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Latest China Brief Articles
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The PLA’s “Orient Express”: Militarization of the Iron Silk Road
China’s rise on the international stage has been accompanied by an increase in its military's presence. Beijing's expanding ambition is prompting calls on the country's leaders to be more proactive in protecting its national interests. These calls by Chinese analysts have raised concerns about the... MORE
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A Chinese Assessment of China’s External Security Environment
An assessment based on a Chinese government white paper and recent report published by a leading think tank on China’s external security environment suggest that Beijing perceives that it is facing unprecedented external challenges. On January 11, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereafter MFA) revealed—exclusively... MORE
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Beijing’s Blueprint for Tackling Mass Incidents and Social Management
China’s previous five-year plans were generally focused on the economy and little else. Yet, the outline of the 12th Five-Year Blueprint on Economic and Social Development for 2011 to 2015 (hereafter Blueprint), which was released at the end of the National People’s Congress (NPC) last... MORE
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Taiwan’s Intelligence Chief Warns about the PLA’s Growing Strategic Weapon Systems
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) arsenal of strategic weapons systems is growing in spite of the cross-Strait détente. According to Tsai Der-Sheng, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) director-general, China has deployed a 'new' type of missile that will increase the PLA's capability in terms of... MORE
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Implications of China’s Military Evacuation of Citizens from Libya
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) made history with the news on February 25 that the frigate Xuzhou, one of the navy’s most modern warships, had been dispatched to waters near Libya to support and protect the evacuation of Chinese citizens. The Libya operation is... MORE
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Is Russia Helping Taiwan Build Submarines?
On January 27, a Taiwanese weekly, Next Magazine, reported that the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy had plans to introduce Russian Kilo-class submarine technology. According to the report, a task force was organized by Taiwan’s National Security Council (NSC) and the Taiwan Navy, which contacted... MORE
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An Analysis of China’s 2011 Defense Budget and Total Military Spending — The Great Unknown
On March 4 , Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the National People’s Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC), announced a 601 billion yuan (~ $91.5 billion) defense budget, a 12.7 percent increase over the 533 billion yuan (~ $81.3 billion) authorized in 2010 (English.gov.cn,... MORE
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Beijing’s “Wei-Wen” Imperative Steals the Thunder at NPC
Beijing’s efforts to uphold socio-political stability—and to crush a potential Chinese-style “Jasmine Revolution”—have dominated this year’s plenary session of the National People’s Congress (NPC). The Chinese parliament has approved a budget for wei-wen, an omnibus term that encompasses maintaining law and order, squashing dissent and... MORE
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Military Delegates Call for National Maritime Strategy to Protect Expanding Interests
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, which serves as the country's top political advisory body, is meeting in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People. The annual conclave, which is held in conjunction with the National People's Congress (NPC), has no... MORE
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Satellites Support Growing PLA Maritime Monitoring and Targeting Capabilities
New satellites are enhancing Chinese command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. These systems will enable the Chinese military to strengthen cueing, reconnaissance, communications, and data relay for maritime monitoring and targeting. The successful achievement of high quality real time satellite imagery,... MORE