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Documents

White Paper: China’s National Defense in 2008
(Information Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Jan. 21, 2009) China is still confronted with long-term, complicated, and diverse security threats and challenges. Issues of existence security and development security, traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats, and domestic security and international security are interwoven and interactive.

[ News ] [ Papers ] 

Chinese Naval Task Force to Deploy to Gulf of Aden
(New York Times, Dec. 26, 2008) In China’s first modern deployment of battle-ready warships beyond the Pacific, a naval task force was set to leave Friday to begin escorts and patrols in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, state media reported.

China Confirms Naval Role in Gulf of Aden
(New York Times, Dec. 19, 2008) The Chinese government confirmed that it would send naval ships to the Gulf of Aden to help in the fight against piracy there, which would be the first modern deployment of Chinese warships outside the Pacific.

China Set to Launch Naval Mission in Gulf of Aden
(IHT, Dec. 17, 2008) In what would be the first active deployment of its warships beyond the Pacific, China appears set to send naval vessels to help in the fight against hijackers in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden.

China Has Aircraft Carrier Hopes
(BBC, Nov. 17, 2008) A senior Chinese defense official has told a British newspaper that any great power would want an aircraft carrier.

China, Following Astronauts’ Return, Plans Space Lab for 2011
(Bloomberg, Sep. 29, 2008) China plans to build a “simple” space laboratory in 2011 and a manned station nine years later, officials said yesterday as astronauts returned to Earth following the nation's first spacewalk.

China Takes Its First Ever Spacewalk
(AP, Sep. 28, 2008) China’s space program celebrated its first-ever space walk Saturday, fueling ambitions to build a space station and push further into areas of exploration previously dominated by Russia and the United States.

China Begins Training First Batch of Aircraft Carrier Fighter Pilots By Manu Pubby (Indian Express, Sep. 20, 2008) A small article in a recent issue of the People’s Liberation Army Daily announced that the first batch of 50 pilots cadets have been inducted at the Dalian Naval Academy to undergo training on ‘ship borne aircraft flight.’

China Space Mission Set for Late September: Report
(AFP, Sep. 7, 2008) China's third manned space flight, which will feature China's first attempted space walk, will blast off in late September, state media reported.

China Defends Military Buildup
(LA Times, Jun. 1, 2008) A senior Chinese general insisted Saturday that Beijing's military buildup was solely for self-defense, as he sought to assure a gathering of Asian defense officials that China was not seeking to dominate the region.

U.S. Military Cites Growing China Space, Cyber Threat
(Reuters, May 20, 2008) China is "aggressively" honing its ability to shoot down satellites along with other space and counter-space capabilities, and such know-how has big implications for Beijing's potential to curb access in the Taiwan Straits "and well beyond," said Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Horne of the U.S. Strategic Command.

China Says Military Budget Up 17.6 percent in 2008
(AFP, Mar. 4, 2008) China announced its defense spending would rise 17.6 percent this year but insisted the increase was moderate, after the United States expressed concerns about Beijing's expanding military power.

Russia, China Challenge US Space Arms
(Associated Press, Feb. 13, 2008) China and Russia renewed their push for a global ban on arms in space at a disarmament conference Tuesday with a proposal opposed by Washington on the grounds it is directed at U.S. military technology.

Singapore and China Sign Defense Pact
(Straits Times, Jan. 8, 2008) Singapore and China signed their first defense agreement, deepening bilateral ties. These include mutual visits, sending personnel to each other's courses and seminars, and port calls.

China Targets Pirates in Groundbreaking Mission By William Foreman
(AP, Dec. 26, 2008) Chinese warships headed toward Somali waters Friday to combat piracy, the first time the communist country has sent ships on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond its territorial waters.

Piracy Draws China Back to the Ranks of Maritime Giants
(AFP, Dec. 24, 2008) "The Somali deployment is ... a demonstration of China's increasing blue-water capabilities, which in long-term, strategic terms will be viewed with concern by potential rivals," Janes Defense Review said.

China Sets Sail
(The Times, Dec. 23, 2008) The expedition to the waters off Somalia is intended not only to protect Chinese vessels vulnerable to attack by pirates, but also to project its growing military power overseas in a way that does not antagonise its neighbours or cause concern in Washington.

China Anti-Piracy Mission Marks Greater Engagement By Anita Chang (AP, Dec. 19, 2008) China's decision to send warships to battle pirates off Somalia — taking on a job that involves cooperating with other nations and possible combat — is a cautious step toward more engagement by Beijing.

Chinese Land Attack Cruise Missile Developments and Their Implications for the United States By Michael S. Chase (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Dec. 19, 2008) Drawing on a variety of sources, this article examines Chinese writings on the advantages and disadvantages of LACMs and evaluates China’s evolving LACM capabilities.

China’s Carrier Plans Worry Region By Yu Tsung-chi
(Taipei Times, Nov. 28, 2008) To mollify its neighbors’ worries, it would behoove China to explain the purposes and intentions behind its carrier-building program.

PLA Mechanization and Informationization Come of Age: Sharpening and Vanguard-2008 By Martin Andrew (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Nov. 24, 2008) The People’s Liberation Army is consolidating the gains made by its modernization drive toward mechanization and Informationization. Within the next few years the PLA will have two mechanized and networked army corps able to give Chinese Defense planners military options they did not previously have.

China’s Close Call By Richard D. Fisher Jr.
(Wall Street Journal Asia, Oct. 31, 2008) With minimal publicity, Beijing's space ship passed unusually close to the International Space Station soon after the spacewalk. The event may offer a window into both China's space-based military aspirations and its willingness to be a good orbital citizen.

China Gets a Jump on US in Space By Peter J. Brown
(Asia Times, Oct. 25, 2008) While Western space experts may be divided over the exact purpose of the BX-1 mission, it is clear that China has every intention of driving its dynamic "dual use" space agenda as far as it will go.

Advances in PLA Air Defense Capabilities Challenge Strategic Balance in Asia By Carlo Kopp (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Oct. 23, 2008) If a non-nuclear strategic capability advantage continues to erode with improving PLA capabilities and declining United States relative capabilities, a seismic shift may eventually occur in Asia as the strategic balance in the West Pacific swings away from the United States in favor of China.

China, an Engine of Growth, Faces a Global Slump By Jim Yardley and Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Oct. 23, 2008) Faced with a possible global recession and weakening demand for Chinese exports, the question now is whether the ruling Communist Party can prevent the financial crisis from derailing the country’s economic miracle.

An Elated China Launches Rocket, Prepares for Nation’s 1st Spacewalk By Maureen Fan (Washington Post, Sep. 26, 2008) China carried out a textbook-perfect launch Thursday night with the liftoff of three astronauts into space for the country's third manned spaceflight and first spacewalk.

Space Inspires Passion and Practicality in China By Jill Drew
(Washington Post, Sep. 25, 2008) Like many other aspects of China's growing influence, China's designs in space are seen as a threat by some U.S. experts, especially because almost all its operations are cloaked in secrecy.

All Systems Go for China’s First Space Walk By Robert J. Saiget
(AFP, Sep. 22, 2008) China's ambitious space programme is set to take a giant leap forward this week when three astronauts blast off on a mission to undertake the country's first space walk.

China’s Military Buildup Must be Closely Watched
(Editorial, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sep. 14, 2008) The 2008 defense white paper, released earlier this month, expresses concern over the effects that China's military buildup will have on the regional state of affairs and the security situation of Japan.

China’s Naval Ambitions
(Le Monde diplomatique, September 2008) China wants to prevent anything from stealing its second chance in history to emerge as a global and sovereign maritime power.

China’s Search for Military Power By M. Taylor Fravel
(The Washington Quarterly, Summer, 2008) This article explores a method grounded in Chinese texts on military doctrine to try to gauge how much military power China seeks to acquire.

Inside the Ring – China Targets Carriers By Bill Gertz
(Washington Times, Jul. 10, 2008) China is close to deploying a new conventionally armed strategic missile capable of hitting U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships at sea.

Quake Revealed Deficiencies of China’s Military By Jake Hooker
(NYT, Jul. 2, 2008) The Sichuan quake offered analysts the best chance to assess the performance of the People’s Liberation Army in a crisis since the nation’s rising economy started pumping tens of billions of dollars into the military. It got good marks for public relations domestically, but the effort left some veteran P.L.A.-watchers underwhelmed.

China PLA Sent to Quake in 14 Minutes, Showing Change By Dune Lawrence (Bloomberg, May 19, 2008) The rapid response underscores the changing nature of the world's largest standing army as it takes on a bigger role in relief operations. Soldiers didn't reach some of the worst-hit towns and villages for two days, highlighting the need for greater investment in equipment and training.

Ma Win Won’t Affect PLA Modernization: Experts
(Taipei Times, Apr. 9, 2008) US Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis Tom Fingar said that the outcome of the presidential election in Taiwan may have lowered Beijing’s anxieties over the cross-strait situation, but would not put an end to the modernization of its military. Susan Shirk, former deputy assistant secretary of state during the Bill Clinton administration, said China could seek to shift the world’s attention away from Tibet by dealing with Taiwan.

China Beefing Up Military Brains By Richard Halloran
(Taipei Times, Mar. 9, 2008) Tacked onto the end of the US Defense Department's new report on Chinese military power is an appraisal of the effort by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to transform itself "from a force dependent on mass to a streamlined, information-based military with highly qualified officers and soldiers."

China Plans Steep Increase in Military Spending
(New York Times, Mar. 5, 2008) China announced a further sharp increase in military spending on Tuesday, a day after the United States renewed its warning that a lack of openness surrounding the rapid buildup of China’s armed forces posed a threat to stability in Asia.

China's Taiwan Buildup Continues
(Associated Press, Mar. 4, 2008) China continues its huge military buildup opposite Taiwan, further pushing the balance of power between the two rivals toward the mainland's favor, the Defense Department says in its annual report on China's military. "A potential military confrontation with Taiwan, and the prospect of U.S. military intervention, remain the PLA's most immediate military concerns," the report said.

China's Computer Hacking Worries Pentagon
(LA Times, Mar. 4, 2008) China in the last year has developed ways to infiltrate and manipulate computer networks around the world in what U.S. defense officials conclude is a new and potentially dangerous military capability, according to a Pentagon report.

PRC Still Expanding Sub Fleet: Analysts
(Taipei Times, Feb. 26, 2008) Several recent events, from an eagle-eyed spotting of an image on Google Earth to an overt military delivery from Russia, suggest that China is continuing its rapid expansion of a submarine fleet that would be particularly useful in a conflict with the US over Taiwan, analysts and military officials said.

Defense Focus: China's Weapons -- Part 3 By Martin Sieff
(United Press International, Feb. 8, 2008) The weapons that China wants from Russia -- and that Moscow won't sell Beijing -- provide a remarkable insight into the current transitional state of the Chinese arms industry.

Defense Focus: China's Weapons -- Part 2
(United Press International, Feb. 7, 2008) China is certainly in no state yet to produce its own long-range strategic bombers, air-refueling tankers or air transport aircraft like the C-130 Hercules or the C-17 Globemaster and must therefore continue to try and buy them off the shelf, if not from the United States because of deteriorating relations, then from Russia.

Defense Focus: China's Weapons -- Part 1
(United Press International, Feb. 6, 2008) The Chinese domestic arms industry may one day be one of the biggest and most important in the world, but it is very far from that yet. Western experts believe China will need major outside suppliers for large amounts of equipment for years to come.

China's Weapons Exceed Self-Defense Needs: US Military
(Agence France Presse, Jan. 29, 2008) The head of the US armed forces in the Asia-Pacific, Admiral Timothy Keating, said he was told by Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing that its so-called "area denial weapons" were "to protect those things that are ours". But he said, "we find it troubling that the capabilities of some of these weapons systems would tend to exceed our own expectations for protecting those things that are 'ours'".

China's Submarines Giving US the Jitters
(Straits Times, Jan. 19, 2008) The Chinese Navy is extending its reach across the Asia-Pacific, a development that has prompted the United States to intensify calls for more transparency in their military relations. In the past year, the Chinese military has put on a show of strength amid a robust military build-up.