CHINA'S MILITARY MODERNIZATION PROGRAMME

 By D.S.Rajan

“Building strong national defense and powerful armed forces that are commensurate with China’s international standing and meet the needs of its security and development interests is a strategic task of China’s modernization drive.

“We should attach great importance to maritime, space and cyberspace security. We should make active planning for the use of military forces in peacetime, expand and intensify military preparedness, and enhance the capability to accomplish a wide range of military tasks ,the most important of which is to win local war in an information age”.(1)
– Work Report to the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, November 2012

“China unswervingly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and a national defence policy that is defensive in nature…. China will never seek hegemony or behave in a hegemonic manner, nor will it engage in military expansion… China’s armed forces provide a security guarantee and strategic support for national development, and make due contributions to the maintenance of world peace and regional stability(2)
- China’s Defence White Paper, April 2013.

The two quotes mentioned above clearly bring out the essence of the military modernization policy of People’s Republic of China (PRC). Notwithstanding such official positions, strong opinions exist outside China that there is incompatibility between the PRC’s declared path of ‘peaceful development’ and its drive to project military power well beyond its borders, perceived as challenging the security interests of concerned countries. In such a situation, two questions become worth considering – whether China’s stated intentions behind its military modernization drive are genuine and whether the ‘China threat’ perceptions prevailing abroad to a considerable degree are justified? Recognizing that without the help of a sound data base, it may not be possible to find clear answers to these questions, and make assessments from a wider perspective, an attempt has been made to compile all the facts relating to China’s military modernization; they are placed below as Appendix.

Aftershocks of Chinese incursion in Ladakh

R Hariharan

Most people in India would welcome that a potential military conflict with China had been averted after China pulled back its troops who had intruded 19 km across the of Line of Actual Control (LAC), into Indian territory in Ladakh. The intrusion in the strategically sensitive area near Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) tested Indian nerves for 20 days. The aftershocks of what many Indians perceive as an ill-timed and seemingly uncalled for Chinese provocation is sure to linger for a long time affecting  Indian perceptions in the long term.  

Sri Lanka Perspectives - April 2013

Col R Hariharan

Highlights

• Northern Province issues: With the proposed Northern Provincial Council elections scheduled for September 2013 getting closer, the political situation in the province is getting ugly. A recent public outcry against the military acquiring prime land of displaced persons in Valikamam North has snow balled into a political issue.  

• Energy tariff and rising costs: Revision of electricity tariffs during the month has triggered widespread protests in all sections of society. And the President is expected to announce some concessions on May Day.

• CHOGM Summit: It seems certain that Sri Lanka will be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) summit in November 2013. At the recently meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has clarified that the heads of Commonwealth governments had already chosen Sri Lanka as the venue. This should come as a relief to Sri Lanka.

• Sri Lanka refugee outflow: Australia’s strong action repatriating Sri Lanka refugees who had illegally entered the country from Sri Lanka is likely to stem the outflow towards Australia.  South India had become the transit point for this outflow and the police had been cracking down on such illegal activities.