In a Fortnight
Hu Signs New Regulations Safeguarding Military Secrets
Against the backdrop of an uptick in high-profile cases involving military secrets that include startling revelations by Taiwan’s intelligence chief of China’s growing arsenal of strategic weapons, Beijing is beefing up its secrecy regulations to better safeguard its classified information. On April 1, Chinese President... MORE
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
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
Hu Emphasizes Stability during Lunar New Year Pilgrimage
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chief and President Hu Jintao visited the prefecture-level city of Baoding in Hebei province (Xinhua News Agency, February 3). The annual spring festival pilgrimage has been used by Chinese leaders as a national... MORE
High-Level Personnel Changes Continue Professionalization of the Chinese Military
In the latest round of high-level personnel changes in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), more appointments of key posts appear to be going to younger and more professionally trained military officers. These changes, which involve top positions in the PLA’s four general headquarters, major regional... MORE
Twelfth-Five Year Plan Accelerates Civil-Military Integration in China’s Defense Industry
China's defense-industrial complex is emerging from the shadows of its troubled past. While weaknesses and limitations in the Chinese defense industry remain, in recent years it has produced a wide range of advanced weapon systems that has markedly enhanced the country’s military capabilities and demonstrated... MORE
China Expands Naval Presence through Jeddah Port Call
China’s naval presence on the global stage is expanding. While counter-piracy and escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea have significantly contributed to the Chinese navy's growing profile, foreign port visits by its naval vessels to the Gulf region are emerging as... MORE
China and Burma to Finalize High-Speed Rail Project
China and Burma (Myanmar) are reportedly finalizing a detailed plan that could start work on a high-speed railroad connecting the two countries in as quickly as two months, with some reports indicating that the railroad will be completed by 2015 (China Daily, November 22, Xinhua... MORE
China Unveils Sea Defense System to Counter Aircraft Carrier
The modernization of China’s aerospace capabilities was prominently on display at the Eighth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (2010 Zhuhai Air Show). The biannual air show, which is taking place from November 16-21 in the southeastern province of Guangdong, involves more than 600 domestic... MORE
“War without Gunfire”: China’s Intelligence War with Taiwan
In spite of an apparent thaw in overt cross-Strait tensions since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou was elected into office in 2008, the shadow war between Chinese and Taiwanese intelligence agencies has continue unabated. While Beijing and Taipei have made remarkable progress in liberalizing economic barriers,... MORE