PRC: 2004 White Paper on National Defense Published
The State Council Information Office published on 27 December 27 2004 a white paper entitled China's National Defense in 2004.
The document, composed of 10 chapters and seven appendices, describes
China's national defense policies and army's modernization process.
This is the third white paper that the Chinese government has issued
since 2000 about China's national defense. The full text of the white
paper follows:
China's National Defense in 2004
Foreword
Chapter I. The Security Situation
Chapter II. National Defense Policy
Chapter III. Revolution in Military Affairs with Chinese Characteristics
Chapter IV. Defense Expenditure and Defense Assets
Chapter V. The Military Service System
Chapter VI. National Defense Mobilization and Reserve Force Building
Chapter VII. Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
Chapter VIII. The Armed Forces and the People
Chapter IX. International Security Cooperation
Chapter X. Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Appendices
Foreword
A
panoramic view of the present-day world displays the simultaneous
existence of both opportunities for and challenges to peace and
development, and of positive and negative factors bearing on security
and stability. The opportunities cannot be shared and the challenges
cannot be overcome unless diverse civilizations, social systems and
development models live together harmoniously, trust each other and
engage in cooperation. Hence, the pursuit of peace, development and
cooperation has become an irresistible trend of history.
The
development goal for China to strive for in the first two decades of
this century is to build a moderately prosperous society in an
all-round way. As a large developing country, China has before it an
arduous task for modernization, which calls for prolonged and
persistent hard work. China will mainly rely on its own strength for
development, and therefore poses no obstacle or threat to any one.
China needs a peaceful international environment for its own
development, which in turn will enhance peace and development in the
world. Holding high the banner of peace, development and cooperation,
China adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace and a national
defense policy of the defensive nature. China will never go for
expansion, nor will it ever seek hegemony.
A
major strategic task of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in
exercising state power is to secure a coordinated development of
national defense and the economy, and to build modernized, regularized
and revolutionary armed forces to keep the country safe. The Fourth
Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee and the Enlarged CPC
Conference of the Central Military Commission (CMC), held successively
in September 2004, paid a high tribute to Jiang Zemin for his
outstanding contributions to national defense and military
modernization, and appointed Hu Jintao Chairman of the CPC Central
Military Commission. Meanwhile, the CMC composition was also readjusted
and expanded, and the developmental direction for national defense and
military modernization clearly defined. In the new stage of the 21st
century, China's national defense and army building shall be guided by
Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "Three
Represents," in an all-round way implement Jiang Zemin's thought on
national defense and army building, maintain the fundamental principle
and system of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces, and take
the military strategy of the new era as an overarching guideline to
actively push for the national defense and military modernization.
This
White Paper, China's National Defense in 2004, is published to
illustrate China's national defense policies and the progress made in
the past two years in its defense and army building.
Chapter I. The Security Situation
The
current international situation continues to undergo profound and
complex changes. Peace and development remain the dominating themes of
the times. Although the international situation as a whole tends to be
stable, factors of uncertainty, instability and insecurity are on the
increase.
The
trends toward world multipolarization and economic globalization are
deepening amid twists and turns. New changes are occurring in the
balance of power among the major international players, with the
process of their realignment and the redistribution of their interests
accelerated. New and profound readjustments have taken place in the
relations among the world's major countries. While cooperating with and
seeking support from each other, they are checking on and competing
with one another as well. With their overall strength continuing to
rise, the developing countries have become important players in
promoting a multipolar world and democratized international relations.
The United Nations is playing an irreplaceable role in international
affairs. Economic globalization and technological advancement have
generated new opportunities for development. As a result of accelerated
global industrial restructuring, and the continued development of
regional economic cooperation, world economy has witnessed new growth,
with interdependence among nations deepened and their common interests
increased. However, a fair and rational new international political and
economic order is yet to be established. Tendencies of hegemonism and
unilateralism have gained new ground, as struggles for strategic
points, strategic resources and strategic dominance crop up from time
to time. The Iraqi War has exerted a far-reaching influence on the
international and regional security situations. The imbalance in world
economic development has worsened, with the North-South gap continuing
to widen, and economic security confronting new challenges.
The
military factor plays a greater role in international configuration and
national security. Worldwide Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is
gaining momentum. The forms of war are undergoing changes from
mechanization to informationalization. Informationalization has become
the key factor in enhancing the warfighting capability of the armed
forces. Confrontation between systems has become the principal feature
of confrontation on the battlefield. Asymmetrical, non-contiguous and
non-linear operations have become important patterns of operations. The
world's major countries are making readjustments in their security and
military strategies and stepping up transformation of their armed
forces by way of developing high-tech weaponry and military equipment
and putting forth new military doctrines. As a result, the generation
gap in military technology between informationalization on the one hand
and mechanization and semi-mechanization on the other is still
widening, and military imbalance worldwide has further increased. The
role played by military power in safeguarding national security is
assuming greater prominence.
Traditional
and non-traditional security issues are intertwined with the latter
posing a growing threat. Some regional hot spots have cooled down.
Security cooperation at the regional level has deepened. The worldwide
campaign against terrorism has made progress. International cooperation
in the fields of information security, energy security, finance
security and environment security has been enhanced. And international
efforts to crack down on transnational crimes, prevent epidemic
diseases, and reduce the impact of disasters have been intensified.
However, world peace remains elusive. Geopolitical, ethnic, religious
and other conflicts interact with political and economic
contradictions, resulting in frequent outbreak of local wars and armed
conflicts. International terrorist forces remain rampant. It seems
rather difficult to eliminate completely the root causes of terrorism,
making the fight against terrorism a long and demanding task before the
international community.
The
Asia-Pacific region enjoys basic stability in its security situation.
As the world's most dynamic region economically, most nations in the
region have made development the centerpiece of their policy. Major
country relations continue to improve and grow. Peaceful consultation
has become the basic approach to the settlement of disputes. Security
dialogue and cooperation of various forms have become more animated.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is playing an important role
in promoting common development. The institutionalization of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has been basically
accomplished. The SCO is incessantly expanding and deepening its
cooperation in the political, security, economic, humanitarian and
other fields. The SCO is playing a greater role in promoting peace,
stability and development in the region. China has established a
strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) dedicated to peace and prosperity in the region, and engaged in
comprehensive cooperation that has seen rapid expansion. Cooperation in
East Asia, with the ASEAN and China, Japan and the ROK as the main
players, keeps expanding, leading to greater economic development and
political and security trust in the region. The ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF) as the most important official channel for multilateral security
dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region, plays a positive role in promoting
security cooperation in the region. The nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula has been brought onto the track of peaceful settlement
through dialogue, and the process of the Six-Party Talks has made
progress in the discussion of substantive issues and the
institutionalization of the process. Tensions between India and
Pakistan have been eased, and the two countries have maintained the
momentum of peaceful dialogues.
Meanwhile,
complicated security factors in the Asia-Pacific region are on the
increase. The United States is realigning and reinforcing its military
presence in this region by buttressing military alliances and
accelerating deployment of missile defense systems. Japan is stepping
up its constitutional overhaul, adjusting its military and security
policies and developing the missile defense system for future
deployment. It has also markedly increased military activities abroad.
The foundation for the Six-Party Talks is not solid enough as uncertain
factors linger in the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula. The threat posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism is
still grave. Such transnational crimes as smuggling, piracy, drug
trafficking and money laundering are rampant. Many countries are
confronted with the formidable task of eliminating poverty, achieving
sustainable development and enhancing security in the area of public
health.
The
situation in the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits
is grim. The Taiwan authorities under Chen Shui-bian have recklessly
challenged the status quo that both sides of the Straits belong to one
and the same China, and markedly escalated the "Taiwan independence"
activities designed to split China. Incessantly trumpeting their
separatist claim of "one country on each side," they use referendum to
engage in the separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence,"
incite hostility among the people on the island toward the mainland,
and purchase large amounts of offensive weapons and equipment. They
have not given up their attempt at "Taiwan independence" through the
formulation of a so-called "new constitution for Taiwan." They are
still waiting for the opportune moment to engineer a major "Taiwan
independence" incident through the so-called "constitutional reform."
The separatist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces have
increasingly become the biggest immediate threat to China's sovereignty
and territorial integrity as well as peace and stability on both sides
of the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The
United States has on many occasions reaffirmed adherence to the one
China policy, observance of the three joint communiqués
and opposition to "Taiwan independence." However, it continues to
increase, quantitatively and qualitatively, its arms sales to Taiwan,
sending a wrong signal to the Taiwan authorities. The US action does
not serve a stable situation across the Taiwan Straits.
China's
national security environment in this pluralistic, diversified and
interdependent world has on the whole improved, but new challenges keep
cropping up. The vicious rise of the "Taiwan independence" forces, the
technological gap resulting from RMA, the risks and challenges caused
by the development of the trends toward economic globalization, and the
prolonged existence of unipolarity vis-a-vis multipolarity - all these
will have a major impact on China's security. Nevertheless, China is
determined to safeguard its national sovereignty and security, no
matter how the international situation may evolve, and what
difficulties it may encounter, so as to join hands with the people
around the world in advancing the lofty cause of peace and development
for mankind.
Chapter II. National Defense Policy
China
persists in taking the road of peaceful development and unswervingly
pursues a national defense policy defensive in nature. China's national
defense is the security guarantee for the survival and development of
the nation. The main tasks of China's national defense are to step up
modernization of its national defense and its armed forces, to
safeguard national security and unity, and to ensure the smooth process
of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.
Proceeding
from the fundamental interests of the country, China's national defense
policy is both subordinated to and in service of the country's
development and security strategies. Firmly seizing and taking full
advantage of the important strategic opportunities presented in the
first two decades of this century, China sticks to keeping its
development in pace with its security and makes great efforts to
enhance its national strategic capabilities by using multiple security
means to cope with both traditional and non-traditional security
threats so as to seek a comprehensive national security in the
political, economic, military and social areas.
China's basic goals and tasks in maintaining national security are:
To
stop separation and promote reunification, guard against and resist
aggression, and defend national sovereignty, territorial integrity and
maritime rights and interests.
To
safeguard the interests of national development, promote economic and
social development in an all-round, coordinated and sustainable way and
steadily increase the overall national strength.
To
modernize China's national defense in line with both the national
conditions of China and the trend of military development in the world
by adhering to the policy of coordinating military and economic
development, and improve the operational capabilities of self-defense
under the conditions of informationalization.
To
safeguard the political, economic and cultural rights and interests of
the Chinese people, crack down on criminal activities of all sorts and
maintain public order and social stability.
To
pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and adhere to the new
security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and
coordination with a view to securing a long-term and favorable
international and surrounding environment.
It
is the sacred responsibility of the Chinese armed forces to stop the
"Taiwan independence" forces from splitting the country. The Chinese
government continues to adhere to the basic principles of "peaceful
reunification" and "one country, two systems" along with the
eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations and
advancing the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland at
the current stage. So long as the Taiwan authorities accept the one
China principle and stop their separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan
independence," cross-Straits talks can be held at any time on
officially ending the state of hostility between the two sides,
including on the establishment of a confidence-building mechanism in
the military field. The Chinese people are resolutely opposed to all
separatist activities in whatever manifestation aimed at "Taiwan
independence," to foreign interference of any form, and to arms sales
to Taiwan or entrance to military alliance of any form with Taiwan by
any country in the world. We will never allow anyone to split Taiwan
from China through whatever means. Should the Taiwan authorities go so
far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of
"Taiwan independence," the Chinese people and armed forces will
resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost.
To
adapt itself to the changes both in the international strategic
situation and the national security environment and rise to the
challenges presented by the RMA worldwide, China adheres to the
military strategy of active defense and works to speed up the RMA with
Chinese characteristics.
To
take the road of composite and leapfrog development. Going with the
tide of the world's military development and moving along the direction
of informationalization in the process of modernization, the People's
Liberation Army (PLA) shall gradually achieve the transition from
mechanization and semi-mechanization to informationalization. Based on
China's national conditions and the PLA's own conditions, the PLA
persists in taking mechanization as the foundation to promote
informationalization, and informationalization as the driving force to
bring forward mechanization. The PLA will promote coordinated
development of firepower, mobility and information capability, enhance
the development of its operational strength with priority given to the
Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force, and strengthen its
comprehensive deterrence and warfighting capabilities.
To
build a strong military by means of science and technology. The PLA
works to improve its combat capabilities by taking advantage of
scientific and technological advances and aims at building qualitative
efficiency instead of a mere quantitative scale, and transforming the
military from a manpower-intensive one to a technology-intensive one.
Implementing the Strategic Project for Talented People, the PLA focuses
on training a new type of high-caliber military personnel. It works to
build up a complete system of weaponry and equipment by stepping up
development of new- and high-tech weaponry and equipment while
upgrading those in active service. In an innovative spirit, the PLA
endeavors to improve its training system as well as the means and
methods of training so as to raise its military training to a higher
level. Relying on national economic, scientific and technological
development, the PLA is devoted to improving the level of scientific
management and achieving a higher overall cost-effectiveness in
military expenditure so as to modernize the armed forces with less
input and better results.
To
deepen the reform of the armed forces. Based on the transformation of
modern warfare and the requirements of the socialist market economy,
the PLA seeks to achieve development and breakthroughs in the process
of reform and innovation. The PLA develops its military theories in an
innovative spirit, and explores the laws of building the army and
conducting operations under the condition of informationalization. In
accordance with the principle of making the troops smaller and better,
as well as more integrated and efficient, and with emphasis on
adjusting the organizational structure and reforming the command
system, the PLA works to build and further improve the military
structure and organization to make them appropriate in size, optimal in
structure, streamlined in institutional set-up and flexible and swift
in command. The PLA also works to readjust and regulate the
relationship within the military as well as that with the government
and society so as to put in place policies and mechanisms which will
help motivate officers and soldiers.
To
step up preparations for military struggle. The PLA takes as its
objective to win local wars under the conditions of
informationalization and gives priority to developing weaponry and
equipment, to building joint operational capabilities, and to making
full preparations in the battlefields. Meanwhile, it adheres to the
people's war concept and develops the strategies and tactics of the
people's war. To meet the requirements of integrated and joint
operations, the PLA endeavors to establish a modern operational system
capable of giving full play to the overall efficiency of the armed
forces as well as the national war potentials. The PLA conducts more
training and exercises with specific objectives in order to raise its
capabilities in coping with various crises and contingencies.
To
carry out military exchanges and cooperation. In line with the national
foreign policy, the PLA conducts military cooperation that is
non-aligned, non-confrontational and not directed against any third
party. The PLA takes part in the UN peacekeeping operations and
international counter-terrorism cooperation. While promoting military
exchanges in various forms, the PLA works to establish security
dialogue mechanisms in order to create a military security environment
featuring mutual trust and mutual benefit. It takes part in bilateral
or multilateral joint military exercises in non-traditional security
fields so as to enhance the joint capabilities to cope with threats in
those fields. The PLA learns from and draws on the valuable experience
of foreign armed forces, and introduces, on a selective basis,
technologically advanced equipment and better management expertise from
abroad to advance the modernization of the Chinese armed forces.
Chapter III. Revolution in Military Affairs with Chinese Characteristics
The
PLA, aiming at building an informationalized force and winning an
informationalized war, deepens its reform, dedicates itself to
innovation, improves its quality and actively pushes forward the RMA
with Chinese characteristics with informationalization at the core.
Reducing the PLA by 200,000
It
has been the established policy to build a streamlined military with
Chinese characteristics. Since the mid-1980s, China has twice downsized
its military by a total of 1.5 million. In September 2003, the Chinese
government decided to further reduce 200,000 troops by the end of 2005
to maintain the size of the PLA at 2.3 million. The current
restructuring, while cutting down the numbers, aims at optimal force
structures, smoother internal relations and better quality.
Rebalancing
the ratio between officers and men. By streamlining structure, reducing
the number of officers in deputy positions, filling officers' posts
with non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and adopting a system of civilian
employees, the number of the PLA officers can be substantially reduced
to optimize the ratio between officers and men.
Improving
the system of leadership and command. The emphasis is put on
streamlining the staff offices and the directly affiliated organs at
the corps level and above, so as to compress the command chains and
further improve the operational command system to strengthen the
command functions. The numbers of offices and personnel are both
reduced by about 15% by adjusting staff functions, dismantling and
merging offices and reducing the numbers of subordinate offices and
assigned personnel.
Optimizing
the composition of the services and arms of the PLA. The Army is
streamlined by reducing the ordinary troops that are technologically
backward while the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force are
strengthened. The make-up of troops and the size of the services and
arms are optimized with an increasing proportion of new- and high-tech
units.
Deepening
the reform of joint logistical support. The PLA continues to adopt the
system of joint logistical support at military area commands. The scope
of joint logistical support is further enlarged and the number of
logistical organizations and personnel are reduced while the rear
hospitals, recuperation centers and general-purpose warehouses formerly
under the administration of the services and arms are all integrated
and reorganized into the joint logistical support system. An integrated
tri-service joint logistical support system gradually takes shape, thus
improving the overall efficiency.
Realigning
the organizational structure of military educational institutions. The
PLA aims at improving the structure and system for educating military
personnel in both military and civilian educational institutions, and
speeding up the establishment and improvement of a new educational
system. This new system focuses on pre-assignment education which is
separated from education for academic credentials. In accordance with
the requirements for running educational institutions intensively on a
proper scale, the PLA has optimized the system and structure of
educational institutions by cutting down on those that are not
essentially different from their civilian counterparts, and those that
are more than necessary, and merging those that are co-located or have
similar tasks.
Strengthening the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force
While
continuing to attach importance to the building of the Army, the PLA
gives priority to the building of the Navy, Air Force and Second
Artillery Force to seek balanced development of the combat force
structure, in order to strengthen the capabilities for winning both
command of the sea and command of the air, and conducting strategic
counter-strikes.
The
PLA Navy is responsible for safeguarding China's maritime security and
maintaining the sovereignty of its territorial seas along with its
maritime rights and interests. The Navy has expanded the space and
extended the depth for offshore defensive operations. Preparation for
maritime battlefield is intensified and improved while the integrated
combat capabilities are enhanced in conducting offshore campaigns, and
the capability of nuclear counter-attacks is also enhanced. In
accordance with the principle of smaller but more efficient troops, the
PLA Navy compresses the chain of command and reorganizes the combat
forces in a more scientific way while giving prominence to the building
of maritime combat forces, especially amphibious combat forces. It also
speeds up the process of updating its weaponry and equipment with
priority given to the development of new combat ships as well as
various kinds of special-purpose aircraft and relevant equipment. At
the same time, the weaponry is increasingly informationalized and
long-range precision strike capability raised. It takes part in joint
exercises to enhance its joint operational capabilities and integrated
maritime support capabilities.
The
PLA Air Force is responsible for safeguarding China's airspace security
and maintaining a stable air defense posture nationwide. In order to
meet the requirements of informationalized air operations, the Air
Force has gradually shifted from one of territorial air defense to one
of both offensive and defensive operations. Emphasis is placed on the
development of new fighters, air defense and anti-missile weapons,
means of information operations and Air Force automated command
systems. The training of inter-disciplinary personnel is being
accelerated for informationalized air operations. Combined arms and
multi-type aircraft combat training is intensified to improve the
capabilities in operations like air strikes, air defense, information
counter-measures, early warning and reconnaissance, strategic mobility
and integrated support. Efforts are being made to build a defensive air
force, which is appropriate in size, sound in organization and
structure and advanced in weaponry and equipment, and which possesses
integrated systems and a complete array of information support and
operational means.
The
PLA Second Artillery Force is a major strategic force for protecting
China's security. It is responsible for deterring the enemy from using
nuclear weapons against China, and carrying out nuclear counter-attacks
and precision strikes with conventional missiles. By upgrading
missiles, stepping up the R&D of missiles, and promoting the
informationalization of missiles and supporting equipment for command,
communications and reconnaissance, the Second Artillery Force has built
in its initial form a weaponry and equipment system that comprises both
nuclear and conventional missiles, covers different ranges, and
possesses markedly increased power and efficiency. The PLA Second
Artillery Force boasts a contingent of talents mainly composed of
academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and missile
specialists. More than 70% of its active-duty officers have bachelor's
degrees or above. High-tech means are used to reform its training and
shorten the cycle for new weaponry and equipment to be combat-ready. It
conducts missile-launching training and readiness exercises in
near-real conditions and constantly enhances its quick-response and
precision-strike capabilities.
Speeding Up Informationalization
In
its modernization drive, the PLA takes informationalization as its
orientation and strategic focus. By adopting the general approach of
giving priority to real needs, making practical innovations, valuing
talented personnel, and achieving informationalization by leaps and
bounds, the PLA is actively engaged in the research and practice of
informationalization.
In
the past two decades, the PLA has been pushing forward
informationalization in the field of military operations, focusing on
command automation. It has completed a series of key projects to build
military information systems and made great progress in building
information infrastructure. As a result, command means have been
substantially improved at all levels of headquarters and combat troops.
Computers and other IT equipment have been gradually introduced into
routine operations. The ability to provide operational information
support has been greatly enhanced while more and more IT elements have
been incorporated into main battle weapon systems. The CMC has approved
and promulgated the Guidelines for the Development of Automated Command
Systems of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Regulations of
the Chinese People's Liberation Army on Automated Command Systems,
defining the goals and relevant policies and statutes for developing
automated command systems.
In
the new stage of the 21st century, the PLA strives to comprehensively
push forward informationalization with military information systems and
informationalized main battle weapon systems as the mainstay and with
military informationalization infrastructure development supported and
guaranteed. In its drive for informationalization, the PLA adheres to
the criterion of combat efficiency and the direction of an integrated
development, enhances centralized leadership and overall planning,
develops new military theories and operational theories while
optimizing management system and force structure, updating systems of
statutes and standards, and emphasizing training for
informationalization. The PLA strengthens the building of military
information systems and speeds up the informationalization of main
battle weapon systems. It also makes full use of various information
resources and focuses on increasing system interoperability and
information-sharing capability. The PLA takes advantage of progress in
government and social sectors in the field of informationalization, and
establishes a scientific research and production system and information
mobilization mechanism that integrates military and civilian efforts to
promote the informationalization process of both the PLA and the
government.
Accelerating the Modernization of Weaponry and Equipment
The
PLA regards weaponry and equipment as the crucial material and
technological basis for pushing forward the RMA with Chinese
characteristics. In accordance with the national security needs, the
PLA accelerates the modernization of weaponry and equipment, depending
on national economic development and technological advance.
In
order to strengthen the capability to win local wars under
informationalized conditions, the PLA, in its development of weaponry
and equipment, stresses the importance of capstone design, persists in
taking informationalization as the leading force while advancing
mechanization and informationalization simultaneously, and strives to
build a streamlined, efficient and optimized modern weaponry system
appropriate in size and optimal in structure.
Giving
priority to the development of new- and high-tech weaponry and
equipment. The PLA intensifies its R&D efforts and strengthens its
innovative capability through self-reliance. It accelerates the R&D
of new informationalized combat platforms and precision munitions, as
well as electronic counter-measures equipment, and puts more effort
into elevating the capabilities for precision strikes and information
operations.
Accelerating
the modification of old and outmoded weaponry. A number of old and
outmoded weapons and equipment, which are backward in technology, poor
in performance and no longer cost-effective in maintenance, are being
phased out, and part of the active-service main battle weaponry is
reconfigured on a selective, priority and phasal basis. By embedding
advanced technology, developing new munitions, and integrating command
and control systems, the PLA has restored or upgraded the tactical and
technical performance of some current main battle weapons.
Continuously
elevating integrated support for weaponry and equipment. Taking
existing weaponry and equipment as the basis, the PLA emphasizes the
organic and systematic development of combat and support capabilities
of weaponry and equipment. In accordance with the development of main
battle weaponry and equipment, the PLA develops new types of general-
and special-purpose support equipment, while strengthening the
maintenance and technical support forces with priority given to new
equipment and the training of personnel who employ, maintain and manage
the new equipment, so as to elevate the integrated support of weaponry
and equipment, thus satisfying the needs of readiness for military
struggle.
Implementing the Strategic Project for Talented People
In
August 2003, the CMC began to implement its Strategic Project for
Talented People. The Project proposes that in one to two decades, the
PLA will possess a contingent of command officers capable of directing
informationalized wars and of building informationalized armed forces,
a contingent of staff officers proficient in planning armed forces
building and military operations, a contingent of scientists capable of
planning and organizing the innovative development of weaponry and
equipment and the exploration of key technologies, a contingent of
technical specialists with thorough knowledge of new- and high-tech
weaponry performance, and a contingent of NCOs with expertise in using
weapons and equipment at hand. The Project will be implemented in two
stages. By the end of 2010, there will be a remarkable improvement in
the quality of military personnel, and a big increase in the number of
well-educated personnel in combat units. The following decade will
witness a big leap in the training of military personnel.
In
recent years, the PLA has utilized military educational institutions as
major platforms for training military personnel. Officer candidates
have, in the main, been trained in four-year colleges. A functional
transformation of military educational institutions is taking place
with the emphasis shifting from academic credentials education to
pre-assignment training. More and more military personnel with
specialties for both military and civilian use will be trained by
regular institutions of higher learning. So far, more than 90 such
institutions have undertaken the task of training PLA cadres. In
implementing the Project for Strengthening the Military with
High-Caliber Personnel, nearly 30 key regular institutions of higher
learning have trained a great number of Master Degree students for the
PLA, whose specialties are urgently needed. Various training courses
have been offered at military educational institutions, including
courses for young and middle-aged cadres, high-tech knowledge training
courses for leading cadres at the levels of military area command and
corps, and training programs of cross-service and cross-arm expertise.
Hundreds of military cadres have been sent to the central and
provincial Party schools. Division and brigade commanding officers have
been arranged for study tours abroad. The number of commanders has been
increased among the overseas military students.
Intensifying Joint Training
Adapting
to the features and patterns of modern warfare, the PLA has intensified
joint training among services and arms at all levels to enhance joint
fighting capabilities.
Highlighting
joint operational training. In view of the future operational tasks,
the PLA has given priority to training with specific objectives, joint
operational training and high-level command post training. It has
successfully organized a series of major joint operational training
activities. Studies and exercises directed at operational issues are
emphasized with additional attention to the development of operational
doctrines and training regulations, and the construction of network
systems. By exploring approaches for operational guidance, operational
command and operational training for joint campaigns, the PLA has
improved the capabilities of commanding officers at each level to
organize and direct joint operations.
Conducting
joint tactical training. To meet the needs of joint operations at the
tactical level, units of different arms and services stationed in the
same areas have intensified their contacts and cooperation in the form
of regional cooperation to conduct joint tactical training. In
September 2003, the General Staff Headquarters organized a PLA-wide
demonstration on regional cooperation for military training in Dalian.
That event drew lessons from regional cooperation for military training
and explored new ways to conduct joint tactical training.
Improving
the means of joint training. After years of development, substantial
progress has been achieved in on-base training, simulation training and
network training. Almost all combined tactical training activities at
division, brigade and regiment levels can be conducted on base. All
services and arms have set up their basic simulation training systems
for operational and tactical command. A (joint) combat laboratory
system of simulation training for all military educational institutions
has been initially put in place. A military training network system has
been set up to interconnect the LANs of military area commands,
services and arms, and command colleges.
Training
commanding officers for joint operations. The military educational
institutions have intensified their joint operations training. The
elementary command colleges offer basic courses in joint operations.
The intermediate command colleges offer courses on service campaigns
and combined operations. The advanced command university offers courses
on strategic studies and joint operations. In order to bring up
commanding officers for joint operations, PLA units carry out on-duty
training and regional cooperation training, and acquire knowledge of
other services and arms and joint operations through assembly training,
cross-observation of training activities, academic seminars and joint
exercises.
Deepening Logistical Reforms
The
PLA continues to deepen, expand and coordinate the reforms of its
logistical system, and makes efforts to enhance the capability to
provide fast, efficient and integrated support.
Pushing
forward an integrated tri-service support system. Experimental reforms
of joint logistics started in the Jinan Theater in July 2004. First,
all logistical organs of the three services are integrated into one.
The Theater Joint Logistics Department or Joint Logistics Department of
Military Area Command, originally called Logistics Department of
Military Area Command, takes responsibility for joint logistical
support for all in-theater units of the three services. The percentage
of non-Army cadres in this department has risen from 12% to 45%.
Second, all logistical support resources of the three services are
integrated. All in-theater logistical support facilities such as rear
depots, hospitals, recuperation centers, and material supply and
engineering facilities, originally under the leadership and management
of the services and arms, have been transferred to the joint logistics
system for unified integration, construction, management and
employment. Third, all logistical support mechanisms of the three
services are integrated. The in-theater logistical support for troops
of the three services is no longer categorized into general or special
supply support. All supplies are planned and provided by the joint
logistics system. Fourth, all logistical support channels of the three
services are integrated. The multiple support channels for troops of
the arms and services have been readjusted and integrated into one
support channel of the joint logistics system, aiming at compressing
the supply chain and improving efficiency to form an effective system
of supervision and management.
Conducting
technological research of logistical equipment. Over the past two
years, the PLA has completed experiments to finalize the designs of 92
types of new logistical equipment, with the designs in logistical
equipment system finalized at a rate of 93%. A new-generation
logistical equipment system with all necessary specialized varieties
has been basically established with some of the equipment reaching the
internationally advanced standards. The Fourth Beijing International
Exhibition on Military Logistical Equipment and Technology was held in
April 2004. More than 340 manufacturers from 26 countries and regions
took part in the exhibition, and military logistics delegations from 16
countries were invited to attend the exhibition as well as the
international symposium on the development strategy of military
logistical equipment and technology.
Deepening
reforms of the medical support system and logistics outsourcing. In May
2004, the PLA started in an all-round way to carry out the reform of
its medical support system based on pilot and expanded experiments. The
reform features categorized support, appropriate medical care, unified
management and treatment at designated hospitals, and treatment upon
presentation of medical cards. The PLA has established a new type of
medical support system in which medical service is free for servicemen,
preferential for dependents accompanying officers, and available to
civilian employees in the PLA through medical insurance. This has
improved the quality of medical service and enhanced the capability of
medical support. The PLA has adopted the management method of packaging
wages for civilian employees and the policy of providing resettlement
benefits to redundant personnel. It has also introduced in an all-round
way such housing reform measures as monetization, market supply and
management outsourcing, stepped up efforts to cash housing subsidies,
and further enabled servicemen to purchase houses.
Innovating Political Work
The
PLA takes as guidance Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng
Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "Three Represents,"
adheres to the fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute
leadership over the armed forces, puts ideological and political work
first, innovates political work in its content, approaches, means as
well as mechanism to give full play to the support and combat functions
of political work.
In
December 2003, the new Regulations on the Political Work of the Chinese
People's Liberation Army was revised and promulgated. The regulation
maintains that political work is the fundamental guarantee of the
Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and the assurance for
the armed forces to accomplish their missions. It clearly defines
political work as a significant component of combat capabilities of the
PLA, and stresses the importance of giving full play to the combat
function of political work. Education in the RMA with Chinese
characteristics is given PLA-wide. Wartime political work is studied
and rehearsed extensively. Political work is strengthened in all
services and arms as well as the units carrying out special missions.
Education in the PLA's functions and sense of urgency has been
intensified in the PLA so that officers and men are motivated in their
trainings and a tough fighting spirit and a good working style are
fostered.
The
PLA relies on laws and regulations to promote the innovation of
political work. In April 2004, the CMC promulgated the Regulations on
the Work of the Armed Forces Committees of the Communist Party of China
(for Trial Implementation), which further defines the duties and
responsibilities of the Party committees, the standing committees of
the Party committees, secretaries and committee members, and further
improves the decision-making procedures and principles in Party
committees. In February 2004, the CMC released the Provisions on
Strengthening the Education and Management of High- and Middle-Ranking
Cadres of the PLA, which establishes and refines the systems for cadres
at the regiment level and above to do self-study and review, to receive
thematic education, to take admonishment talks, to make ideological and
political assessment, to submit work and probity reports as well as
reports on important work assignments.
The
PLA attaches great importance to ideological and cultural work. In the
period of 2000-2002, the CMC allocated RMB 140 million for the cultural
work of grass-roots units. In recent two years, the General Political
Department and the General Logistics Department have jointly issued a
number of regulations in succession, including the Provisional
Regulations of the Chinese People's Liberation Army on the Management
of Cultural Equipment and the Provisional Regulations on Grass-Roots
Cultural Construction. Beginning in 2003, the cultural equipment
supplied to grass-roots units are covered by regularized outlays and
managed as organic equipment. In May 2004 a PLA-wide forum on art and
literature was held, in which a five-year plan was formulated for art
and literature work in the military. The PLA publishes more than 2,800
titles of books and audio-visual products every year. All units carry
out rich and colorful on-camp cultural activities to promote the
all-round development and enhance combat capability.
Governing the Armed Forces Strictly and According to Law
The
PLA implements the principle of governing the armed forces strictly and
according to law, strengthens the building of the military legal
system, raises the level of regularization, and enhances the combat
capability of the armed forces.
The
PLA has emphasized incorporating into laws and regulations its good
traditions in governing the armed forces and the requirements of the
RMA with Chinese characteristics, so as to regulate all dimensions of
the armed forces building. In the new historical era, the PLA has
promulgated and revised a large number of military regulations,
including the Regulations on Routine Service of the People's Liberation
Army, Regulations on Discipline of the People's Liberation Army,
Regulations on Formation of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations
on the Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations on the
Political Work of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations on the
Logistics of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations on the Armaments
of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations on the Military Training
of the People's Liberation Army, Regulations on the Garrison Service of
the People's Liberation Army, and a new generation of operations
regulations. The military law system has been basically established
with regulations as its main body. In April 2003, the CMC promulgated
the Regulations on Military Rules and Regulations to regulate the
military legislative work. In January 2004, according to the CMC's
directive, the PLA and the People's Armed Police Forces (PAPF)
proceeded to sort out in a comprehensive way all their current
regulations and rules, and uniformly organize the compilation and
printing of the collections of military regulations and rules so as to
provide legal basis for strict governing of the armed forces. The armed
forces have carried out legal education in a deep-going way and
conducted regulation training courses at various levels to guide the
officers and men to perform their duties in accordance with the law.
The
PLA has maintained the authority and solemnity of the regulations and
rules and administered troops strictly in accordance with the
regulations and rules. Incorporating the cultivation of good style and
strict discipline into routine military training and administration has
helped to sharpen the awareness of the officers and men in their
observance of regulations and rules. Through strict training, refined
military bearing, strict discipline and resolute and swift work style
have been cultivated among the troops. In August 2003, the CMC revised
and issued the Outline for Armed Forces Building at the Grass-Roots
Level, which has promoted the regularization of the orders in
preparation against war, training, routine work and everyday life at
the grass-roots level. The General Staff Headquarters, the General
Political Department, the General Logistics Department and the General
Armaments Department have twice formed joint working groups for overall
inspection of strict administration of the troops. In accordance with
the CMC requirements, the PLA and the PAPF have intensified
rectification and improvement, and have further promoted the
implementation of the guiding principle of governing the armed forces
strictly and according to law.
Chapter IV. Defense Expenditure and Defense Assets
China
manages and uses its defense funds, ensures the procurement and supply
of its military equipment and materials, and protects its defense
assets in conformity with legal provisions and in accordance with the
needs of national defense building and the requirements of the
socialist market economy.
Defense Expenditure
Pursuant
to The National Defense Law, the Chinese government follows the guiding
principle of the coordinated development of national defense and
economy. Based on the economic development and revenue growth, it has
continued to increase its defense expenditure moderately so as to keep
up with the changes in the demands of national defense. China's GDP in
2002 and 2003 was 10,517.234 billion yuan and 11,725.194 billion yuan
respectively. Its defense expenditure in 2002 and 2003 was 170.778
billion yuan and 190.787 billion yuan respectively. Its defense budget
for 2004 is 211.701 billion yuan.
The
increased part of China's defense expenditure has primarily been used
for the following purposes: (1) Increase of the salaries and allowances
of the military personnel. It is necessary to raise the salaries and
allowances of the military personnel in step with the socio-economic
development and the per-capita income rise of urban and rural
residents. In the light of the unified wage adjustment policy for the
personnel of state organs, China has raised the salary rates of
officers, civil cadres and non-commissioned officers; the allowances of
conscripts and cadets under the supply system; and the pensions of the
retired. (2) Further improvement of the social insurance system for
servicemen. In December 2003, the Provisional Measures on Social
Insurance for Unemployed Accompanying Spouses of PLA Servicemen was
formulated, to guarantee their basic living standard and provide them
with social insurance subsidies. (3) Support for the structural and
organizational reform of the military. China once again downsizes its
military by 200,000, and has to increase the expenses on the
resettlement of the discharged surplus personnel accordingly. (4)
Increased investment in the development of high-caliber talents in the
military. The PLA has established and refined an incentive mechanism
for talented people, improved conditions in military educational
institutions, and entrusted non-military colleges and universities with
the education of qualified personnel, so as to ensure the achievement
of the PLA's Strategic Project for Talented People. (5) Moderate
increase of equipment expenses. This is aimed at promoting the leapfrog
development of weaponry and equipment, and stepping up preparations for
military struggle.
In
the past two years, the percentages of China's annual defense
expenditure to its GDP and to the state financial expenditure in the
same period have remained basically stable. For most of the years since
the 1990s, the growth rate of China's defense expenditure has been
lower than that of the state financial expenditure.
The
absolute amount of China's defense expenditure has long been lower than
those of some major Western countries, and the proportion to the GDP
and state financial expenditure has also been relatively low. In 2003,
China's defense expenditure amounted to only 5.69% of that of the
United States, 56.78% of that of Japan, 37.07% of that of the United
Kingdom, and 75.94% of that of France.
The
management of China's defense funds has become more transparent and
standardized, and its cost-effectiveness has been steadily improving.
The budgeting reform for defense expenditure has been further deepened,
and a new defense budgeting system established, which introduces the
zero-base budgeting method and united budgeting system. The bud
get adjustment and control function has been strengthened, and the
input direction and amount of defense funds optimized. The tendering
and bidding system for the procurement of defense materials, projects
and services has been improved, and the scope of centralized payment
extended.
Table 1: Percentage of China's Annual Defense Expenditure in Its GDP (1997-2003)
|
Year |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
Percentage |
1.09 |
1.19 |
1.31 |
1.35 |
1.48 |
1.62 |
1.63 |
Chart 1: Comparison Between the Growth Rate of China's Defense expenditure and That of Its State Financial Expenditure (1995-2003)
Chart 2: Comparison of the Defense Expenditures of Some Countries in 2003 and 2004 (unit: billion US dollars)
Note
1: Statistics in the charts are sourced from the national defense
reports, financial reports and other government reports published by
the said countries.
Note 2: The average exchange rate in 2003 was US$ 1.0≈ RMB 8.2770. On Nov. 20, 2004, US$ 1.0≈ RMB 8.2765.
Table 2: The Percentages of the Defense Expenditures in the GDP and Financial Expenditures of Some Countries in 2003
|
Country |
USA |
Russia |
UK |
France |
Japan |
China |
|
Defense expend. as % of GDP |
3.60 |
2.64 |
3.11 |
2.22 |
0.99 |
1.63 |
|
Defense expend. as % of financial expenditure |
16.20 |
14.69 |
8.10 |
11.00 |
6.06 |
7.74 |
Chart 3: China's Defense Expenditure, 2003 by Proportion(unit: RMB billion yuan)
Military Order Placement and Procurement
China
practices a state ordering system to guarantee the procurement and
provision of weapons, equipment and military materials. The General
Armaments Department is responsible for the procurement of weaponry and
equipment while the General Logistics Department is in charge of the
procurement of military materials.
In
October 2002, the CMC promulgated the Regulations on the Armaments
Procurement of the PLA. In December 2003, the General Armam
ents Department issued relevant provisions, including the Provisions on
the Management of Armaments Procurement Plans, the Provisions on the
Management of Armaments Procurement Contracts, the Provisions on the
Management of Armaments Procurement Modes and Procedures, the
Provisions on the Management of the Examination of the Qualifications
of Armaments Manufacturing Units and the Provisions on the Management
of the Centralized Procurement of Armaments of the Same Kind. All these
regulations and provisions constitute a new statutory system for the
procurement of armaments. In recent years, the procurement of armaments
has followed the basic principles of the government procurement system,
gradually pulled down the sectional barriers in military industry,
introduced the mechanism of competition and supported state-owned
enterprises outside the military industry and private high-tech
enterprises to enter the market of military products. The procurement
mode has been in an accelerating transition from procurement at
designated enterprises to multiple ways of procurement such as open
bidding, invited bidding, competitive bargaining and inquiry
procurement. This has raised the overall cost-effectiveness of
armaments procurement and ensured the procurement at reasonable prices
of weapons and equipment advanced in performance, superior in quality
and complete as a set. The procurement of military computers and
network devices, vehicle chassis, generating sets, shelters, and other
types of general-purpose equipment has changed from separate to
centralized procurement at the PLA level.
Since
February 2002, in accordance with the Overall Plan for Deepening the
Reform in the Procurement of Military Materials, Projects and Services
approved for distribution by the CMC, the General Logistics Department
has promulgated in succession the Provisions on the Management of the
Procurement of Military Materials, the Provisions on the Management of
Inviting Tenders for Military Materials, the Provisions on the
Management of Procurement Contracts for Military Materials, the
Provisions on the Management of the Price Review Work of Procurement
Agencies of Military Materials, the Provisional Measures for the
Management of Centralized Procurement Payment of Military Materials,
Projects and Services, and the Provisions on Auditing the Procurement
of Military Materials, Projects and Services. Following the basic
principles of government procurement and taking into consideration the
actual conditions of the building and management of the armed forces,
the PLA has adopted in an all-round way a mode of procurement of
military materials which focuses mainly on hierarchical management and
centralized procurement. This mode has improved the operational
mechanism of proper division of labor and mutual restraint among the
departments in charge of funds, planning and procurement, and raised
the level of standardization, specialization and informationalization
in the procurement of materials as well as the cost-effectiveness
resulting from large-scale procurement. Now procured in a centralized
way are more than 1,000 kinds of materials in 24 categories needed in
the development, training, scientific research and daily life of the
armed forces. Procurement items included in the annual budget are
procured through public bidding if their procurement value exceeds the
quota. The quota prescribed by the General Logistics Department is RMB
500,000 yuan or more.
Protection of Defense Assets
Defense
assets are funds, land and other resources which the state has directly
invested in or appropriated for the building of the armed forces,
defense scientific research and production and other aspects of defense
construction. They also include the resultant weaponry and equipment,
installations and facilities, materials and technological achievements
used for defense purposes. The defense assets possessed, used and
managed by the PLA in accordance with the law belong to the PLA's
state-owned assets. The state has promulgated the National Defense Law
of the PRC, the Law of the PRC on Protecting Military Facilities, and
the Implementation Measures for the Law of the PRC on Protecting
Military Facilities. The PLA has formulated more than 30 rules and
regulations on the management of its state-owned assets, such as the
Provisions on the Management of the State-Owned Assets of the PLA. This
has put the work of protecting defense assets on the legal track.
The
people's governments and military organs at all levels jointly protect
military facilities and safeguard national defense interests. Under the
leadership of the State Council and the CMC, the General Staff
Headquarters is in charge of the work of protecting military facilities
throughout the country. The headquarters of the military area commands
are in charge of the work of protecting military facilities within
their areas of responsibility. In the areas where there are military
facilities, the local governments at and above the county level and the
relevant military organs stationed there jointly set up military
facility protection committees, with their administrative offices
established in the provincial commands (garrison commands),
sub-commands (garrison commands) and the people's armed forces
departments of counties, autonomous counties, cities and municipal
districts. Following the guiding principle of providing categorized
protection and ensuring the safety of key facilities, the state
designates military forbidden zones and military restricted zones as a
way to protect military facilities, and also takes appropriate measures
to protect military facilities outside such zones. Protected by law are
works for military operations, airspace clearance around military
airports, military communication and power transmission lines, military
oil and water pipelines, electromagnetic environments of fixed military
radio installations, frontier defense installations and military survey
marks.
Under
the General Logistics Department is the Bureau of PLA's State-Owned
Assets Management in charge of the management of the PLA's state-owned
assets. The PLA's state-owned assets are managed under the system of
unified leadership and hierarchical responsibility. The logistics organ
at each level is responsible for management of the state-owned assets
at its own level. In recent years, the PLA has adopted a management
method of property inspection and registration and physical assets
valuation and accounting, and instituted a system of property right
registration, assets assessment and assets reporting, thus effectively
standardizing the management of the PLA's state-owned assets and
ensuring their safety, integrity, appropriate allocation and effective
use.
Chapter V. The Military Service System
China
practices a military service system which combines conscripts with
volunteers and a militia with a reserve service. It is the glorious
duty of the Chinese citizens to serve in the armed forces and join
militia organizations according to law.
Administration System for Military Service Work
China
practices an administration system of unified leadership and graded
responsibility for military service work. Under the leadership of the
State Council and the CMC, the Ministry of National Defense assumes
responsibility for the military service work throughout the country.
The military area commands are responsible for the military service
work in their respective areas in accordance with the directions of the
Ministry of National Defense. The provincial commands (garrison
commands), sub-commands (garrison commands) and the people's armed
forces departments of counties, autonomous counties, cities and
municipal districts concurrently act as the military service organs of
the people's governments at corresponding levels and are responsible
for the military service work in their respective areas under the
leadership of the military organs at higher levels and the people's
governments at corresponding levels. The government organs, public
organizations, enterprises and institutions and the people's
governments of townships, ethnic townships and towns accomplish their
military service work in accordance with the provisions of the Military
Service Law. Professional work concerning military service is handled
by the people's armed forces departments, or by the designated
departments where there are no people's armed forces departments.
Active Service
Active
service is the principal form in which Chinese citizens perform their
military service obligations. The citizens in active service in the PLA
are servicemen in active service, consisting of officers in active
service, civil cadres and soldiers in active service.
Officers
in active service are the servicemen who hold posts at or above the
platoon level or junior specialized technical level, and are conferred
corresponding military ranks. They are classified as operational,
political, logistics, armaments and specialized technical officers. The
Law of the PRC on Officers in Active Service stipulates that the main
sources of officers in active service are: graduates of schools or
academies in the military, who are originally selected to study there
from among outstanding soldiers and graduates of regular secondary
schools; graduates of regular institutions of higher learning; civil
cadres in the military; and specialized technicians and other persons
recruited from outside the military. In war, soldiers, enlisted reserve
officers, and persons in non-military departments may be directly
appointed as active officers as needed.
The
PLA institutes a post-based military rank system for officers. Military
ranks for officers in active service are divided into 10 grades in
three categories: general, lieutenant general and major general; senior
colonel, colonel, lieutenant colonel and major; captain, first
lieutenant and second lieutenant. The posts at and below the level of
the military area command are: military area command, corps, division,
regiment, battalion, company and platoon. The highest military rank for
specialized technical officers is lieutenant general, and their
professional levels are graded into senior, intermediate and junior.
Soldiers
in active service are composed of conscripts based on compulsory
military service (referred to as conscripts) and volunteers based on
volunteer military service (referred to as non-commissioned officers).
Non-commissioned officers are chosen from conscripts who have completed
their terms of active service, and may be recruited from citizens with
professional skills in non-military organizations. The term of service
for conscripts in active service is two years. A system of active
service for different terms is adopted for non-commissioned officers.
The first two terms are three years each, the third and fourth terms
four years each, the fifth term five years, and the sixth term nine
years or longer. Non-commissioned officers are divided into two
categories: specialized-technical and non-specialized-technical. The
term of active service for the former ranges from the first to the
sixth, and the latter and women non-commissioned officers serve, in
principle, only the first term.
The
lowest military rank for soldiers in active service is private, and the
highest is non-commissioned officer of the sixth grade. Conscripts in
their first year of service are of the rank of private, and rise to the
rank of private first class in their second year. The military ranks
for non-commissioned officers are divided into six grades in three
categories. The first two grades are junior non-commissioned officers,
the third and fourth grades are intermediate non-commissioned officers,
and the fifth and sixth grades are senior non-commissioned officers.
Reserve Service
Reserve
service is divided into reserve service for officers and reserve
service for soldiers. Citizens registered for reserve service are
reservists.
Reserve
officers are chosen mainly from officers and civil cadres who have been
discharged from active service, soldiers who have been discharged from
active service, cadres of the people's armed forces departments and the
militia, graduates from non-military institutions of higher learning,
and other citizens who meet the qualifications of reserve officers.
Reserve officers who hold posts in reserve forces, or are
pre-regimented to active forces are reserve officers of Category One,
and the other reserve officers are in Category Two. Reserve officers
are classified as operational, political, logistics, armaments, and
specialized technical officers and their posts are classified as
division, regiment, battalion, company and platoon levels, and for
specialized technical officers, as senior, intermediate and junior
levels. The military ranks for reserve officers are divided into eight
grades in three categories: reserve major general; reserve senior
colonel, colonel, lieutenant colonel and major; reserve captain, first
lieutenant and second lieutenant. Reserve soldiers range in age from 18
to 35. On the basis of age and military qualities, they are classified
into Category One and Category Two.
Enlistment in Peacetime
The
number of conscripts enlisted into active service in China every year,
and the requirements and time for their enlistment are prescribed by
order of the State Council and the CMC. The provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government make
arrangements for enlistment in their respective areas in accordance
with the enlistment order of the State Council and the CMC. Enlistment
in peacetime usually takes place once a year.
The
Military Service Law of the PRC stipulates that male citizens who reach
the age of 18 by December 31 each year are eligible for enlistment for
active service. Those who are not enlisted that year remain eligible
for enlistment until the age of 22. Female citizens may also be
enlisted, if necessary. Male citizens reaching the age of 18 before
December 31 should register for military service before September 30 of
the same year. Citizens who meet the required conditions for active
service are enlisted into active service after gaining approval from
the military service organs of their own counties, autonomous counties,
cities or municipal districts. If a citizen qualified for enlistment is
the only supporter of his or her family or is a student in a full-time
school, his or her enlistment may be postponed. Citizens who are kept
in custody for investigations, legal proceedings or trials, or who are
serving sentences or are under criminal detention or surveillance may
not be enlisted.
Discharge from Active Service and Resettlements
Active
officers who have reached the maximum age limit for peacetime active
service should be discharged from active service. Those who have not
yet reached the maximum age limit or have not served the minimum term
limit for peacetime active service may be discharged from active
service in special circumstances after gaining approval. Soldiers who
have completed their term of active service should be discharged from
active service.
The
state makes proper arrangements for officers and civil cadres who have
been discharged from active service. The main modes of arrangement are
transference to civilian work, demobilization and retirement.
Transference to civilian work is the principal mode of arrangement for
officers and civil cadres discharged from active service.
Administrative organs for resettlement of officers and civil cadres who
have been transferred to civilian work or have retired, are set up at
the national level and at the level of the province (autonomous region
or municipality directly under the Central Government), and, if
necessary, corresponding organs may be set up at the level of the city
(prefecture). The General Political Department is responsible for the
overall administration of the PLA resettlement work for officers and
civil cadres who have been transferred to civilian work or have retired.
Since
2001, the Central Committee of the CPC, the State Council and the CMC
have promulgated and implemented the Provisional Measures for
Resettlement of Officers and Civil Cadres Transferred to Civilian Work
and related regulations and policies, providing for execution of the
resettlement mode to civilian work, whereby the state planned
assignment of jobs and posts is combined with finding jobs by oneself.
Officers at the level of division or regiment or at battalion-level
with 18 years of military service (including civil cadres at the
corresponding levels and specialized technical officers who enjoy
corresponding status) can either be assigned civilian jobs according to
the unified plan or choose to find jobs by themselves. Those at or
below the battalion level with less than 18 years of military service
are assigned civilian work under the unified plan. The Party committees
and governments are responsible for arranging jobs and posts for
officers and civil cadres transferred to civilian work. Those who
choose to find jobs by themselves may seek assistance from the
government in their job-finding and are entitled to a monthly-paid
service-discharge pension for life long with exemption from income tax.
Officers and civil cadres transferred to civilian work may settle at
their native places or the places where they were enlisted, or settle
at the places where their spouses lived before moving to accompany the
servicemen or where they were married. When they meet the required
conditions, they may also settle at the places where their parents,
their spouses' parents, their spouses or their children are permanent
residents, or at the places where their troops are stationed.
When
conscripts have been discharged from active service, the people's
government of the county where they were enlisted makes appropriate
arrangements for them, depending on whether they are from the
countryside or city and whether they have received any awards for
meritorious service. Non-commissioned officers are resettled and
arranged as transference to civilian work, demobilization, or
retirement from active service according to their terms of service.
Table 3: Maximum Age Limits for Active Officers Holding Posts in Peacetime
|
Category |
Operational, Political, Logistics, Armaments Officers |
Specialized Technical Officers |
|
|
Combat Troops |
Non-combat Troops |
Junior-level 40 |
|
Platoon |
30 |
30 |
|
Company |
35 |
35 |
|
Battalion |
40 |
40 |
|
Regiment |
45 |
Chief 50 |
Deputy 45 |
|
Division |
50 |
55 |
Intermediate-level 50 |
|
Corps |
55 |
Chief 60 |
Deputy 58 |
|
Military Area Command |
Chief 65 |
Senior-level 60 |
|
Deputy 63 |
|
Chapter VI. National Defense Mobilization and Reserve Force Building
China
adheres to the principle of having all people engaged in national
defense with an aim at giving full play to the overall advantages of
the present-day people's war so as to promote the national defense
mobilization and reserve force building on the basis of the overall
national strength.
Mobilization of National Economy
As
an important component of the national defense building and economic
construction, China's economic mobilization follows the strategic
thinking of soldiers and the people being the foundation for victory
and the strategic concept of the people's war.
The
mobilization of national economy refers to activities which improve, in
a planned and organized way, the emergency reaction capabilities of
national economy for national security. In peacetime, as an important
measure to build up the economic potentials for national defense and to
cope with contingencies, the mobilization of national economy balances
the proportion of the permanent power of the defense economy to the
national economy, and constitutes a powerful deterrence to war. In
wartime, the mobilization of national economy is an important guarantee
to transfer the national defense economic potentials into national
defense capabilities to win the war by way of a rapid and orderly shift
of the national economic system from a peacetime state to a wartime
state. The mobilization of national economy includes mobilizations in
the areas of industry, agriculture, communication and transport, post
and telecommunications, science and technology, medical care and
health, urban construction, commerce and trade, and finance. The
capacity to mobilize national economy is an important indicator of the
level of both national defense modernization and the overall national
strength.
Under
the leadership of the State Council and CMC, the PRC Development and
Reform Commission is responsible for the mobilization of national
economy. The National Economy Mobilization Office is the administrative
organ which is primarily responsible for: organizing and implementing
the mobilization of national economy throughout the country;
coordinating relations between the military and economic work, between
government organizations and military systems and between the Central
Government and the local governments in the process of mobilization;
properly combining peacetime needs with wartime needs and integrating
military purposes with civilian ones in the development of national
economy; improving the mechanism for mobilization of national economy
and the capabilities to shift from peacetime to wartime footing. All
services and arms of the PLA and all military area commands as well as
the ministries and commissions concerned under the State Council along
with all provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities
directly under the Central Government) have set up corresponding
offices for mobilization of national economy.
China
initially established a system for mobilization of national economy
after the founding of New China in 1949. In the 1960s and 1970s, China
undertook the construction of mobilization of national economy with
preparations against war as the primary task. In the 1980s, the
national economy mobilization began transformation in four fields:
transformation from purely serving the war demands to serving both
national defense and economic construction, focusing on the combination
of both military effectiveness and economic efficiency; transformation
from playing a unitary administrative role under the planned economy to
that of an overall regulation and control under the socialist market
economy to gradually form a management mechanism using multiple means
related to law, economy and administration; transformation from
building the military production capacity in the pre-war state to
enhancing the converting ability from peacetime production to wartime
production with the emphasis on building up economic potentials for
national defense; and transformation from general mobilization
preparations to partial mobilization preparations with priority given
to rapid mobilization against contingencies in major directions and key
areas.
At
the new historical stage, following the principles of combining
peacetime needs with wartime needs and having military and civilian
purposes compatible with each other while reserving the military
capabilities in civilian potentials, China's national economy
mobilization makes great progress in the construction of national
economy mobilization and steadily improves the capacity of national
economy mobilization by observing the principles of centralized
leadership, responsibility at different levels, overall planning,
construction of key projects, long-term preparations and gradual
development. A three-level (central, provincial and prefectural)
management system to mobilize national economy has initially taken
shape with the attention paid to handling major contingencies and
emergencies, thus creating conditions, in terms of system, for national
economy to turn rapidly from peacetime production to wartime
production. Making full use of advanced information technologies, China
has initially established a digital information platform for national
economy mobilization, thus improving the speed and efficiency of
turning peacetime production to wartime production. The capability of
national economy to turn peacetime production into wartime production
in 2003 was 12.44% higher than that of the previous year. The
contributions made by science and technology to national economy
mobilization rose by 3.53 percentage points compared with that of the
previous year.
Civil Air Defense (CAD)
As
an important part of the national defense and an important aspect of
the economic and social development, China's civil air defense (CAD)
refers to measures and actions to mobilize and organize the Chinese
people to be prepared against enemy air raids and disastrous events,
and to deal with the aftermath of enemy air raids and disastrous
events. Resorting to preventive means such as camouflage, cover and
evacuation, and adopting measures such as emergency rescue and
rush-repair, the CAD serves the purpose of securing the people's lives
and property, reducing losses of national economy and preserving the
war potentials. The CAD is built and managed strictly in accordance
with the Civil Air Defense Law of the PRC. The CAD adopts a system of
joint leadership by the people's governments and the military organs
with the local people's governments and the military organs at the
county level and above exercising leadership over the CAD work within
their respective administrative areas. The basic task of the CAD is to
organize the people in CAD building in peacetime and to organize and
direct people to fight against air raids in wartime.
The
CAD bases itself on making preparations against air raids under the
informationalized conditions by adhering to the guideline of long-term
preparation, construction of key projects and combination of peacetime
footing with wartime footing. In recent years, major cities throughout
the country have set up joint, streamlined and highly efficient CAD
command systems. They have made their municipal anti-air-raid plans,
improved their urban air defense (AD) early-warning-alarm networks, and
sped up the construction of the auxiliaries to the AD protection
facilities while strengthening the protection of key economic targets,
the construction of evacuation areas, and the building of specialized
AD contingents among the people. In some provinces and municipalities,
the people's governments have organized many anti-air-raid exercises,
in which the AD alarm sirens were tested. They have also carried out
education in the common sense of protection in case of air raids, and
conducted training in protection skills. Consequently, the people's AD
awareness has been generally raised and the overall urban anti-air-raid
capabilities have been noticeably improved.
The
CAD actively safeguards public security based on the needs of
comprehensive national security. It has continuously improved its
leading organs; established emergency rescue systems; set up a unified,
coordinated and highly-efficient joint-action mechanism; formulated
detailed backup emergency plans; provided services for emergency rescue
and disaster relief by using CAD's communication, alarm and command
facilities; organized specialized AD contingents to undertake tasks
entrusted by the people's governments, such as comprehensive
coordination, command support, and specialized rescue and assistance in
emergency rescue and disaster relief; and made every effort to set up
an integrated civil defense system that combines peacetime and wartime
footing, and is capable of carrying out both anti-air-raid and
disaster-preventing missions. Many factories, mines, enterprises and
communities have established volunteer teams for civil defense.
Mobilization of Communications for National Defense
The
Chinese government attaches great importance to the mobilization of
communications for national defense. Under the leadership of the State
Council and the CMC, the state-level organs in charge of national
defense communications are responsible for national defense
communications mobilization across the country; the organs of the
military area commands in charge of national defense communications are
responsible for national defense communications mobilization within the
areas under their jurisdiction; the organs of the people's governments
at the county level and above in charge of national defense
communications are responsible for national defense communications
mobilization in their respective administrative regions; and the
departments of the State Council in charge of communications management
are responsible for national defense communications mobilization of
their own industries.
In
recent years, with the rapid development of national transportation and
communication and the constant improvement in the informationalization
of transportation and communication, China's national defense
communications systems have been further improved, and the capacity to
mobilize national defense communications has been greatly enhanced.
Construction of the national and local infrastructure for
transportation, communication and postal service is undertaken in
pursuance of the principle of combining peacetime needs with wartime
needs, fully taking into account the defense and military needs. Some
railways, highways and ports of national defense significance are
listed as key construction projects of the state. The support
contingents and plans for transportation and communication have played
an important role in emergency rescue and disaster relief in peacetime.
In 2003, China's mileage of railways and highways in operation reached
73,000 km and 1,809,800 km respectively, including 29,700 km of
expressways, and the annual volume of freight handled at the major
coastal ports reached 2.01 billion tons. In railway transportation, the
management of goods in transit has been informationalized, and the
marshaling has been computerized. In water transportation, the
positioning, tracking and control of ocean freighters have been brought
into reality. In highway transportation, the positioning, tracking and
control of some heavy trucks have been realized. In air transportation,
real-time information processing has been realized with regard to
ticket booking, departure, air routes as well as freight traffic and
security monitoring. Database management has been initially implemented
in terms of basic information and communications mobilization
information concerning major railway stations, harbors, airports,
airline companies and transportation companies.
Following
the publication of the Regulations on Communications for National
Defense, the State Council and the CMC promulgated the Regulations on
Mobilization of Civil Transport for National Defense in September 2003,
and the mobilization of civil transport for national defense has been
put on the track of law. Peacetime preparations of civil transport
mobilization are made in accordance with the principle of emphasizing
key projects and focusing on actual effects. In this respect, the work
includes the drafting of an overall plan for newly-built civil vehicles
and related equipment to meet the demands of national defense,
acquisition of information regarding the potentials to mobilize civil
transport for national defense, and formulation of plans for national
defense mobilization. Wartime mobilization of civil transport is
conducted according to the mobilization order issued by the President
of the state. Under special circumstances in peacetime, the
mobilization of civil transport is implemented upon the decision on
mobilization of civil transport made by the State Council and the CMC.
All organizations and individuals possessing or managing civil
transport capacity are obliged by the law to fulfill their duties and
responsibilities for civil transport mobilization.
Militia Force Building
As
an important component of the Chinese armed forces and the assistant
and backup forces of the PLA, the militia force is an armed
organization composed of the masses not released from their regular
work. The militia is divided into two categories - the ordinary and the
primary militia. The primary militia comprises rapid reaction
detachments, infantry detachments, specialized technical detachments
and detachments with corresponding specialties. There are now 10
million primary militia members throughout the country.
In
recent years, based on the principle of controlling quantity and
improving quality, and emphasizing key components and laying good
foundation, priority has been given to the quality of the militia
organizations in building the militia force while keeping its mass and
universal character. Infantry detachments have been reduced,
specialized technical detachments increased, and technical detachments
specialized in areas of AA artillery (machine-guns), missiles, field
artillery, communication, chemical defense, engineering, reconnaissance
and information reinforced. Enterprises and institutions with
corresponding specialties have established their militia detachments
with a high technological content. Also established therein are militia
detachments with specialties corresponding to different services and
arms responsible for combat and logistic support, and militia support
detachments responsible for fuel and other military supplies. The
organizational structure of the militia force has been optimized. The
scientific and technological quality of the militia force has been
continuously improved, and the capability of the militia force has been
apparently enhanced for rapid mobilization and operations.
The
primary militia members aged 18-22 receive 30-40 days of military
training. The training duration for specialized technical militia
members will be extended if necessary. Upon approval by the CMC, the
General Staff Headquarters assigns military training tasks to the
militia throughout the country. Military training for militia members
will be conducted collectively at the militia military training bases
in administrative regions at the county level. In some provinces and
municipalities specialized technical training centers and people's
military schools have been set up.
The
nationwide militia work comes under the centralized leadership of the
State Council and the CMC. The provincial commands (garrison commands),
military sub-commands (garrison commands) and the people's armed forces
departments of counties, autonomous counties, cities and municipal
districts are responsible for militia work in the areas under their
respective jurisdictions. The people's armed forces departments at the
level of townships, ethnic townships, towns and sub-districts are
responsible for militia work in their own areas. The people's armed
forces departments of enterprises and institutions, set up in
accordance with relevant provisions of the government, are responsible
for their own militia work. Enterprises and institutions with no
people's armed forces department shall designate a department or
personnel to handle their militia work.
The
Suggestions on Strengthening and Improving Militia Work in Cities,
jointly issued in August 2002 by the Central Committee of the CPC, the
State Council and the CMC, defines the strategic status and role of the
urban militia force and calls for strengthening and improving the urban
militia work, so as to be prepared for winning people's wars under
high-tech conditions with cities as important bases. In consideration
of local conditions and wartime assignments undertaken by the militia,
adjustments and reforms are steadily underway with respect to urban
militia work.
Reserve Force Building
As
an important component of the PLA, the reserve force constitutes the
focal point of the defense reserves building. It consists of active
servicemen as its backbone and reserve officers and men as its
foundation. It is organized according to the PLA's unified
organizational structure.
After
more than 20 years of development, the reserve force has grown from
purely a land force into an important composite reserve force
consisting of the Army reserve, Navy reserve, Air Force reserve and the
reserve of the Second Artillery Force. The reserve force adopts the
system of dual leadership by the military and the local Party
committees and governments. The Army reserve is under the leadership of
the provincial commands (garrison commands) in peacetime, and the Navy
reserve, Air Force reserve and the reserve of the Second Artillery
Force are placed under the joint leadership and control of both the
provincial commands (garrison commands) and the Navy, Air Force and
Second Artillery Force units. The reserve force is under the command of
the designated troops in active service after wartime mobilization.
Under
the new historical conditions, China persists in combining the building
of the reserve force with that of the armed forces in active service.
China improves the quality of the reserve force while enhancing the
reserves' capabilities for rapid mobilization and operations so as to
build a reserve force properly sized, reasonably structured,
scientifically organized and credibly effective. In recent years, the
key aspects of building the reserve force have been further
highlighted. Combat readiness has been enhanced and training levels
have been raised step by step. Based on the wartime chain of command,
training systems linked with the active PLA troops have been
established, and on-base training, simulated training and network
training have been conducted on a wide scale.
National Defense Education
In
accordance with the National Defense Education Law of the PRC,
governments and relevant departments at all levels conduct national
defense educational activities of various forms to enhance the national
defense awareness of the people. A favorable situation in national
defense education has just arisen, in which the government attaches
great importance to it, the general public provides support to it, and
the people take an active part in it.
The
Central Government has set up the National Defense Education Office
while organs or offices for national defense education have been
established accordingly in provinces, autonomous regions,
municipalities directly under the Central Government, and in most
cities and counties. Twenty-six provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the Central Government have formulated or
revised their national defense education regulations. The State
National Defense Education Office has organized the drafting of the
national defense education program.
China
conducts its national defense education mainly among civil servants,
young students, militia members and reservists. National defense
education is absorbed into the curricula for civil servants and Party
schools of the CPC. More than 2,500 Party schools throughout China have
offered courses on national defense education. Such educational forms
as special lectures, Military Day on camp and short-term training
programs are adopted. As a result, the awareness of government
functionaries in performing national defense duties is enhanced.
National defense education has been incorporated into the courses of
all kinds of schools at different levels to provide students with
national defense knowledge and education in patriotism. Some primary
and secondary schools have also introduced activities in the form of
juvenile military schools with national defense education as the theme.
National defense education for the militia and reserve forces is
conducted in connection with political education, intensified
disciplining and military training.
In
accordance with the Military Service Law of the PRC and the National
Defense Education Law of the PRC, colleges, universities, senior high
schools and their equivalents should develop their national defense
education by linking their curricula with military training. When
studying at colleges and universities, students are obliged to receive
basic military training. The PLA Student Military Training Office,
together with the Ministry of Education, has formulated a program to
strengthen guidance on military training for students throughout the
country. In 2003, some 1,100 colleges and universities and 11,500
senior high schools throughout China conducted military training as
required and more than eight million students received such training.
On
major holidays, commemoration days and military recruitment occasions,
national defense education is conducted in all parts of China in the
form of exhibitions, lectures, cultural and art performances, knowledge
competitions and military summer camps. Special columns or programs in
such media as newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and web pages are
devoted to national defense education. There are now nine provinces and
municipalities that have published newspapers or magazines on national
defense education and more than 30 regions have set up websites on
national defense education. With such platforms like cemeteries of
revolutionary martyrs, revolutionary sites, and memorial halls and
museums which can be used for this purpose, national defense education
has been provided in all parts of the country with nearly 200 million
people educated every year.
Chapter VII. Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
To
meet the requirements of the development of weaponry and equipment and
the socialist market economy, China is speeding up the development of
its defense-related science, technology and industry, and making
efforts to build a new system of defense-related science, technology
and industry which is structurally optimized, organizationally
efficient, technologically advanced and properly laid out.
Main Tasks
The
main responsibility of China's defense-related science, technology and
industry is to ensure the production and supply of military equipment
to meet the needs of national defense. At the same time, it undertakes
the important task of promoting the development of the national economy
and enhancing the overall national strength.
In
accordance with the requirements of the RMA with Chinese
characteristics, the defense-related science, technology and industry
strives to raise its capability for weaponry and equipment research and
production, and accelerate the research and production of new- and
high-tech weaponry and equipment. It adjusts the capability composition
of weaponry and equipment research and production, giving priority to
the building of capability of new- and high-tech weaponry and equipment
research and production, and promoting the optimization and upgrading
of the military industrial structure. It strengthens and improves its
technology- and defense-based research work, and conducts explorations
of frontier technology and future-oriented research, so as to expand
its technological reserve. It employs new- and high- technologies to
remold military industrial enterprises, so as to convert its weaponry
and equipment production capability from a rigid structure to a
flexible one. It enhances the development of military standards, so as
to establish a universal system of technical standards tailored to new
developments of weaponry and equipment. It carries out dynamic
adjustments of the research and production of weaponry and equipment,
so as to shorten the development cycle and reduce the cost of products.
While
ensuring the fulfillment of military orders, the defense-related
science, technology and industry vigorously develops dual-purpose
technologies and actively participates in the development of the
national economy. It promotes the development and technological
advances of civilian products manufactured mainly by the military
industry, such as those in the fields of nuclear energy and applied
nuclear technologies; space and aviation technologies and ships and
demolition technologies for civil use. To help bring about industrial
upgrades and technological advances of the national economy, it
supports the large-scale development of China's western region and the
remolding of the old industrial bases in northeast China, and
undertakes key construction projects and major equipment development
and technical problem tackling tasks.
The
first two decades of the 21st century will be a crucial period for the
reform and adjustment of the defense-related science, technology and
industry. It will adhere to the strategic guideline of combining
military needs with civilian needs, reserving military potential in
civilian capability, vigorously developing coordination, and making
independent innovations, and persist in taking a new road of industrial
development. It will establish and improve a mechanism of competition,
appraisal, supervision and motivation, give impetus to the optimization
and reorganization of resources and the upgrading of the industrial
structure, strengthen the building of the basic capabilities of the
defense-related science, technology and industry foundations, and
enhance in an all-round way the overall quality and sustainable
development capability of the defense-related science, technology and
industry.
Reform and Adjustment
China's
defense-related science, technology and industry continues to deepen
its reform, optimize its industrial structure and resources allocation,
accelerate system and mechanism innovation, and establish a streamlined
and efficient research and production system.
Optimizing
the industrial structure. China's defense-related science, technology
and industry aims to form an industrial layout with military high-tech
industries as the precursor, major dual-purpose industries as the main
body, and military manufacturing industries as the foundation. It gives
priority to the development of dual-purpose high-tech industries,
absorbs advanced civilian technologies from all industries and trades
for the service of national defense, and promotes the two-way transfer
of military and civilian high technologies. It supports enterprises to
develop projects and programs which are technology-intensive, produce
good economic results, consume fewer resources, cause less
environmental pollution and give full play to the advantages of human
resources. It encourages the development of burgeoning industries with
information technology, new materials, energy saving and environmental
protection, life sciences, oceanic engineering and other high
technologies as the precursor, so as to foster new economic growth.
Accelerating
the reform and adjustment of military industrial enterprises. China's
defense-related science, technology and industry optimizes the
organizational structure of military industrial enterprises and
encourages competitive enterprises to carry out strategic
reorganization on the basis of market demand and their own advantages,
in compliance with the principle of specialized division of labor and
large-scale production and with products and assets as the link.
Military industrial enterprises are impelled to establish a modern
enterprise system, accelerate the pace of ownership system
restructuring, establish a standard parent-subsidiary system and a
legal person management structure, and change their enterprise
operational mechanism. Full play is given to the guiding role of the
state's input, to lead and channel social funds into the development of
the defense-related science, technology and industry and carry forward
the diversification of investors. Through reforms and adjustments, the
main body of the military industry is streamlined, and a new
defense-related science, technology and industry system established,
which features a small core, extensive cooperation and military
potential reserved in civilian capability.
Improving
the innovation system of scientific research. Scientific research
institutions engaged in innovation activities in basic research,
strategic high-tech research and important public welfare research
should expedite the establishment of a modern scientific research
institution system according to the principle of clearly defined
responsibilities and duties, scientific evaluation, orderly opening,
and standard management. Market-oriented applied technology research
and development institutions should speed up their transformation into
enterprises run on a commercial basis. The goal is to form a defense
scientific research system with defense scientific research
institutions, institutions of higher learning and key enterprises as
the main body, and to enhance the independent development capability of
the defense-related science, technology and industry.
Promoting
innovation in talents-related work. A new mechanism should be
established as soon as possible for training, attracting, using, and
retaining talented people, and for accelerating their growth, so as to
create a well-structured contingent of high-caliber people in a whole
array of principles. Impetus should be given to the reform and
development of higher education for the defense-related science,
technology and industry, so as to speed up the training of high-level
specialized personnel urgently needed by the defense-related science,
technology and industry. Preferential policies should be formulated to
encourage college and university graduates, excellent students returned
from overseas, and other scientific, technological and management
talents from outside the defense-related science, techn
ology and industry to take part in its building. In addition, the
personnel employing mechanism and the distribution system should be
reformed to raise the salaries and improve the conditions of those
engaged in weaponry and equipment research, development and production.
Development of Civil Use Industry
China
has made remarkable progress in putting military industrial technology
to civil use in the past two years. In 2003, the output value of
civilian products rose by 20% as compared with that of the previous
year, accounting for more than 65% of the total output value of the
defense-related science, technology and industry.
Nuclear
power production is being industrialized. China's mainland now has nine
nuclear power generating sets in operation, the total installed
capacity of which is 7.01 million KW. Another two, each with an
installed capacity of 1.06 million KW, are now under construction. In
2003, China's nuclear power production was 43.3 billion KWH, accounting
for 2.3% of its total power production. Steady progress has been made
in the construction of auxiliary projects for nuclear energy. A nuclear
fuel production system tailored to nuclear power production has by and
large taken shape, and the production of nuclear fuel has been
technologically upgraded. Great importance is attached to the
decommissioning of nuclear installations and the treatment of
radioactive waste, and great efforts are made to enhance the awareness
of environmental protection and ensure the safe disposal of all kinds
of radioactive waste. The emergency response system for nuclear
accidents has been gradually improved, and the response capability
increased.
Major
breakthroughs have been made in space technologies for civil use. Since
October 1996, China has succeeded in 41 space launches. The successful
launching of the "Shenzhou V" spaceship in October 2003 sent China's
first astronaut into space. The key technological problems for the new
generation of carrier rockets have been tackled. China has successfully
launched various application satellites, including SSO (Sun Synchronous
Orbit) and GEO (Geostationary Orbit) meteorological satellites, the
HY-1 oceanographic satellite and CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resource
Satellite). The R&D of a DMEC (Disaster Monitoring and
Environmental Control) satellite constellation, a large GEO satellite
platform and a new generation of SSO meteorological satellites is going
on smoothly. A lunar probe project was officially started in January
2004, and a lunar orbiting exploration is scheduled to be carried out
by the end of 2007.
The
aviation industry for civil use has made important headway in the
R&D of feeder liners and general-purpose aircraft. ARJ21, a new jet
feeder liner with 70 seats, is being independently developed, and is
scheduled for delivery in 2008. The Y-12E general-purpose aircraft for
use in high-temperature and plateau conditions and the Z-11 and Z-9
helicopters have all received airworthiness certificates and been put
on the commercial market. The newly developed "Xiaoying 500"
general-purpose plane made its first flight in 2003. The ERJ145 jet
feeder liner jointly manufactured by China and Brazil has been
delivered to users. An agreement has been formally signed on the
building of an assembly line in China for the EC120 helicopter jointly
developed by China, France and Singapore. Subcontracting business for
the manufacture of foreign aircraft parts has been developing steadily,
and begun to be integrated into the large-scale circulation system of
the international aviation industry.
The
shipbuilding industry for civil use has witnessed sustained rapid
growth, with an output ranking third in the world for many years. In
2003, China's accomplished shipbuilding output, newly received orders
and on-hand orders amounted to 6.41 million DWT, 18.95 million DWT and
26.23 million DWT respectively, accounting for a world market share of
11.8%, 18.9% and 17.7% respectively. Products manufactured by the
shipbuilding industry for civil use have been exported to more than 90
countries and regions. The R&D and designing capability of the
shipbuilding industry for civil use has been remarkably raised. It can
now build and repair large ships, and has made new breakthroughs in
building high-tech ships.
Cooperation with Foreign Countries
China's
defense-related science, technology and industry take an active part in
international exchanges and cooperation and opens wider to foreign
countries. In the field of the military industry for civil use, China
encourages military enterprises and institutions to develop both the
international and domestic markets, utilize resources from both home
and abroad, participate in the international division of labor,
optimize the export product mix, and raise the international
competitiveness of their products. China also encourages them to
introduce advanced foreign technologies and management expertise,
improve the use of foreign funds, expand the strategic cooperation with
large multinational companies, and raise the technological level of the
defense-related science, technology and industry. China attaches great
importance to developing cooperation in defense technology with
friendly countries, and promotes exchanges of and cooperation in
defense technology in the international industrial community.
China's
defense-related science, technology and industry takes a prudent
attitude toward the export of military products and related
technologies, and strictly complies with the policies and laws of the
state on non-proliferation. On the export of missiles and other
military products, it strictly abides by the Regulations of the PRC on
the Export Control of Missiles and Related Items and Technologies, the
Regulations of the PRC on the Export Administration of Military
Products and the corresponding lists. China has invariably adhered to
three principles concerning the export of military products: It should
only serve the purpose of helping the recipient state enhance its
capability for legitimate self-defense; it must not impair peace,
security and stability of the relevant region and the world as a whole;
and it must not be used to interfere in the recipient state's internal
affairs.
Chapter VIII. The Armed Forces and the People
China's
national defense is the people's national defense, and China's armed
forces belong to the people. It is an important responsibility and duty
of the Chinese armed forces to take part in national construction and
exert themselves in the service of the people. Strengthening unity
between the PLA and the government and between the PLA and the people
is an important political foundation for relying on the people to build
national defense and the PLA.
Supporting
the PLA and Giving Preferential Treatment to Families of Servicemen and
Martyrs, and Supporting the Government and Cherishing the People
Maintaining
unity between the military and the people and between the PLA and the
government, supporting the PLA and giving preferential treatment to
families of servicemen and martyrs, and supporting the government and
cherishing the people: these are the fundamental principles
consistently adhered to in the building of national defense and the
PLA. Supporting the PLA and giving preferential treatment to families
of servicemen and martyrs are activities carried out by the local
people's governments at all levels, mass organizations and the masses
to support the PLA and give preferential treatment to families of
active-duty servicemen and revolutionary martyrs. Supporting the
government and cherishing the people is the mass work carried out by
the people's army focusing on support for the government and love for
the people. These glorious traditions formed during the revolutionary
wars demonstrated tremendous might in Chinese people's liberation cause.
Since
the founding of New China, the work of supporting the PLA and giving
preferential treatment to families of servicemen and martyrs has been
gradually legalized and standardized. The State Council has, in
succession, promulgated the Regulations on the Commendation of
Revolutionary Martyrs, the Regulations on Compensation and Preferential
Treatment for Servicemen and the Regulations on the Resettlement of
Demobilized Conscripts. It has also formulated and issued policies and
statutes on the resettlement of officers transferred to civilian work,
on the employment of the accompanying spouses of officers, and on
safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of servicemen and
their families. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the PLA General
Political Department jointly issue circulars on New Year's Day, the
Spring Festival and Army Day every year on the arrangements for the
work of supporting the PLA and giving preferential treatment to
families of servicemen and martyrs and supporting the government and
cherishing the people. In the past ten years and more, proper
arrangements have been made for more than 600,000 officers transferred
to civilian work, more than 7,000,000 demobilized enlisted men, more
than 50,000 disabled enlisted men and more than 900,000 spouses. In
addition, more than 100,000 retired military cadres and civilian
employees have been given political status and material benefits they
deserve, and children of servicemen enjoy preferential policies in
education. In August 2004, the State Council and the CMC promulgated
the newly revised Regulations on Compensation and Preferential
Treatment for Servicemen, greatly raising the compensation standards,
expanding the scope and increasing the items of social preferential
treatment, and further improving the compensation and preferential
treatment system for servicemen, which is suited to the conditions of
China.
The
people's governments at all levels have incorporated the work of
supporting the PLA and giving preferential treatment to families of
servicemen and martyrs into their economic and social development
programs, and given active support to national defense building and the
PLA. They have actively helped PLA units to accomplish tasks of
education and training, performing combat readiness duties, conducting
scientific research and testing, and carrying out the construction of
military projects, by ensuring the requisitioning of sites and
providing road support and material supplies. They have encouraged
regular institutions of higher learning and scientific research
institutions to provide the PLA with technological and intellectual
support, and established bases for such purposes to help PLA units
train personnel in different fields. They have organized
non-governmental sectors to help PLA grass-roots units to improve their
living conditions, supplied to them food, oil, water and electricity
with priority, helped build barracks and living quarters, and set up
food-production bases and cultural centers, and helped nearly one
million families of servicemen to overcome their living, housing and
medical care difficulties. Local governments at all levels have
established working mechanisms for safeguarding the legitimate rights
and interests of servicemen and their families, courts at the basic
level have set up collegiate benches for cases involving servicemen,
and judicial administrative organs in various places have set up legal
assistance centers to solve and mediate in the legal problems of
servicemen and their families. In the past two years or so, more than
300 cities (counties), more than 2,000 enterprises and institutions and
more than 1,000 individuals have been commended by the Central
Government and its relevant departments for their outstanding
performance in supporting the PLA and giving preferential treatment to
families of servicemen and martyrs.
Carrying
forward its fine traditions, the PLA has persisted in taking it as an
important part of its political work to support the government and
cherish the people, and has included this in the overall plan for the
building of its forces. The PLA's political organs at all levels have
special departments responsible for organizing activities of supporting
the government and cherishing the people, and for setting up mechanisms
for coordinating the relations between PLA units and local people. The
PLA consciously respects the local people's governments at all levels,
and assists them in their work. It strictly complies with the policies
and statutes of the state, cherishes and respects the people, and helps
them overcome their difficulties. In the past decade and more, the PLA
has set up nearly 40,000 points of contact for helping the poor. Owing
to its help, more than 3.7 million poor people have been enabled to get
rid of poverty, more than 2,800 primary and secondary schools have been
built in poverty-stricken areas, and more than half a million school
drop-outs have returned to class.
Under
the unified leadership of the local people's governments, the PLA and
the PAPF grass-roots units jointly carry out mass activities with local
grass-roots organizations to build socialist spiritual civilization.
Throughout the country, more than 30,000 links for joint activities
have been set up for such purposes. All grass-roots units of the PLA
and the PAPF take an active part in local activities aimed at building
"civic virtues" cities, villages, communities and trades. They open for
free to the public military history exhibition halls, and honor rooms
of heroic companies, and memorial halls in honor of heroes and models.
They assist in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities to develop
educational, cultural and health programs. Local governments help the
PLA and the PAPF train servicemen competent in both military and
civilian jobs, and help grass-roots units of the PLA and the PAPF
improve and enrich the cultural life in barracks.
Participating in and Supporting National Construction
The
PLA and the PAPF actively participate in and support all aspects of
national construction besides fulfilling their assignments of education
and training. They participate in the construction of national and
local infrastructure projects, support agriculture, relieve poverty
through development projects, transfer scientific and technological
achievements, assist in tackling technological problems and training
personnel, and support the development of the public welfare
undertakings in both urban and rural areas. They have also vacated part
of the land for military use and barracks and camp facilities, and
opened some military airfields, harbors and docks and communication
lines to civilian use.
The
General Staff Headquarters and the General Political Department have
specified that everyone in PLA units is obliged to devote an average of
not less than eight days a year to national construction. Under the
condition that military needs are met, PLA units may use some of their
vehicles, machines, ships, planes and other equipment to support local
economic construction. Organic units of the engineering troops may take
part in the construction of national or local projects. The goldmine,
forest, water conservancy and electric power, and transportation forces
of the PAPF take a direct part in national economic construction.
In
the past two years, the PLA has assisted in the construction of more
than 490 key projects at the provincial level and above, and
transferred more than 500 scientific and technological achievements to
civilian sectors. More than 100 military hospitals have given support
to corresponding local hospitals in remote and less-developed areas.
PLA technical troops specializing in mapping, meteorology, water supply
and so on have provided services in geographic survey, weather
forecasts, water source exploration and other fields. Military
institutions of education and research have helped train more than
100,000 personnel urgently needed in local construction. PAPF units
have taken part in the construction of more than 100 key national and
provincial projects, and made significant contributions in particular
to the Three Gorges Project, the West-East Electricity Project, the
West-East Natural Gas Project and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project, as
well as to geological prospecting, forest fire prevention and highway
construction.
Since
the founding of New China in 1949, more than 3,500,000 military cadres
have been transferred to civilian work, and they have taken an active
part in all aspects of national construction. Among the 1,500,000
military cadres transferred to civilian work since the beginning of the
reform and opening-up, more than 540,000 have been cited as model or
outstanding workers, more than 10,000 have been chosen as outstanding
entrepreneurs, and more than 330,000 have become leaders at or above
the county or corresponding level, many of whom have even become
provincial or ministerial leaders.
Participating in Emergency Rescue and Disaster Relief Operations
Taking
part in emergency rescue and disaster relief operations is an important
mission the state and the people have entrusted to the PLA and PAPF. In
the course of these operations, the PLA and PAPF mainly undertake the
following tasks: rescuing and evacuating disaster victims and people
trapped in danger, eliminating or controlling major dangers and
disasters, ensuring the safety of important targets, participating in
the emergency rescue and transportation of important goods, conducting
rush repairs of roads and bridges, carrying out underwater operations
and rescue operations under nuclear, biological and chemical
conditions, controlling major epidemic diseases，providing
medical aid, and assisting local people's governments in such tasks as
disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction. In normal time, the
PLA and PAPF make a point of gathering information on disasters and
dangers, set up a system of information exchanges with local
governments, draw up rescue and relief plans, conduct rescue and relief
training and exercises, and offer rescue and relief courses in military
command colleges. In rescue and relief operations, PLA and PAPF troops
receive orders from the joint military-civilian headquarters.
In
the past two years, PLA and PAPF troops have taken part in fighting
floods, typhoons, earthquakes, forest fires, epidemic diseases and
other natural disasters on more than 120 occasions, and prevented
economic losses totaling some RMB 10 billion. The PAPF alone put in
more than 240,000 troops, rescued more than 230,000 people out of
danger, and rush-transported more than 2.6 million tons of goods. In
2003, the PLA and PAPF offered all-out support to governments at all
levels in the fight against SARS by sending 37,000 officers and men to
help control the spread of the disease and sterilize on a large scale
key places, sites and areas with a high incidence of SARS. Eighteen
military hospitals provided meticulous medical treatment to 420 SARS
patients. The Military Academy of Medical Science was the first to
separate the SARS pathogen in China and develop a rapid-diagnosis
reagent for SARS. A total of 1,383 medical personnel from different PLA
units worked hard continually at the Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital for
more than 50 days to give meticulous treatment to 680 SARS sufferers.
Keeping Discipline in Relation to the Masses
The
PLA's discipline in relation to the masses is the code of conduct that
all officers and men must observe in their contacts with the masses of
the people. Strict enforcement of discipline in relation to the masses
is the guarantee for the PLA to win the support of the people.
In
its early days, the PLA formulated the "Three Main Rules of Discipline"
and "Eight Points for Attention," which clearly state: "Do not take a
single needle or piece of thread from the masses," "Speak politely,"
"Pay fairly for what you buy," "Return everything you borrow," "Pay for
anything you damage," "Do not hit or swear at people," "Do not damage
crops," and so on. The newly issued Regulations on Routine Service of
the People's Liberation Army and the Regulations on Discipline of the
People's Liberation Army, along with a series of new statutes
formulated by the CMC and the general departments of the PLA, stipulate
that servicemen must conform to the required standards of bearing when
they go out in uniform, and that they should not engage in trade or in
paid services beyond their own jobs, or use their names or portraits
for commercial advertising, thus enriching the content of discipline in
relation to the masses.
All
PLA units regard it as a constant and important task to strictly
enforce discipline in relation to the masses. They conduct education in
discipline in relation to the masses, inspect and supervise its obser
vance, and strictly restrain the behavior of officers and men in social
activities. The garrison headquarters of troops stationed in cities
send out pickets to patrol the streets from time to time, and PLA units
send out discipline inspection teams on major holidays or when their
personnel go out to perform tasks. Regular visits are paid to civilian
organizations in the areas where PLA units are stationed, and when
breaches of discipline are found, they will be dealt with in time. The
PLA units stationed in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities strictly
implement the state policies concerning ethnic groups and religions,
and consciously respect the religious beliefs and customs of the ethnic
minorities.
Chapter IX. International Security Cooperation
Adhering
to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, China persists in
developing friendly relations and strengthening cooperation with other
countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence,
and devotes itself to promoting international security dialogues and
cooperation of all forms.
Strategic Consultation and Dialogue
In
recent years, China has intensified bilateral and multilateral
strategic consultation and dialogues with countries concerned in
security and defense fields which contribute to better mutual trust and
mutual exchange and cooperation.
With
the strengthening of the strategic and cooperative partnership between
China and Russia, the two countries have established a senior-level
meeting mechanism to exchange views on major issues. They have also
held consultations on major strategic issues between relevant
departments. In 2003, China and Russia conducted a number of
vice-foreign-ministerial level consultations on the nuclear issue on
the Korean Peninsula, the questions of Iraq and the Middle East, and
other international, regional and bilateral issues of common concern.
In 2004, the two countries held a counter-terrorism working group
meeting and consultation on strategic stability at the
vice-foreign-ministerial level. The two militaries established a
consultation mechanism in 1997, and the General Staff headquarters of
the two militaries held the seventh and eighth rounds of strategic
consultations in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
China
and the United States maintain consultations on non- proliferation,
counter-terrorism, and bilateral military security cooperation. In the
past two years, the two countries held three rounds of consultations at
the vice-foreign-ministerial level on strategic security, multilateral
arms control and non-proliferation, the sixth Defense Consultative
Talk, the third and fourth counter-terrorism consultations, and the
second financial counter-terrorism consultation. The military maritime
and air safety working groups under the Military Maritime Consultative
Agreement held the third and fourth meetings in Hawaii and Shanghai
respectively.
China
has conducted extensive strategic consultations and dialogues with
other countries. China and France established the relationship of
strategic dialogue in 1997, and have since held six rounds of such
consultation. China and the United Kingdom held two rounds of strategic
security dialogue in October 2003 and March 2004 respectively, and
established the Sino-British strategic security dialogue mechanism. The
Chinese Ministry of National Defense and its South African counterpart
signed an agreement on the establishment of a defense commission in
April 2003. The Seventh Sino-Australian Defense Strategic Consultation
was held in October of the same year. The two militaries of China and
Germany held their second round of strategic consultation in July 2004.
China has also held fruitful security consultations and dialogues
respectively with Canada, Mexico, Italy, Poland, New Zealand and other
countries.
China
attaches importance to security consultations with its neighboring
countries. China and Pakistan held their second defense and security
consultation in July 2003. The defense ministries of China and Thailand
held their second defense security consultation in September of the
same year. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense and Japanese
Defense Agency held their fourth and fifth security consultations
respectively in January and October 2004. In April this year, China and
Mongolia held their first defense and security consultation. In
September, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense held the second
strategic consultations respectively with its counterparts of
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In October this year, China and Australia
held their eighth Defense Strategic Dialogue, and the Chinese Ministry
of National Defense held the third security consultation with its
Thailand counterpart.
Regional Security Cooperation
China
pursues a foreign policy of building a good-neighbor relationship and
partnership with its neighbors, trying to create an amicable, secure
and prosperous neighborhood, and vigorously pushing forward the
building of a security dialogue and cooperation mechanism in the
Asia-Pacific region.
Since
its establishment more than three years ago, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) has been evolving into an important mechanism for
promoting regional security, stability and development. It has set up a
relatively complete organizational structure and laid a sound legal
basis, and successfully initiated cooperation in security, economic and
other fields. The Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism,
Separatism and Extremism and the Agreement of State Parties of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the Regional Counter-terrorism
Agency took effect in 2003. In pursuance of the convention and
agreement, the SCO held meetings of chief procurators and ministers of
defense, and conducted joint counter-terrorism military exercises. The
SCO Secretariat and regional counter-terrorism agency were formally
inaugurated in Beijing and Tashkent in January 2004. The Tashkent
Summit Meeting of the SCO signed the Tashkent Declaration and the
Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Illegal Turnover of Narcotic and
Psychotropic Substances and the Precursors Thereof in June 2004. The
SCO also set up the mechanism of regular meetings between security
committee secretaries of its member states to strengthen security and
cooperation.
China
attaches great importance to the role of the ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF), and is devoted to its sound development. At the 11th ARF Foreign
Ministers' Meeting in 2004, China proposed the following initiatives
for the future development of ARF: to maintain its forum nature and
adhere to the basic principles of decision-making through consensus,
taking an incremental approach, and moving at a pace comfortable to all
members so as to encourage the initiative and active participation of
all members; to continuously strengthen and consolidate
confidence-building measures (CBMs) while actively addressing the issue
of preventive diplomacy, so as to gradually find out cooperative
methods and approaches for preventive diplomacy that are suitable to
the region and fitting the current needs; to increase participation of
defense officials, promote exchanges and cooperation among militaries
of the countries concerned and give full play to the important role of
the militaries in enhancing mutual trust; to highlight cooperation in
non-traditional security fields such as counter-terrorism and combating
transnational crimes. As its co-chairmen, China and Myanmar hosted two
intersessions in Beijing and Rangoon respectively on CBMs for the
2003-2004 Forum. China hosted the ARF Workshop on Drug-Substitute
Alternative Development in September 2004 in Kunming, Yunnan Province,
and the ARF Conference on Security Policies in November 2004.
In
October 2003, the leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea
held their fifth meeting, and issued the Joint Declaration on the
Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation Among the People's Republic of
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which confirmed that the three
countries would work together to intensify security dialogues and
extend exchanges among defense and military officials in East Asia, and
strengthen cooperation in the fields of disarmament and
non-proliferation, and the realization of a nuclear-free Korean
Peninsula.
Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security Fields
China
attaches great importance to security cooperation in the
non-traditional security fields with other countries, maintaining that
in jointly combating non-traditional security threats, it is imperative
to address both the symptoms and root causes and to adopt comprehensive
measures.
Cooperation
in non-traditional security fields within the frameworks of ASEAN and
China (10 + 1) and ASEAN and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10
+ 3) has developed gradually in recent years. In November 2002, leaders
of China and ASEAN signed the Joint Declaration Between China and ASEAN
on Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security Fields. In April 2003,
leaders of China and ASEAN held a special meeting in Bangkok, Thailand,
on SARS and issued a joint declaration. In January 2004, the two sides
signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and ASEAN on
Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security Fields. China initiated and
participated in the first ministerial meeting between ASEAN and China,
Japan and the Republic of Korea on combating transnational crimes, held
in Bangkok, Thailand, in January 2004, and submitted a concept paper.
The meeting agreed to set up a cooperation mechanism between ASEAN and
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea for combating transnational
crimes, and adopted the first Joint Communiqué of the ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Combating Transnational Crimes.
China
continued to strengthen its international counter-terrorism
cooperation. It supported the UN, particularly the Security Council in
playing a leading role in this regard, and seriously implemented
Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism issues, as was shown
by its reports to the Council on the implementation of Resolution No.
1373. It has actively supported and participated in the drafting of the
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the
International Convention on the Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism. In
January 2003, China put forward four proposals on deepening
international counter-terrorism cooperation at the foreign ministers'
meeting of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism. China also
conducted exchanges and cooperation with Russia, the United States,
Pakistan, India, the United Kingdom, France and Germany in this regard.
The
PLA has taken an active part in cooperation in non-traditional security
fields such as joint counter-terrorism, maritime search and rescue,
combating piracy, and cracking down on drug production and trafficking.
The ministers of defense of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan signed the Memorandum of the Ministries of National Defense
of the SCO Member Countries on Holding the "Joint-2003"
Counter-terrorism Exercise in May 2003. The armed forces of the five
countries successfully conducted the first multilateral
counter-terrorism exercise in the vicinities of Ucharal in Kazakhstan
and Yining in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region within the
framework of the SCO in August 2003. The armed forces of China and
Pakistan conducted Friendship-2004, a joint counter-terrorism exercise,
in the border area between the two countries in August 2004. The
Chinese navy conducted joint maritime search-and-rescue exercises off
the Chinese coast with visiting Pakistani navy in October and Indian
navy in November 2003. It also held joint maritime search-and-rescue
exercises with French navy in March, British navy in June, and
Australian navy in October in 2004 in the Yellow Sea area.
Participating in UN Peacekeeping Operations
China
has consistently supported and actively participated in the
peacekeeping operations that are consistent with the spirit of the UN
Charter. It maintains that the UN peacekeeping operations should abide
by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and other universally
recognized principles governing peacekeeping operations. China will
continue to support the reform of the UN peacekeeping missions, hoping
to further strengthen the UN capability in preserving peace.
Since
its first dispatch of military observers to the UN peacekeeping
operations in 1990, China has sent 3,362 military personnel to 13 UN
peacekeeping operations, including 785 military observers, 800 (in two
batches) engineering personnel to Cambodia, 654 (in three batches)
engineering and medical personnel to Congo (Kinshasa), 1,116 personnel
in transportation, engineering and medical units to Liberia, and seven
staff officers to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Since
January 2000, China has sent 404 policemen to the peacekeeping
operations in six UN peacekeeping task areas including East Timor. In
2004, China has sent 59 policemen to East Timor, Liberia, Afghanistan,
Kosovo of Serbia-Herzegovina and Haiti, and a 125-member organic police
detachment to Haiti to serve with MINUSTAH at the request of the UN. In
the past 14 years, six Chinese servicemen lost their lives and dozens
wounded in UN peacekeeping operations.
At
present, 845 PLA personnel are working in eight UN peacekeeping task
areas. They included 66 military observers, an engineering unit of 175
personnel and a medical unit of 43 personnel in Congo (Kinshasa), an
engineering unit of 275 personnel, a transportation unit of 240
personnel and a medical unit of 43 personnel in Liberia, and three
staff officers at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Military Exchanges
The
PLA conducts active military exchanges and cooperation with militaries
of other countries, and has created a military diplomacy that is
all-directional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging.
China has established military relations with more than 150 countries in the world. It has set up over 100 military attaché's offices in its embassies abroad, and 85 countries have set up military attaché's
offices in China. Over the past two years, the PLA has sent high-level
military delegations to over 60 countries, and played host to over 130
delegations of military leaders from over 70 countries. The
military-to-military relations between China and Russia continued to
strengthen and develop. The Chinese Minister of National Defense
visited the United States in October 2003, the first such visit in
seven years. The Director General of the Japanese Defense Agency
visited China in May 2003, after an interval of five years. The Indian
and Chinese ministers of defense exchanged visits in April 2003 and
March 2004 respectively, the first of its kind in many years.
Meanwhile, military exchanges between China and European countries
developed in depth. China also strengthened military relations with its
surrounding countries, extended military exchanges with other
developing countries, and continued to provide militaries of some
countries such assistance as personnel training, equipment, logistical
materials and medical treatment.
In
October 2003, the PLA invited for the first time military observers
from 15 countries to observe the joint exercise Northern Sword-0308U
organized by the Beijing Military Area Command. In September 2004, it
invited observers from foreign militaries to watch Exercise Dragon-2004
organized by the Chinese navy. In the same month, military leaders or
observers from 16 neighboring countries and their military attachés
stationed in China were invited to observe Exercise Iron Fist-2004
organized by the Jinan Military Area Command. In June 2004, China
invited foreign naval attachés
from 15 foreign embassies in China to observe a Sino-British joint
maritime search-and-rescue exercise. Besides, the PLA sent delegations
to observe military exercises in Russia and Japan, as well as joint
military exercise by the United States, Thailand and Singapore. From
October to November 2003, Chinese naval ships paid friendly visits to
the US territory of Guam, Brunei and Singapore. Meanwhile, naval ships
from the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, Pakistan, India,
France, Indonesia and other countries visited China. The PLA pursued
active military academic exchanges with foreign militaries. The PLA
Academy of Military Science and other Chinese research institutions had
extensive academic exchanges with scientific research institutions of
other countries. The PLA increased the number of military students sent
abroad and received more overseas military students in China. In recent
years, it has sent over 1,000 military students to more than 20
countries, and 19 military colleges and universities in China have
established inter-collegiate exchange relations with their counterparts
in 25 countries, including the United States and Russia. Over the past
two years, 1,245 military personnel from 91 countries have come to
study in Chinese military colleges and universities, and officers from
44 of these countries have participated in the fifth and sixth
International Symposium Course hosted by the PLA National Defense
University.
Chapter X. Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
In
recent years, some positive progress has been made in the fields of
international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, but the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of
delivery and other issues have become major factors affecting the
international security situation. The Chinese government maintains that
the international community should safeguard the international regime
of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties, promote
its universality and reinforce its effectiveness and authority; that it
should persist in multilateralism and give full play to the role and
influence of the multilateral arms control, disarmament and
non-proliferation treaty organs; that it should strive to meet the
challenges brought about by the proliferation of WMD through political
and diplomatic means on the basis of the existing international laws;
and that it should address both the symptoms and root causes and adopt
comprehensive measures, which means that it should take into
consideration security threats such as proliferation of WMD while not
neglecting the social and economic root causes of such threats.
Committed to the Non-Proliferation Efforts
The
proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery is detrimental to
world peace and security, so is it to China's own security.
Non-proliferation is in the common interest of all countries, including
China, and it has become an international consensus.
China
attaches great importance to non-proliferation. It pursues a policy of
not supporting, not encouraging and not assisting other countries to
develop WMD. It resolutely opposes the proliferation of WMD and
actively participates in the diplomatic efforts of the international
community to deal with non-proliferation issues. The Chinese government
published a white paper entitled China's Non-Proliferation Policy and
Measures in December 2003.
China
has put in place a comprehensive legal system for non-proliferation
export control, covering the exports of nuclear, biological, chemical,
missile and other sensitive items and technologies. It has adopted the
international export control measures, including export registration
system, end-user and end-use certification system, licensing system,
list control method and "catch-all" principle, and has stipulated
corresponding penalties for breaches of these laws and regulations.
China's non-proliferation export control measures are basically in
conformity with the current international practice.
The
relevant departments in China have adopted and will continue to adopt
forceful measures to ensure the implementation of the relevant
regulations and laws. China has set up an inter-agency approval and
coordination mechanism on export control and a national expert
supporting system for export control. It has promulgated and
implemented the Export Licensing Catalogue of Sensitive Items and
Technologies. It is revising the related regulations on
non-proliferation export control and the corresponding control lists,
and has set up an emergency coordination mechanism in order to promptly
and effectively handle proliferation contingencies. It imposes
penalties on activities which violate the non-proliferation export
control laws and regulations.
China
has actively developed its relations with relevant multilateral
export-control regimes. It has formally joined the Nuclear Suppliers
Group and has applied for its accession to the Missile Technology
Control Regime. China has established a dialogue mechanism with the
Wassenaar Arrangement and kept contact with the Australia Group. It has
also strengthened information exchanges and law-enforcement cooperation
on non-proliferation with relevant countries.
China
is in favor that the United Nations plays its due role in the
non-proliferation field, and hopes that the UN Security Council
Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation will be implemented effectively.
In October 2004, China submitted a report on Chinese government's
implementation of the Resolution to the Security Council's
Non-proliferation Commission. China takes an open attitude toward all
proposals that may help safeguard and strengthen the international
non-proliferation regime, and is ready to have in-depth discussions
with other parties in this regard.
Promoting the International Arms Control and Disarmament Process
At
present, the key to pushing forward the international arms control and
disarmament process is to break the deadlock at the Conference on
Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. In August 2003, China announced that it
accepted the amended mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention
of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) in the Five Ambassadors'
Proposal, and is ready to participate in reaching consensus through
consultation on the Five Ambassadors' Proposal on the Program of Work.
It hopes that the other parties concerned would give positive response.
China
supports the Conference on Disarmament in its efforts to start
substantive work on the following four topics: nuclear disarmament, the
Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), security assurances to
non-nuclear-weapon states, and prevention of an arms race in outer
space.
China
consistently stands for complete prohibition and thorough destruction
of nuclear weapons. It always pursues a policy of no first use of
nuclear weapons, and undertakes unconditionally not to use or threaten
to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or
nuclear-weapon-free zones. China did not and will never engage in a
nuclear arms race with any other country. It supports the international
community in its efforts to start substantive discussions on nuclear
disarmament.
The
FMCT is of great significance to preventing the proliferation of
nuclear weapons and facilitating the nuclear disarmament process. China
supports an early conclusion of the treaty through negotiations.
In
the current situation, the importance and urgency of providing security
assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states has become more prominent.
China supports the negotiation and conclusion of an international
legally binding instrument on this issue. China is the only country
among the five nuclear weapon states to commit itself not to use or
threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or
nuclear-weapon-free zones. China appeals to the four other nuclear
weapon states to make the same commitment.
Outer
space is the common property of mankind. China hopes that the
international community would take action as soon as possible to
conclude an international legal instrument on preventing the
weaponization of and arms race in outer space through negotiations, to
ensure the peaceful use of outer space.
China
favors discussions on and settlement of issues such as "terrorism and
WMD," "radioactive weapons" and "observance of international treaties
on disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation" within multilateral
arms control framework.
In
the other international multilateral arms control processes, China has
continued to play a constructive role. It has taken an active part in
the multilateral efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the Biological
Weapons Convention (BWC), thus assuming a positive role in maintaining
and pushing forward the multilateral arms-control process in the
biological field. China supports the efforts of the ASEAN countries,
the Central Asian countries and other neighboring countries to
establish nuclear-weapon-free zones and has reached agreement in
principle with the ASEAN countries on the Protocol to the Southeast
Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, and participated in the
consultations between the five nuclear weapon states and the Central
Asian countries on the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty
and its protocol. It also participated in the First (Disarmament)
Committee sessions of the UN General Assembly, the UN Disarmament
Commission meetings, the preparatory committee sessions for the 2005
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the sessions of the Conference of the
States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its first
review conference.
Fulfilling International Arms Control and Disarmament Obligations
China conscientiously honors the NPT, consistently stands for maintaining its authority and promoting its universality.
China
supports and participates in the safeguards system of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). China was the first among the five nuclear
weapon states to have completed the domestic legal procedures necessary
for the entry into force of the Protocol Additional to the Agreement
Between China and IAEA for the Application of Safeguards in China.
The
Chinese government firmly upholds the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT) and supports its early entry into force. Before the
treaty becomes effective, China will stay committed to the moratorium
on nuclear testing. China attaches great importance to the work of the
Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Organization (CTBTO), and supports and takes part in its work.
China
continues to earnestly fulfill its obligations under the CWC, and
received 11 inspections by the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons in 2003. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
has started to implement China's obligations under the Convention, and
the Macao Special Administrative Region has stepped up the relevant
preparatory work. In the same year, China continued to submit report to
the United Nations on its confidence-building measures in accordance
with the BWC.
Today,
large quantities of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan remain on
Chinese soil, which pose a grave threat to the lives and property of
the Chinese people and to the ecological environment. China urges Japan
to earnestly fulfill its obligations under the CWC for the destruction
of these weapons, and commence as soon as possible the substantive
destruction process in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding
Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the
Government of Japan on the Destruction of the Chemical Weapons
Abandoned by Japan in China.
Participating in Humanitarian Efforts in the Arms Control Field
China
supports the leading role played by the United Nations in combating the
illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW), and attaches
great importance to and conscientiously implements the Program of
Action adopted at the UN Conference on SALW. It supports the
negotiation and conclusion of an international instrument on
identifying and tracing illicit SALW, and participates in the
negotiations with a constructive attitude. China signed the Firearms
Protocol in 2002, and is now making preparations for the ratification
of the protocol.
The
Chinese government continues to support and take part in the work of
the Group of Governmental Experts of the Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons, and has contributed to the progress made so far
in the work. Having ratified the amendment to Article 1 of the
Convention, China is now preparing to ratify the Protocol on Explosive
Remnants of War.
China
attaches great importance to the solution of the humanitarian issue
arising from landmines. While strictly implementing the Amended
Landmine Protocol, it is strengthening communications and exchanges
with the states parties to the Ottawa Convention. China continues to
provide assistance in international mine clearance efforts. After
providing assistance to Eritrea in this regard in 2002, China sent
another group of mine clearance experts to that country to give
guidance on de-mining operations in 2003, trained a total of 120 mine
clearance specialists for Eritrea, and provided Eritrea with de-mining
equipment. China joined the Mine Action Supporting Group, headquartered
in New York, in 2003. China and the Australian Network of the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) co-sponsored the
Humanitarian Mine/UXO Clearance Technology and Cooperation Workshop in
Kunming, Yunnan Province, in April 2004.
Appendices
Appendix I Members of the CMC of the CPC
Appendix II Leaders of the Four Headquarters/Departments of the PLA
Appendix III Major Military Exchanges with Other Countries (2003-2004)
Appendix IV Participation in Security Consultations (2003-2004)
Appendix V Joint Exercises with Foreign Armed Forces (2003-2004)
Appendix VI Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations
Appendix VII Major Military Regulations Promulgated Since 2003
