New Chinese White Paper on Defence

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BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Information Office of the State Council published a white paper titled "China's National Defense in 2006" here Friday. Following is the full text:

China's National Defense in 2006

Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

December 2006, Beijing

Contents

Preface

I. The Security Environment

II. National Defense Policy

III. China's Leadership and Administration System for National Defense

IV. The People's Liberation Army

Completing the Reduction of 200,000 Troops

Development of the Services and Arms

Military Training

Political Work

Logistical Support

Weaponry and Equipment

Military Legal System

Military Institutional Education

Management System of Military Cadres

Supporting the Government and Loving the People

V. People's Armed Police Force

Structure and Organization

Basic Tasks

Force Building

VI. National Defense Mobilization and Reserve Force

Mobilization of the Armed Forces

Mobilization of the National Economy

Civil Air Defense

Militia Force Building

Reserve Force Building

VII. Border and Coastal Defense

Border and Coastal Defense System

Building Border and Coastal Defense

Ensuring the Stability of Border Areas

VIII. Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense

IX. Defense Expenditure

X. International Security Cooperation

Regional Security Cooperation

Honoring Commitment to International Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Military Exchanges and Cooperation

Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations and International Disaster Relief Operations


Preface

"To uphold world peace, promote common development and seek cooperation and win-win is the common wish of the people around the world and an irresistible trend of our times. Committed to peace, development and cooperation, China pursues a road of peaceful development, and endeavors to build, together with other countries, a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity.

Never before has China been so closely bound up with the rest of the world as it is today. The Chinese government works to advance both the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the common interests of the peoples of the rest of the world, and pursues a defense policy which is purely defensive in nature. China's national defense, in keeping with and contributing to the country's development and security strategies, aims at maintaining national security and unity, and ensuring the realization of the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way. China is determined to remain a staunch force for global peace, security and stability.

China's national defense and military modernization, conducted on the basis of steady economic development, is the requirement of keeping up with new trends in the global revolution and development in military affairs, and of maintaining China's national security and development. China will not engage in any arms race or pose a military threat to any other country. At the new stage in the new century, we will take the scientific development outlook as an important guiding principle for the building of national defense and military affairs, vigorously advance the revolution in military affairs with Chinese features, and strive to realize an all-round, coordinated and sustainable development in our country's national defense and military capabilities."


Seems to be more or less a re-affirmation of existing policies. Again a commitment to no first use or threatened use of nuclear weapons and a pledge never to use them on a non-nuclear state. They emphasise "all round defence capabilities," which would appear to be code for more modern systems and more emphasis on power projection.
 
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Scratch

Captain
Seems to be more or less a re-affirmation of existing policies. Again a commitment to no first use or threatened use of nuclear weapons and a pledge never to use them on a non-nuclear state. They emphasise "all round defence capabilities," which would appear to be code for more modern systems and more emphasis on power projection.
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To me the intro reaffirms nothing. It's just the same boring phrases China and many other countries kept saying for decades.
We want world peace, we want all the worlds peoples equal and prospoures, we are only trying to defend ourselves and maintain stability.

Though I still have to read the specific contents, but honestly I exspect nothing substantial.

Now that I had a superficial look at it, it seems to be like I exspected.
There are some hints the PRC considers the use of force to bring Taiwan back under federal order. And that China wants to modernize it's military is nothing that is not known by most people already.
 
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Deleted member 675

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Scratch said:
To me the intro reaffirms nothing. It's just the same boring phrases China and many other countries kept saying for decades.
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Absolutely. Chinese government white papers are just PR exercises these days - same thing happened last year with the "democracy" white paper. It's very rare for anything new to be said that actually then becomes policy. I had a look at the international section and it basically seemed to be saying, "oh China so wonderful - it help so much, so be thankful......." Please, it contributes peanuts when you think about the size of its military. Why not admit it could and should do more? Guess that's too much loss-of-face for the old men.

I'll believe China is making significant changes when I see them. Until then "white papers" like this are just that - white pieces of paper than mean nothing.
 
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Scratch

Captain
Speaking of democracy, when I read throug a paragraph dealing with the PLA structure, I realy foud a surprise there. It spoke of the implementation of democracy there. Meaning servicemen's representatives reviewing commanders reports and such things. And it really said something like consolidating strikt democratic values in PLA structures is a major aim.
Why that tendancy inside PLA, or does the PRC leadership consider decision making of the party already democratic ?
 
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Deleted member 675

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Scratch said:
Why that tendancy inside PLA, or does the PRC leadership consider decision making of the party already democratic ?
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Ah, you're forgetting that will be "democracy with Chinese characteristics" - i.e. no democracy at all. It will doubtlessly just be a PR statement that in reality will not affect soldiers' lives in any meaningful manner.
 
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David2007

Just Hatched
Registered Member
FuManChu said:
Ah, you're forgetting that will be "democracy with Chinese characteristics" - i.e. no democracy at all. It will doubtlessly just be a PR statement that in reality will not affect soldiers' lives in any meaningful manner.
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It's easy for someone who has their basic needs (food, shelter) met to preach to a hungry soul that democracy is the next best thing since slice bread.
Each country matures at different speeds. They copy what works for them, sometimes changing it to meet their needs eg eg social democracies and leftist democracies.
 
The_Zergling

The_Zergling

Junior Member
David2007 said:
It's easy for someone who has their basic needs (food, shelter) met to preach to a hungry soul that democracy is the next best thing since slice bread.
Each country matures at different speeds. They copy what works for them, sometimes changing it to meet their needs eg eg social democracies and leftist democracies.
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To be sure, socioeconomic development is greatly conducive to democratic development of ensured civil liberties and voting rights, and that while it's certainly possible to set up an institutional democracy in a country, chances are it won't work until people have the capability and will to actively work for it.

I don't think Fu was advocating that China should fall lockstep into the "democracy" espoused by other states, just that claims by the CCP of democracy ring hollow, that's all.
 
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David2007

Just Hatched
Registered Member
... I don't think Fu was advocating that China should fall lockstep into the "democracy" espoused by other states said:
Regardless, putting it down on writing is a good start. It will generate discussion. China is such a huge country and has never had democracy, let alone stability in the last 200 years. It will probably proceed gradually and cautiously, at their own pace. Pessimists once thought "one country two systems" rang hollow and look where we are now. I wonder where China would be now politically, had the reformists like Zhao Zhi Yang and Hu Yao Bang not been disgraced, barring economic collapse/civil war? Most people are aware of the big economic change but the political change is there too. Perhaps once the majority of the populaton, the peasants, are taken care of, political change will accelerate.
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Deleted member 675

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David2007 said:
Regardless, putting it down on writing is a good start. It will generate discussion.
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How can you have discussion when you're forbidden from suggesting anyone but the CCP should be in charge? Read last year's white paper - it said that even as a future option it was not acceptable.

Pessimists once thought "one country two systems" rang hollow and look where we are now.
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Yeah, HK pro-democracy media members getting death threats because they criticise the political establishment, Beijing deliberately frustrating political reform - the list goes on. HK people want more change, not less.

I wonder where China would be now politically, had the reformists like Zhao Zhi Yang and Hu Yao Bang not been disgraced, barring economic collapse/civil war?
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If Zhao Ziyang had not been removed in a political coup, the gradual change you talk about would have actually started. The man wasn't a democrat, but he saw political and economic change had to go hand-in-hand. There's no reason China would be worse off economically if ZZ had stayed - hell, maybe the growth would have been more balanced. Whereas the current lot don't. Wen Jiabao made some tentative comments about mayoral positions, and that disappeared faster than a Frenchman into a brothel.

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Anyway, white paper on defence. Another reason I think it's a waste of time can be seen through Hu Jintao's recent statements on the navy. These days you usually learn far more from politicians' statements.
 
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David2007

Just Hatched
Registered Member
I wouldn't rely totally on the white paper giving democracy. Democracy starts at the grass roots. Most likely it will start at the peasant level, just like capitalism, when a few farmers started farming and selling on the side. I hear there are already local elections, although within restrictions.

Hong Kong is kind of unique. They never had democracy under British rule so for them to want the pie and eat it too under Chinese rule was pushing the envelope. Even Taiwan's democracy is new.

Governments need to be secure before they let go and let democracy and freedom to grow. Just look at 9-11. When it happened a lot of rights were curtailed. China had a lot of 9-11's. Be patient.
 
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