Related News
China to mechanize military by 2020
By Li Xinran |
January 20, 2009, Tuesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
CHINA has set the goal of mechanizing its national defense and armed forces by 2020, according to a 2008 white paper on China's National Defense that was publicized today.
The white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council, says China has formulated strategic plans to build its national defense and armed forces.
"It will basically accomplish mechanization and make major progress in informationization by 2020. It will achieve the goal of modernization of national defense and armed forces by the mid-21st century," the paper says.
It will make national defense an organic part of its social and economic development.
The white paper says China has implemented a military strategy of active defense. It adheres to the principle of insisting on defensive operations, self-defense and striking and getting the better of the enemy only after the enemy has attacked first.
To implement the strategy, China has formulated a military strategic guideline of active defense.
This guideline aims at speeding up the building of a combat force structure capable of winning local wars in the information era.
It stresses deterring crises and wars. China remains committed to the policy of not using nuclear weapons first and never entering into a nuclear arms race with another country, the paper says.
The guideline focuses on enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces in countering various security threats and accomplishing diversified military tasks.
With raising the capability to win local wars in conditions of the information era at the core, it works to increase the country's capabilities to maintain maritime, space and electromagnetic space security and to carry out the tasks of counter-terrorism, stability maintenance, emergency rescue and international peacekeeping.
The white paper says that China pursues a national defense policy which is purely defensive in nature. China places the protection of national sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, safeguarding of the interests of national development, and the interests of the Chinese people above all else.
The paper for the first time specified in detail China's long-standing policy of "no first use of nuclear weapons."
"In peacetime, the nuclear missile weapons of the Second Artillery Force are not aimed at any country," the paper said while reaffirming the country's will to implement "a self-defensive nuclear strategy."
"But if China comes under a nuclear threat, the nuclear missile force of the Second Artillery Force will go into a state of alert, and get ready for a nuclear counterattack to deter the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China," the paper said.
The Second Artillery Force is China's name for its core force of strategic deterrence.
Under the direct command of the Central Military Commission, the nuclear armed force is aimed to deter nuclear strike from other countries and to conduct nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles.
The paper, the sixth of its kind Chinese government issued since 1998, gave an overall picture of China's national defense ranging from the security environment, national defense policy, to defense expenditure and arms control.
Describing China's general security situation as "improving steadily," the 105-page document said "the situation across the Taiwan Straits has taken a significantly positive turn."
The paper attributed the improvement to the failed attempts of the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence" and the progress made in cross-Straits consultations.
However, "China is still confronted with long-term, complicated, and diverse security threats and challenges," the paper said, listing the threats of separatist forces of "Taiwan independence," "East Turkistan independence" and "Tibet independence."
"In particular, the United States continues to sell arms to Taiwan in violation of the principles established in the three Sino-US joint communiqués, causing serious harm to the Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," the paper said.
The white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council, says China has formulated strategic plans to build its national defense and armed forces.
"It will basically accomplish mechanization and make major progress in informationization by 2020. It will achieve the goal of modernization of national defense and armed forces by the mid-21st century," the paper says.
It will make national defense an organic part of its social and economic development.
The white paper says China has implemented a military strategy of active defense. It adheres to the principle of insisting on defensive operations, self-defense and striking and getting the better of the enemy only after the enemy has attacked first.
To implement the strategy, China has formulated a military strategic guideline of active defense.
This guideline aims at speeding up the building of a combat force structure capable of winning local wars in the information era.
It stresses deterring crises and wars. China remains committed to the policy of not using nuclear weapons first and never entering into a nuclear arms race with another country, the paper says.
The guideline focuses on enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces in countering various security threats and accomplishing diversified military tasks.
With raising the capability to win local wars in conditions of the information era at the core, it works to increase the country's capabilities to maintain maritime, space and electromagnetic space security and to carry out the tasks of counter-terrorism, stability maintenance, emergency rescue and international peacekeeping.
The white paper says that China pursues a national defense policy which is purely defensive in nature. China places the protection of national sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, safeguarding of the interests of national development, and the interests of the Chinese people above all else.
The paper for the first time specified in detail China's long-standing policy of "no first use of nuclear weapons."
"In peacetime, the nuclear missile weapons of the Second Artillery Force are not aimed at any country," the paper said while reaffirming the country's will to implement "a self-defensive nuclear strategy."
"But if China comes under a nuclear threat, the nuclear missile force of the Second Artillery Force will go into a state of alert, and get ready for a nuclear counterattack to deter the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China," the paper said.
The Second Artillery Force is China's name for its core force of strategic deterrence.
Under the direct command of the Central Military Commission, the nuclear armed force is aimed to deter nuclear strike from other countries and to conduct nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles.
The paper, the sixth of its kind Chinese government issued since 1998, gave an overall picture of China's national defense ranging from the security environment, national defense policy, to defense expenditure and arms control.
Describing China's general security situation as "improving steadily," the 105-page document said "the situation across the Taiwan Straits has taken a significantly positive turn."
The paper attributed the improvement to the failed attempts of the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence" and the progress made in cross-Straits consultations.
However, "China is still confronted with long-term, complicated, and diverse security threats and challenges," the paper said, listing the threats of separatist forces of "Taiwan independence," "East Turkistan independence" and "Tibet independence."
"In particular, the United States continues to sell arms to Taiwan in violation of the principles established in the three Sino-US joint communiqués, causing serious harm to the Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," the paper said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
