amid the sea of delegates to the national legislature.

China's Message: Military Modernization Inevitable
(Straits Times, Mar. 7, 2007) In purely monetary terms, the Chinese defense budget is not bigger than that of Britain or Japan, countries with far smaller populations or territory. But, as always with statistics, the devil is in the detail. All countries hide some elements of their defense expenditure in the budgets of other ministries or agencies.

China's Growing Military Keeps Wary Eye on Taiwan
(Reuters, Mar. 1, 2007) When Huang Xu was a young soldier in an artillery unit on the Chinese coast in the late 1980s, war with Taiwan always seemed imminent. "We were on alert level one every day, and drilling for Taiwan (contingencies) all the time," said the driver.

China's Army Told to Call Public Tender for Projects
(Straits Times, Feb. 28, 2007) Chinese President Hu Jintao has fired another salvo against military profiteering and corruption, ordering army officers to buy non-essential supplies and services on the open market.

China Builds a Superpower Fighter By David Lague
(International Herald Tribune, Feb. 8, 2006) For more than two decades, China has labored to build its first state-of-the-art jet fighter as part of the country's drive to become a leading military power. In December, it appeared to have closed in on that ambition when it revealed that its new fighter, the J-10, had entered service in the air force.

Missile Test Making the World Sit Up and Watch By Philip Yang
(Taipei Times, Jan 27, 2007) There are two objectives behind the missile test: Manifest China's dissatisfaction with the US' dominance of space arms development and its wish to deter the US-Japanese military alliance from intervening in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

A New Arms Race in Space?
(The Economist, Jan. 25, 2007) If there is to be a new arms race in space, China will be in it. America is still more powerful in space. China has shown what damage it can do. Their competition won't end there. But there are surely better ways to manage it.

Sat Wars? Can U.S. and China Avoid Space Arms Race?
(Newsweek, Jan. 25, 2007) China’s recent ASAT tests may have been a deterrent signal, planting seeds of doubt about the assumption of U.S. supremacy in space. Many American defense experts say China’s recent test calls for the start of a realistic international dialogue in hopes of avoiding a new arms race, this time in the heavens.

China's Missile Message By Elizabeth Economy
(Washington Post, Jan. 25, 2007) The missile strike also underscores perhaps the greatest challenge of China's rise as a global power: The lack of transparency, official accountability and rule of law that defines China on the domestic front plays poorly on the international stage.

China Weapons Test Shakes Up World View
(Associated Press, Jan. 23, 2007) China has sent men into orbit and launched dozens of satellites, but its test of a satellite-killing weapon is shaking up perceptions about where the Chinese space program is headed.

China Experts See Space Blast as Puzzle and Warning
(Reuters, Jan. 22, 2007) Blasting a satellite out of the heavens may have been China's blunt way of demanding a bigger say in space security, Chinese experts said on Monday, while voicing puzzlement about the apparent test and Beijing's long silence.

China Takes the Arms Race into Space
(Straits Times, Jan. 22, 2007) China never sought to match the Americans weapon-for-weapon but, rather, to develop 'killer' technologies which can wipe out US technological advantages. The Chinese space programme fits perfectly into such strategy.

Taiwan Worries about US Ability to Come to Its Rescue
(Straits Times, Jan. 22, 2007) China's growing anti-satellite capability could hamper US ability to come to Taiwan's rescue in the event of a cross-strait military conflict. 'China's latest move will have an indirect impact on Taiwan's security,' said military expert Lin Chong-pin.

China Shows Power with 'Star Wars' Test
(Agence France Presse, Jan. 21, 2007) China's apparently successful destruction of a satellite in space shows its determination to be a global power and is set to leave lasting jitters in the United States and Asia, analysts say.

U.S. Dominance in Space Challenged by China’s Test By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Jan. 19, 2007) China’s apparent success in destroying one of its own orbiting satellites with a ballistic missile signals that it intends to contest American military supremacy in space, a realm many here consider increasingly crucial to national security.

China's Defense Policy Is Evolving By Chong-Pin Lin
(Taipei Times, Jan. 16, 2007) In December last year, Beijing unveiled its biennial defense white paper entitled China's National Defense in 2006, the fifth since it began issuing them in 1998. The 2006 white paper carries greater diplomatic than military significance. It transcends both the military dimension and Taiwan Strait concerns.

Fighter Jet Signals China's Military Advances
(Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 11, 2007) A sleek, swept-wing fighter-bomber dubbed the "Jian-10," unveiled here last week, is more than just another jet plane. It is China's calling card, announcing Beijing's arrival among the top ranks of military manufacturers.

Why China Wants a Bigger Navy
(Economist, Jan. 4, 2007) Among the “security challenges” that China does spell out is Taiwan's “radical policy” of pursuing formal independence from China, which it says threatens stability across the Asia-Pacific region.