2001
~ 2000, 2001
[
News ] [
Papers ]
Chinese Intercepts
and Nuclear 'Event'
(Washington Times, Dec. 7, 2001) China's military has been increasing aerial
intercepts of U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace
along China's coast, according to defense officials. U.S. intelligence
agencies have detected new efforts by China on strategic nuclear weapons. The
latest evidence comes in intelligence reports that China conducted a nuclear
weapons-related experiment in Xinjiang province.
China Tests Supersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles
(Washington Times, Sep. 25, 2001) China has conducted the first flight test
of its new Russian-made anti-ship cruise missile, the most potent naval
weapon in China's growing arsenal and a major improvement over its other
anti-ship cruise missiles. A Chinese Sovremenny-class guided missile
destroyer fired an SSN-22 Sunburn missile during a test Sept. 15.
PLA Chief Warns on Strait Meddling
(AFP, Sep. 12, 2001) One of the Chinese military's leading foreign policy
makers delivered a stark warning to "international forces" to keep
out of Taiwan affairs, saying the stand-off in the Taiwan Strait had become
"grimmer and more complex". General Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of
staff of the PLA, blamed increased tensions on pro-independence forces on the
island
China Increases Missile Threat
(Washington Times, Aug. 28, 2001) China has stepped up deployments of
short-range missiles opposite Taiwan and now has more than 350 rockets within
range of the island. China added more than 30 new CSS-6 and CSS-7 missiles
within range of Taiwan in a buildup that U.S. officials say is increasing
tensions and destabilizing the region.
China Tests Missile in War-Game Finale
(Washington Times, Aug.24, 2001) Chinese military forces carried out a flight
test of a medium-range nuclear missile this week as the finale to China's
largest nationwide war games in years. A CSS-2 intermediate-range ballistic
missile was fired from a test facility in northern China on Tuesday and
tracked by U.S. military satellites to an impact area near the Mongolian
border.
PLA Flexes Its Muscle with Joint Exercises
(AFP, Aug. 22, 2001) The PLA held integrated military exercises around
Dongshan Island near Taiwan. Fishing boats and other vessels in the region
had been told to return to harbour and stay away from the waters for the
joint-forces war games. The training session was part of China's massive
round of military drills, which have been under way for four months in the
Dongshan area.
Military Holds Large Drill Near Taiwan
(AP, Aug. 12, 2001) The Chinese military has started war games off its
southern coast opposite Taiwan. The amphibious mechanical unit of the Chinese
Liberation Army ''Liberation No.1,'' also known as ''Donghai No.6,'' began a
joint military exercise off the southeast coastal province of Fujian near Dongshan
Island.
Chinese 'Civilian' Satellite a Spy Tool
(Washington Times, Aug. 1, 2001) China's military
has deployed a new reconnaissance satellite that is being used to target U.S.
forces in the region, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The satellite
is Beijing's first high-resolution imaging satellite and is disguised as a
civilian earth monitoring system.
China Signs $2 Billion Deal To Buy Russian Fighter
Jets
(WP, July 20, 2001) China has signed a contract with a Russian aircraft
manufacturer for another batch of ground-attack jets, Russian news reports
and diplomats said, in a move that would allow China's modernizing armed
forces to improve their ability to launch an assault on Taiwan. Chinese
officials signed the contract with the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production
Association to supply upward of $2 billion worth of Su-30 MKK ground-attack
planes.
PLA's Strength Against Taiwan over Next Decade
Limited
(United Daily News, June 11, 2001) Minister of Defense, Wu Shih-wen, said
that mainland China's People's Liberation Army will likely concentrate on developing
cruise and ballistic missiles over the next decade. However, according to a
U.S. Defense Department report, the PLA's ability to categorically succeed in
a military attack against Taiwan is "limited."
Chinese War Games Up the Ante
(CNN.com, June 11, 2001) War games that started last week in China's Fujian
province are to last longer and feature more advanced weapons than previous
exercises. Military sources in Beijing said on Monday the highlights of the
second stage of military maneuvers would include sophisticated, long-distance
missiles as well as air-and-naval drills to search and destroy aircraft
carriers and submarines.
Chinese Missile Moves Near Taiwan Worry U.S.
(Washington Times, June 7, 2001) China is mobilizing some of its short-range
missiles near Taiwan as other military forces are engaged in the largest war
games in five years, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The missile
activity at two bases across the Taiwan Strait is raising concerns inside the
Pentagon that China's military may be set for test missile firings at Taiwan
-- similar to 1996 missile flight tests that led to a U.S.-China confrontation.
Chinese
Navy Runs Emergency Deployment Drill
(Washington Times, June 5, 2001) The Chinese navy carried out an emergency
deployment last week, sending ships and submarines out of ports as if
preparing for an attack, according to U.S. defense and intelligence
officials. The May 27 exercise off northern China was described as a
"rapid dispersal exercise," said officials who spoke on the
condition of anonymity.
China
Plans War Games Off Taiwan
(WP, June 1, 2001) Thousands of Chinese soldiers are massing opposite Taiwan
for their biggest military exercises in several years, coordinated with amphibious
tanks, fighter aircraft, submarines and missile batteries, an official
Chinese Web site reported. The report by BeijingNews.com said the main goals
of the exercises are to practice "attacking and occupying an outlying
Taiwanese island and fighting off an aircraft carrier."
Beijing
Prompts Invasion Fears
(Washington Times, May 30, 2001) China has massed amphibious vehicles and landing
craft on an island near Taiwan as part of large-scale military exercises that
are now under way, Pentagon officials said. At least 157 amphibious craft and
vehicles were spotted recently on Dongshan island by U.S.
intelligence-gathering aircraft. The island is located across the Taiwan
Strait from southern Taiwan.
Beijing
Readies China Sea Exercises
(Washington Times, May 17, 2001) China is preparing to conduct large-scale
military exercises in the South China Sea from Hainan island and on Woody
Island, where China is building up its forces for power projection. Defense
officials said preparations for the exercises, including amphibious warfare
drills, were detected by U.S. intelligence agencies over the past two weeks.
"We're seeing preparations," said one official. He said it is not
known when the maneuvers will begin.
Chinese
Believed Preparing for a Nuclear Weapons Test
(Washington Times, May 11, 2001) China is stepping up preparations for an
underground test at its Lop Nur nuclear weapons testing facility, according
to U.S. intelligence officials. A test could be carried out in the next
several days, they said. Vehicle activity at the test site in the remote
western province of Xinjiang was detected by spy satellites last week.
U.S. Military
Concerned About China's Cyberwarfare Capabilities, Says U.S. General
(AFP, Mar. 29, 2001) China is developing cyberwarfare capabilities that could
put at risk the computer networks that the U.S. military increasingly relies
on for its operations, the general responsible for U.S. military space and
cyberwarfare programs warned Thursday.
China Beefs Up
Missile Stocks
(Washington Times, Mar. 27, 2001) China is sending additional shipments of
short-range missiles to Fujian province opposite Taiwan, a sign Beijing is
stepping up deployments as the Bush administration contemplates new arms
sales to the island.
Jiang
Urges PLA to Accelerate Defense Modernization
(People's Daily, Mr. 10, 2001) Chinese President Jiang Zemin urged the
People's Liberation Army (PLA) to enhance defense combat effectiveness under
high-tech conditions, subject itself to the absolute leadership of the Party
and speed up military modernization.
China's Military
Offers 'Contributions'
(CNN, Mar. 8, 2001) Senior generals have vowed to make major contributions to
building the economy and maintaining the Communist Party's "absolute authority."
Various People's Liberation Army officers have talked to the state media
after Beijing on Tuesday announced a whopping 17.7 per cent budget boost for
the 2.5 million-strong army.
China Raises
Defense Budget
(CNN, Mar. 6, 2001) China has raised its defense budget by 17.7 percent for
2001 in a bid to improve its 2.5 million-strong People's Liberation Army. The
hike, to a spending of 140 billion yuan ($17 billion), was revealed in the
National People's Congress (NPC) budget report delivered by Finance Minister
Xiang Huaicheng.
PLA
to Increase Combined Services Training Drills
(CNA, Mar. 5, 2001) Republic of China Defense Minister Wu Shih-wen said that
mainland China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is expected to intensify
combined services training in tandem with its military technology development
and arms procurement.
Ship's Trip Through
the Strait Confirmed
(Taipei Times, Jan. 19, 2001) The second Sovremenny-class guided-missile
destroyer bought by China from Russia passed through the Taiwan Strait last
week under the watchful eye of Taiwan's military, Minister of National
Defense Wu Shih-wen confirmed yesterday.
China Builds New
Missile Base Across Taiwan, Report Says
(AFP, Jan. 15, 2001) China is building a base in a southeastern city for
advanced long-range ground-to-air missiles, a move feared to weaken Taiwan's
air defense capabilities.
Shock of the New
for PLA Strategists By Jasper
Becker
(South China Morning Post, Dec. 26, 2001) Set against the impressive display
of American might in Afghanistan right on China's Western borders, Beijing's
expressions of indignation over the US decision to drop the 1972
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty have been muted. Both Chinese and US
analysts seem convinced no fresh crisis in Sino-American relations is
brewing.
China Finds Launches
Lucrative By Michael Cabbage
(OrlandoSentinel.com, Dec. 10, 2001) China has rockets for sale --
cheap. Beijing soon could be beating Western capitalists at their own game by
grabbing a larger share of the lucrative yet cutthroat commercial-launch
market. Necessity has driven China's communist leadership to embrace
once-alien concepts such as marketing and customer service.
China's Military
Build-Up a Danger By Tsai Ming-yen
(Taipei Times, Nov. 27, 2001) The improvement of China's position in the
world is widely regarded as one of Beijing's top foreign-policy priorities.
China's intentions to turn itself into a military superpower, presumably in
order to enforce its regional hegemony, has concerned its neighbors.
Nations Across Asia
Keep Watch on China By Doug
Struck and Rajiv Chandrasekaran
(Washington Post, Oct. 19, 2001) As China emerges from a half-century of
internal struggles and poverty to extend its reach across Asia, its neighbors
and the United States see a looming struggle for power. In response, some
Asian countries have joined a new arms race.
Generals'
Move Casts Light on Taiwan Policy By Oliver Chou
(Straits Times, Aug. 30, 2001) The recent redeployment of two generals from
China's regional air commands bears watching for Beijing's next moves in its
military strategy towards Taiwan and the protection of its national borders.
China Case Study from Transformation in Global Defense
Markets and Industries: Implications for the Future Warfare By John A. Battilega, David R. Beachley, Daniel C.
Beck, Robert L. Driver, Bruce Jackson
(National Intelligence Council, 16 July 2001) Although China is a historical
military power with a rich tradition that goes back 5000 years, modern
Chinese security perspective are about twenty-five years old. China views its
overall national security situation and current grand strategy to be
consistent with long term approach to modernizations.
Don't Exaggerate
the Military Threat From China By Ellis Joffe
(International Herald Tribune, July 28, 2001) The buildup of the Chinese
armed forces that feeds the U.S. perception of a military threat from a
rising China will continue. But the perception should be qualified by
recognition of the restraints that limit the buildup. Underlying it is
China's long-term aspiration to gain respect and recognition as a great
power.
War Games Address
China's Combat-Rescue Deficiencies By Oliver Chou
(Straits Times, July 7, 2001) China's loss of a pilot in the mid-air
collision with an American spy plane in April has seen the People's Liberation
Army losing no time in beefing up its rescue operations. The massive war
games, now being staged on south-east China's Dongshan Island across Taiwan,
feature rescue operations as a major component of the military exercise.
The Military Potential of China's Commercial
Technology (online book) By Roger
Cliff
(Rand, June 2001) This report examines China's current commercial technology in
eight industries that have the most potential for supporting military
technology development, and assesses the prospects for technological
progress, in terms of capabilities, effort, incentives, and institutions,
over the next 10 to 20 years.
From Revolutionary
Internationalism to Conservative Nationalism: The Chinese Military's
Discourse on National Security and Identity in the Post-Mao Era By Nan Li
(United States Institute of Peace, May, 2001) It has been a quarter of a
century since the death of Mao Zedong, and China has experienced a
dramatic transfprmation in those twenty-five years. While still ruled by a
communist party, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has emerged as a major
economic power by unshackling its command economy and privatizating many of
its state-owned enterprises. Yet Maoist revoluntary doctrine that
distinguished the PRC as a leader of world revolution and national liberation
movements in the 1950s and '60s is only now beginning to be
reassessed. (PDF file)
China Explores Ways
to Defeat Superior U.S. Forces In Fight By David Wood
(San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 20, 2001) China's military, faced with powerful
and technically advanced U.S. combat forces, is exploring the use of computer
viruses, information warfare and stock market manipulation as non-traditional
"weapons" to offset America's huge military advantage.
US
Commits to Security of Its Allies By Larry Wortzel
(Taipei Times, Mar. 15, 2001) China is acquiring a number of weapon and
command and control systems that could extend the range of its own missiles
and aircraft, and permit it to project power at greater ranges from its
shores. In some cases, the assistance is coming from US allies, or from major
recipients of financial aid from the US.
China
Sends Its Army Money, and a Signal to the U.S. By Craig S.
Smith
(New York Times, Mar. 11, 2001) China announced its biggest military budget
increase in 20 years last week, making generals from Washington to Tokyo sit
up. Certainly the 17.7 percent jump to $17.2 billion this year is intended to
send the message that China is serious about modernizing its 2.5-million-man
armed forces in order to give the United States pause if it thinks of
operating unchallenged in Asia. But military analysts say the focus for now
remains a limited one: Taiwan.
China’s
Increase in Defence Spending
(Economist, Mar. 8, 2001) With big new spending increases, especially for
defence, China is looking bolder. China’s defence spending has been rising
steadily since the Gulf war ten years ago first revealed to its military
planners just how far they had fallen behind. The adjustment is partly meant
to counter “drastic changes” in the international military situation—presumably
a reference to NATO’s successful use of air power in 1999 against the
Yugoslav army in Kosovo, and America’s plans for missile defences.
China's
Acquisitions of Russian SU Fighters: A Great Leap Forward? By Ming-yen Tsai
(Peace Forum, Taiwan Research Institute, Feb. 8, 2001) China's purchases of
Russian fighters suggest that the modernization of the PLAAF's outdated
aircraft fleet has been put at the top of China's defense modernization.
China's
Energy Strategy in the 21st Century By Chien Chung
(Taiwan Research Institute, Peace Forum, Jan. 5, 2001) The strategic oil
reserve in China is surprisingly thin: less than three-day stock for domestic
oil refinery and petrochemical industry.
In view of the depleting production of domestic oil field and growing
dependence on imported oil, China has decided to reshape its energy
policy. China will possess three-week
oil reserve in hand by 2010 to cope with future world-wide energy shortage
and potential regional armed conflict.
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