China National defence policy

[Billy]

Strengthening national defense is a strategic task in China's modernization drive, and a key guarantee for safeguarding China's security and unity and building a well-off society in an all-round way. China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature.

The fundamental basis for the formulation of China's national defense policy is China's national interests. They primarily include: safeguarding state sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and security; upholding economic development as the central task and unremittingly enhancing the overall national strength; adhering to and improving the socialist system; maintaining and promoting social stability and harmony; and striving for an international environment of lasting peace and a favorable climate in China's periphery. China takes all measures necessary to safeguard its national interests and, at the same time, respects the interests of other countries, standing for peaceful settlement of disputes and differences among nations by means of consultation.

The goals and tasks of China's national defense are, in the main, as follows:

- To consolidate national defense, prevent and resist aggression. China's territorial land, inland waters, territorial seas and territorial airspace are inviolable. In accordance with the requirements of national defense in the new situation, China persists in unified leadership over national defense activities, pursues the principle of independence and self-defense by the whole people, implements the military strategy of active defense, strengthens the building of its armed forces and that of its frontier defense, sea defense and air defense, takes effective defensive and administrative measures to defend national security and safeguard its maritime rights and interests. In the event of aggressions, China will resolutely resist in accordance with the Constitution and laws.

- To stop separation and realize complete unification of the motherland. China is a unitary multi-ethnic country jointly created by its people of all ethnic groups. The Chinese government forbids discrimination and oppression against any ethnic group, as well as any act aimed at undermining ethnic harmony and splitting the country. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Chinese government will, in keeping with the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations and advancing the process of peaceful national reunification at the present stage, strive for prospects of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and the maximum effort. But it will not forswear the use of force. China resolutely opposes arms sales to Taiwan or entering into a military alliance in any form with Taiwan by any country. China's armed forces will unswervingly defend the country's sovereignty and unity, and have the resolve as well as the capability to check any separatist act.

- To stop armed subversion and safeguard social stability. China's Constitution and laws prohibit any organization or individual from organizing, plotting or carrying out armed rebellion or riot to subvert the state power or overthrow the socialist system. China opposes all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Regarding maintenance of public order and social stability in accordance with the law as their important duty, the Chinese armed forces will strike hard on terrorist activities of any kind, crush infiltration and sabotaging activities by hostile forces, and crack down on all criminal activities that threaten public order, so as to promote social stability and harmony.

- To accelerate national defense development and achieve national defense and military modernization. China follows an approach of coordinating national defense building and economic development, striving for a high cost-effectiveness and promoting defense and military modernization on the basis of economic growth. Taking Mao Zedong's military thinking and Deng Xiaoping's thinking on armed forces building in the new period as the guide to action, and fully implementing the important thought of the "Three Represents (The Communist Party of China must always represent the requirements of the development of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of the development of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people in China.)," the Chinese military persists in taking the road of fewer but better troops with Chinese characteristics, pushes forward the various reforms in response to the trend in military changes in the world, and strives to accomplish the historical tasks of mechanization and IT application, thereby bringing about leapfrog development in the modernization of the military.

- To safeguard world peace and oppose aggression and expansion. China will never seek hegemony, nor will it join any military bloc or crave for any sphere of influence. China opposes policies of war, aggression and expansion, stands against arms race and supports efforts of the international community to solve international disputes in a fair and reasonable manner. It endorses all activities conductive to maintaining the global strategic balance and stability, and actively participates in international cooperation against terrorism.

China implements a military strategy of active defense. Strategically, China pursues a principle featuring defensive operations, self-defense and attack only after being attacked. In response to the profound changes in the world's military field and the requirements of the national development strategy, China has formulated a military strategic guideline of active defense in the new period.

This guideline is based on winning local wars under modern, especially high-tech conditions. In view of the various factors threatening national security, China has prepared for defensive operation under the most difficult and complex circumstances. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA), in implementing the strategy of building a strong military through science and technology, has accelerated the R&D of defense weaponry and equipment, trained high-quality military personnel of a new type, established a scientific organizational structure, developed theories for military operations with Chinese characteristics, and strengthened its capability for joint, mobile and multi-purpose operations.

This guideline stresses the deterrence of war. In accordance with the needs of the national development strategy, the PLA, by employing military means flexibly and in close coordination with political, economic and diplomatic endeavors, improves China's strategic environment, reduces factors of insecurity and instability, and prevents local wars and armed conflicts so as to keep the country from the harm of war. China consistently upholds the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, and adopts an extremely restrained attitude toward the development of nuclear weapons. China has never participated in any nuclear arms race and never deployed nuclear weapons abroad. China's limited nuclear counterattack ability is entirely for deterrence against possible nuclear attacks by other countries.

This guideline highlights and carries forward the concept of people's war. In the face of new changes in modern warfare, China persists in relying on the people in national defense building, enhancing the popular awareness of national defense, and instituting an armed force system of combining a small but capable standing army with a powerful reserve force; upholds the principle of combining peacetime footing with wartime footing, the army with the people, and having a reserve among the people, improving the mobilization mechanism with expanded mobilization scope, and establishing a national defense mobilization system in line with the requirements of modern warfare; and adheres to flexible applications of strategies and tactics, creating new ways of fighting so as to give fuller play to the strength of a people's war.

[Hubris Boy]

Originally posted by Billy
...[snip]...
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Chinese government will, in keeping with the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations and advancing the process of peaceful national reunification at the present stage, strive for prospects of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and the maximum effort. But it will not forswear the use of force. China resolutely opposes arms sales to Taiwan or entering into a military alliance in any form with Taiwan by any country. China's armed forces will unswervingly defend the country's sovereignty and unity, and have the resolve as well as the capability to check any separatist act.

Shut the fuck up.

[wolf]

Billy, while it's interesting that you are posting these news articles ... what do you think about your government's defense policies?

[tw]

Originally posted by wolf
Billy, while it's interesting that you are posting these news articles ... what do you think about your government's defense policies?

And how have they changed over the decades?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yeah Billy, you're posting offical posturing as reported in the media but we would rather hear what real people have to say about it. Do they understand it? Do they believe it? Do they like it?

[Billy]

About 80% really believe the government and like it. 10% don't believe it. For me I believe it. I hope the China add more money on education rather than defency. The policies change with the time.

[tw]

Originally posted by Billy
For me I believe it. I hope the China add more money on education rather than defency. The policies change with the time.

Where is the threat in that list of objectives that would justify an increase in defense spending?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I read an article the other day that said China was following our lead in developing (or otherwise obtaining) high tech weapons. They could downsize the standing army and bolster their might at a cheaper cost, with lazer and satellite weaponry.

[Billy]

I think China will do what you say.

I don't know hot to answer you, TW.

[tw]

Originally posted by Billy
I don't know hot to answer you, TW.

The current administration so fears that terrorists will attack the US with intercontinental ballistic missiles that US is spending hundreds of $billions on a missile defense system (even though reams of insider experts say it cannot work). Compare that to $4billion per month for the war in Iraq and $0.07billion for serious toxic waste cleanup in serous, illegal toxic waste dumping grounds. IOW the massively expensive weapons system will exist for a preceived threat.

The US is also building a large string of bases across south Asia because, again, it perceives threats to national security (or is this simply a chain of bases to surround Russia and China using a filmsy excuse?).

What does China regard as a preceived threat so as to justify its military expansion? Military building is done only for protection from preceived threats (or to conquer neighbors for the greateer glory of some supreme ruler). What is China's preceived threat?

[JeepNGeorge]

I read an article the other day that said China was following our lead in developing (or otherwise obtaining) high tech weapons. They could downsize the standing army and bolster their might at a cheaper cost, with lazer and satellite weaponry.

Why are we the only ones that can have such high tech weapons?

Who made our world views the 'Right' world views to have?

[juju]

Whose world views should we follow? Someone else's? What kind of sense would that make? We follow our own views because we're us. :)

[JeepNGeorge]

goes back to the golden rule I guess. He who has the gold makes the rules.

I just think we impose our will on too many nations as it is. I guess my question is why are we the only ones to be able to build massive armies and nuclear devices capable of destroying civilization.

We try to be the global police on these matters to secure our number one ranking in the world.

Somebody has something we want. Print up some propaganda and lets have a war. It makes it easier when the other countries don't have the defenses to deal with our power.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a flag waving american, but just because I flew the flag before some planes were misused doesn't mean that I have to believe everything the gubment tells me.

Being able to question our people in authority is the one freedom that we do have, and I don't think people use it enough.

Just my 87 cents worth
(price went up to reflect inflation)

[tw]

Originally posted by JeepNGeorge
Being able to question our people in authority is the one freedom that we do have, and I don't think people use it enough.

I suspect you exercise a freedom that Billy does not enjoy. When asked to respond to questions that might contradict the government line, too often Billy goes silent.

For example, what would be preceived threats that drive the buildup of China's military? No response. We do get a lot of "company line" and some 'snapshots' of personal life. But where are any of the 'down and dirty infighting' in China's political landscape. China is a land full of conflicts and power struggles. The near million march in Hong Kong against new goverment regulation never once brought a response from Billy. Just what one would do when they don't really have freedom of speech.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Maybe the Chinese populace is unaware of the "down and dirty infighting" unless they're involved. I suspect their press is pretty heavily censored. Possibly their internal communications also. In the US, you can pick up a phone and talk to any phone in the world, for the most part, as well as being ubiquitous. Whereas China is still mostly poor and to a large extent rural. I doubt that internal travel or communications, we take for granted, are as common. Oh, and don't forget they speak a zillion different dialects.