Tag: People’s Liberation Army

China’s new defence law expands power of its military
3Jan By Joanne SerriehNo Comments
China

China’s new defence law expands power of its military

At a time when China is at loggerheads with US and India, Beijing has revised its National Defence Law, expanding the power of its armed forces to mobilise military and civilian resources to defend its national interests both at home and abroad.The new law, effective from January 1, weakens the role of the State Council, China’s Cabinet headed by Premier Li Keqiang, in formulating military policy, handing decision-making powers to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high-command of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headed by President Xi Jinping.The amendments for the National Defence Law (NDL) were passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on December 26 last year.The revised law came into force after the key conclave of the ruling CPC in Novembe
Read More
Alarm grows at China’s military trajectory
27Oct By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Alarm grows at China’s military trajectory

India-China border, the South China Sea and the East China Sea have caused a growing chorus of worldwide alarm at Beijing's ambitions and military capability, as exemplified in the Pentagon's latest annual report on military developments in China.China owns the largest ground force, navy, coast guard and maritime militia in the world, plus it has the largest air force in the Indo-Pacific region.In many senses, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) does not make strategic sense. Chairman Xi Jinping and the Chinese nation are facing multiple points of friction, so why would it add the Indian border to that list?Yun Jiang and Adam Ni, the editors of the China Neican newsletter, assessed, "Neither China nor India wants a continued row over their...
Read More
Don’t cross the line: Taiwan’s stern message to China
4Oct By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Don’t cross the line: Taiwan’s stern message to China

In a stern statement, Taiwan’s Vice President has warned China not to "cross the line" saying that it wants peace but will defend its people."Don't cross the line. China again flew fighter jets into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone today. Make no mistake, Taiwan wants peace but we will defend our people," Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-Te said in a tweet.During US Health Secretary Alex Azar's visit to Taiwan in August, China deployed fighter jets that briefly crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's Defence Ministry was quoted as saying.The ministry had said it had tracked the PLA fighters with its land-based anti-aircraft missiles and had "strongly driven them out".The US has repeatedly criticised China and urged nations to push back against the Asian country, sayin
Read More
China Provoked India in latest clash: U.S. Intelligence
29Sep By Grace TsoiNo Comments
Conflict, World

China Provoked India in latest clash: U.S. Intelligence

A United States intelligence assessment has said it has reason to believe that China deliberately provoked India with the latest incursion into the Indian territory at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh towards the end of August.On the intervening night of 29 and 30 August, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to occupy a strategic height at the southern region of the Pangong Tso lake in Eastern Ladakh. However, the Indian Army pre-empted the Chinese move and mobilised its forces to capture the heights near the area where Chinese troops are camped.The US believes that after the failure of the Chinese attempt to capture the territory, Beijing remains enraged that its local commander withdrew forces when a physical conflict appeared imminent.The recent face-off comes month...
Read More
Is China losing faith in its own troops?
18Sep By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Conflict, Opinion, Politics

Is China losing faith in its own troops?

In August, a rather strange visit took place in the shadow of the Himalayas. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister visited Tibet Military District and surrounding areas on August 14, and met with the top Communist Party official in Tibet, Wu Yingjie, as well as the chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government, Qizhala.Before commenting on the nature and implications of the visit, it is important to understand briefly the major reasons why politicians visit any province. Even in China which abhors conventional democratic politics, the mechanics of politics that equate to grabbing, and holding on to power, are the same.There are three major reasons why a politician may visit an area: if it is a campaign season, a home province or to motivate the local population during times of disas
Read More
Xi’s intellectual warriors are outgunning “realists” of Deng Xiaoping era
9Sep By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion, Politics

Xi’s intellectual warriors are outgunning “realists” of Deng Xiaoping era

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's legion of intellectual warriors are on a high, trying to fish out from the mainstream "realists" – people who have followed former leader Deng Xiaoping's pragmatism to spur Beijing's rise. The "China Dream" project, of railing the "civilisation state" on a path, which would lead to the recovery of China's glorious past is apparently at the heart of Xi's aggressive Wolf Warrior diplomacy.It is the idea of the "Middle Kingdom," where China and its people are at the centre of a global system, of which a number of semi-independent "tributary states" are the moving parts, which appears to fire Xi's worldview."The fact that the Chinese regard themselves as superior to the rest of the human race, and that this belief has a racial component, will confront the rest of th
Read More
Taiwan’s Marine force sent to Dongsha Islands to counter China’s plans
30Aug By Nectar GanNo Comments
Conflict

Taiwan’s Marine force sent to Dongsha Islands to counter China’s plans

In order to counter China’s expansionist policies, Taiwan has dispatched its military to Dongsha Islands which Beijing is planning to invade, according to reports.On August 3, People's Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University professor Li Daguang was quoted as saying that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will stage a landing exercise on China's Hainan Island to simulate an invasion of the Dongsha Islands.Although Li later denied this, claiming he had instead been referring to an article published earlier by Kyodo News.Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been on alert since reports surfaced in May saying the PLA is planning such a mock invasion, with China’s state-run mouthpiece the Global Times warning that it could become a real invasion.CommonWealth Magazine
Read More
President Xi’s long game: Time to measure what the world is dealing with
14Aug By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

President Xi’s long game: Time to measure what the world is dealing with

Over the last six months, President Xi Jinping has become China’s Supreme Leader. The July 15 issue of the Chinese Communist Party journal, Qiushi, has declared that it is the highest duty of all Chinese to “safeguard the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping”. It then goes on to say that “to safeguard the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping means only Xi Jinping and no other individual.”In short, there is no other leader and no power-centre other than Xi.It took many years for Mao Zedong to dominate a party that he had literally built and led to victory. Even then, at the height of his power, he was still compelled to share authority at times with others like Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai, and PLA Marshals Zhu De and Ye Jianying.President Xi Jinping, on the other hand, appea
Read More
Indian, Chinese troops completed disengagement at most locations: China
14Aug By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Indian, Chinese troops completed disengagement at most locations: China

After being in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese government has said that Indian and Chinese frontline troops have completed disengagement at most locations and that preparations are underway to hold the next round of military-level talks."Chinese and Indian border troops on the frontline have disengaged in most locations. The 5th round of commander-level talks is currently under preparation to resolve the remaining issues," Chinese state media Global Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying.Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control since May.On July 24, India and China had held the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and agreed that early and c...
Read More
Russia suspends deliveries of S-400 missiles to Beijing
9Aug By Grace TsoiNo Comments
World

Russia suspends deliveries of S-400 missiles to Beijing

In a major setback to China, Russia has announced suspension of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Beijing and said the resumption of further deliveries is yet to be ascertained.The Russian side could not name the timing for the resumption of deliveries. It has been almost five months since the supplies have stopped,” UAWire reported quoting Chinese newspaper Sohu.“This time, Russia announced the postponement of the delivery of missiles for the Chinese S-400 system. To a certain extent, we can say that it is for the sake of China. Getting a gun is not as easy as signing an invoice after receiving a weapon,” it further said.“They say that the work on delivering these weapons is quite complicated. While China has to send personnel for training, Russia also needs to send a lot of technic
Read More