China Watch Thread-I

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 29 Oct 2015 17:43

Might not have fought a war on sea in a long long long time. But it got some serious capabilities as of now. These capabilities are expanding and become better as we see. So better be prepared to be surprised in any event of war.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Oct 2015 23:32

China to allow all couples two children to counter aging population
Reuters - ‎13 minutes ago‎
BEIJING China will ease family planning restrictions to allow all couples to have two children after decades of a strict one-child policy, the ruling Communist Party said on Thursday, a move aimed at alleviating demographic strains on the economy.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Oct 2015 23:38

Either they want more bodies in the body shops or they want huge consumer base to use up all the steel that has piled up in their warehouses. Also, once they start doing that, probably buildings are going collapse, bridges are going to break thus killing a lot of people thus keeping the population stable.

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 29 Oct 2015 23:44

Or it might be them recognising gender skew after years of one-child only imposition.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 30 Oct 2015 00:03

All societies need a minimum number to operate optimally. One reason that, even, Germany is looking forward to the immigrants from Syria (granted that most Syrians that want to go to Germany are (relatively) highly educated and experienced).

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 30 Oct 2015 09:22

In 2003 we had a Bay Area meet in Mountain View Ca. We discussed demographic trends over the long century and concluded one child policy will undermine China.

Looks like it took them 12 years to come to same conclusion.

BRF ahead of curve etc.

member_27845 · Post by **member_27845** » 30 Oct 2015 09:29

[quote="Singha"]China to allow all couples two children to counter aging population

It's too late - to reverse the trend

Chinese women ( like all educated women elsewhere ) will restrict the number of children they have to 1 ( rarely 2 )

In more developed and materialistic countries like Singapore the women are putting off children totally or are not even getting married

The trend is inexorable - even in India couples are stopping with 1 child nowadays

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 30 Oct 2015 21:10

China hopes to be like US. Though US also had a very low birth rate, immigration countered this allowing the US to become economically stronger. I have wondered if China has ANY soft power? Without soft power, will anyone want to move to China and contribute to their economic growth?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 31 Oct 2015 04:44

USI Journal has scholarly papers by servicemen and officials

Here is a China's Stratgey perspective

http://usiofindia.org/Article/?pub=Jour ... 7&ano=2714

China’s Strategy – History to Contemporary
Lieutenant General SL Narasimhan, AVSM, VSM

Introduction

China has always intrigued the entire world with mystery and mystique. Today, every country and scholar of repute have been trying to understand the strategy being followed by China. At best, all such efforts have been ‘guesstimates’ and nobody has been able to confidently say what China’s strategy is and how it has evolved over a period of time. This article is an effort to trace the historical perspective of China’s strategy and correlate it to the strategy that China is following today. It is also the aim of this article to deduce that there is a strong linkage between the two.

“Tian Xia” Syndrome

Though there has been no external threat in historic times, the people from the periphery nibbled at China constantly. China’s periphery can be termed as the area bounded by the mountains, jungles and plateaus to the South, West and South West, Gobi Desert in the North and the Eastern Seaboard. Lack of external threat led to a culture of the Chinese emperor, who was considered a descendent from heaven (Tian Xia), making the decisions on all policies. In the present day context, this is substantiated by the fact that in the first three generations of communist China’s leadership it was still a single leader who made the decisions.

In historic times, there was a power struggle between the emperor, his family members and senior military officers. In today’s political scenario the power struggle occurs between various power groups like tuanpai (Communist Youth League) and taizi (princelings). Changes in state policy used to take place depending on which group was powerful and a similar process happens even today.

Confucianism

Confucianism has been the basis of governance for a long time in China. It is characterised by five constants (Wu Chang) and four virtues. The five constants are Ren (humane), Yi (Justice), Zhi (Knowledge), Xin (Integrity), and Li (Etiquette)1. The four virtues are Zhong (Loyalty), Xiao (Filial Piety), Jie (Continence) and Yi (Righteousness)2. China is amongst the earliest countries to adopt a selection system for government officials based on a written examination on Confucian Theory. These officials shaped the strategy to a great extent.

Song Neo Confucianism

Song Neo Confucianism envisaged a hierarchical structure in which everyone understood his place and performed his role in relation to others. China always preferred a Sino-centric order. Heavy dependence on international trade activities was seen as a threat to the Chinese culture and internal stability. Even though China has adopted capitalistic norms today, China still follows the hierarchical structure and covets the Sino-centric order. A revival of Confucianism as against Buddhism is visible.3 Therefore, the future strategies of China may be based on Confucian theory.

Strategic Behaviour

Increase in a nation’s size, its soft power, economic status and armed forces might induce it to increase its influence and domination in its neighbourhood. Chinese states that were strong, always dominated their neighbours. In the present context also, some experts feel that China will dominate the periphery with consequences to the regional order.4 Five core features5 of Chinese security behaviour from the last thousand years are :-

(a) Protect the Chinese heartland through border defence and control.

(b) Periodic expansion and contraction of periphery control and regional boundaries due to variations in state capability and re-emergence of a unified state.

(c) Frequent, yet limited use of force against external entities based on pragmatic calculations of relative power and effect.

(d) Self reliance and non coercive security strategies to control or pacify the periphery when the state was relatively weak.

(e) Strong susceptibility to the influence of domestic leadership politics.

When one sees the analysis that China follows today, there are striking similarities with the ones mentioned above. China is strengthening border defence and control to protect the heartland. Annexation of Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, unification of Hong Kong and Macau have contributed towards the expansion of boundaries. China’s use of force against India, Vietnam and in South China Sea are examples of use of force against external entities based on pragmatic calculation. At present, China is not weak and therefore, non coercive strategies are not visible clearly. Examples of domestic leadership politics determining strategy are the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident and her recent behaviour in East and South China Seas.

The control over the periphery either by conquest or by appeasement was with a view to defend the heartland and to a lesser extent sea lanes of communication (SLOC).6 Therefore, security strategy of China has always been defensive. Conquest or control was the method adopted when the Chinese government was strong and appeasement to ensure symbolic deference when she was weak. Some experts feel that conquest or control will be used by a strong Chinese government in the present day context.7

China’s war fighting was heavily dependent on infantry and mobile forces. The Mongols and Manchus were skilled in mobility due to their superior horsemanship and their ability to concentrate overwhelming forces at the decisive location to overcome Chinese static defences. This has been the basic idea behind the war zone campaign doctrine conceived in the early 1990s by China.

Admiral Zheng He’s expeditions in the 15th century to South East Asia, South Asia, Persian Gulf and East Africa for protecting China’s maritime trade routes are folklore in China. The “Malacca Dilemma”8 will continue to dominate China’s security strategies in her efforts to protect her SLOC and increasing her influence in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.

Influence of religion or spiritualism was not well received by the Chinese rulers because religion was seen as a threat to the Confucian theory. These were either contained by force or a “Bamboo Curtain” was placed to keep the Chinese people ignorant. In recent times, China has banned the Falun Gong movement and restricted the practice of religion. There is a correlation to the increase and decrease of the periphery to two things, that is, the strength of the regime and the stage of the regime’s period. The area of the periphery increased during the ascendancy and decreased during the waning periods.9 Examples of these are the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, with increase in Comprehensive National Power, China has increased her influence in Central Asian Republics, Mongolia, Koreas, South East Asia, South Asia, West Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

When the regimes were on the decline, the Chinese heartland disintegrated into many feudal kingdoms. Examples of such a situation are North – South Division (420 – 598 AD), Five Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms Era (907-960 AD). Present day emphasis of China on regime security and protection is likely to have evolved from this syndrome. Ensuring the communist party’s predominance in politics is also a manifestation of this concern.

The statecraft in China is influenced by three great scholars. They are Confucius, Mencius and Sun Zi. All the three men advocated contrasting styles. Confucius favoured force, Mencius, moral persuasion and Sun Zi, coercion. Sun Zi advised the Kings that a good military leader should win a war without fighting. Presently, China is concentrating on building her asymmetric warfare capabilities keeping in line with Sun Zi’s strategy.

China will choose offensive strategy to cut down an opponent to size, when it is militarily strong and such a use of force results in minimum political and economic penalties.10 When extrapolated to the existing geopolitical situation, China is yet to become militarily strong, it is a growing economy with a number of contradictions and not yet a political heavy weight. If these incongruences are removed, then China may exert her military strength. China’s use of force has a specific pattern. She has used force mainly to regain territories or to control the periphery. Though China has articulated a defence policy that is defensive in nature, she can justify any use of force as a principle of active defence.11 This is an example of Confucian Strategy. Military incursions into periphery areas were followed by establishment of garrisons in those areas. New garrisons have been created in Tibet after the riots in March 2008. Most of the Chinese Regimes have not been able to subjugate their opponents because they did not understand the inner strengths of the latter.12 Even today, Chinese feel that their systems are superior and if they work for them it should work for others too.

Chinese have also taken another lesson from their history. When they included cavalry into their forces, they could not sustain it as they had to purchase horses against those who raised their own horses. The desire to be indigenously self-sufficient for arms and equipment seems to have evolved out of this and also due to the erstwhile USSR’s unilateral withdrawal of support in the early 1960s. When the nomads from the periphery of China faced defeat, they could retreat and return later after the Chinese forces had withdrawn, whereas the Chinese forces could not do so as they had to rely on fixed agricultural areas for their support.13 Mao Zedong’s theory of drawing the enemy deep into his territory seems to have originated from such thinking.

Non Coercive Security Strategies

Non Coercive Security Strategies adopted by China are passive defence, policies of appeasement and co-optation, cessation of contact with outside world, assurances or maintenance of hierarchical, sino-centric diplomatic relations or the acceptance of more equal interactions using political balance, tactical alliance and manoeuvre.14 While a combination of all these aspects was used depending on the strength or weakness of the regime, sometimes the peripheral regions were set-off against one another.15 Supporting Pakistan against the wishes of India can be compared to this. In some cases, education in Chinese culture and marriages were used to secure the alliance of the rulers. Establishment of Chinese cultural centres in many countries in the present scenario bears resemblance to this technique.

China maintained a cordial relationship with countries by giving trade and cultural incentives.16 By projecting China as a benevolent and peaceful nation, China has been improving her relations with both ASEAN and some SAARC countries. The non-coercive strategy adopted by China has undergone a metamorphosis due to the changes in security threat, growth of other countries and the ‘century of humiliation’. To overcome these changes, China is undergoing ‘peaceful development’.17 In the Qing dynasty era, China relied on maintaining peace externally while she grew internally.18 Similar policy is being followed today. It is known as ‘external calm and internal intensity’.

China had also been adopting a policy of ensuring that some vassal states do not maintain relations with countries opposed to her. China ensuring that no country maintains official relations with Taiwan is an example of this. This can also be seen in China’s dollar diplomacy with countries in the Asia-Pacific and Africa to ensure that Taiwan is marginalised.19 In such cases, China offered protection or economic assistance. In the present day context, example of Pakistan-China relations also measure up to such scrutiny.

The modern era altered the application of China’s non-coercive security strategy. When the western countries started invading China in the nineteenth century, she was just not satisfied with the kind of control she had over the periphery. The modern states proved superior to the Confucian state. This resulted in China tightening the hold on Chinese society and expanding the Chinese heartland. China felt that she is a victim of the aggression from her periphery. Later, the century of humiliation accentuated this feeling. Therefore, there is a powerful urge in the Chinese psyche to undo what she perceives as the wrongs committed on her.20 This has formed the basis for the reunification of the motherland. Examples are Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Islands in the East and South China Seas. Moreover, this has resulted in China becoming extremely sensitive to existing or perceived external threats. Her reactions to India-USA relations, USA-ROK-Japan exercises, India-USA-Japan-Australia linkages can be attributed to this.

Weak–Strong Security Strategy

Even though the importance given to maintaining internal stability, control over the periphery and emergence as an important player in the international order remains, the developments in the last century as mentioned above have changed the outlook in foreign affairs and security policy of China. China needed to improve her organisational and administrative capabilities to gain dominance over the periphery. She also had to assimilate the concepts, organisation and modern practices to compete with the first world.21 In a classic example of ‘weak-strong state security strategy’ China adopted non-coercive methods to fend off aggression while she modernised her armed forces and gained direct control over Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

Calculative Strategy

It is a strategy that has evolved from ‘weak-strong state security strategy’ and encompasses:-

(a) A non-ideological, market led economic growth.

(b) Maintain good international relations.

(c) Deliberate restraint in the use of force.

(d) An increasing stake in the international affairs.

China seems to be following this strategy presently. With the opening up of economy in 1978, a further change in the ‘weak-strong state security’ approach towards a highly calculative security strategy has been distinct. Resistance to use of excessive coercive force and the opposition to get involved with foreigners resulted in static border defences. This has led to a defensive orientation. While the jury is still out on the Air Defence Identification Zone issue, it may have been notified as a defensive measure against the air violations pertaining to Senkaku Islands.

Shi Strategy

Experts believe that China adopts Shi Strategy that has been followed for centuries by the players of “Go”, a game which is in stark contrast to modern day Chess.22 As the game progresses, the number of pieces keep increasing on the board in “Go” and it is right opposite in the game of chess. Physical annihilation of opponent’s forces is not the aim of winning in this game.23 It is the relative positioning of own resources to gain maximum influence, that is the aim. Such a strategy is visible in China’s international behaviour today. China gaining influence in South American countries, astride Panama Canal, countries that lay astride Gibralter Straits, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, Africa and Asia Pacific are examples of these.

Conclusion

There is a strong relationship between the security strategies followed by China in her chequered history and the ones being followed by her today. A combination of coercive and non-coercive policies is likely to be followed by China. China’s Military Modernisation will continue to be at a fast pace and the PLA will acquire capabilities to pursue coercive strategies. China will strive to adapt some systems, capabilities and structures of developed countries. This will be in consonance with her aim of becoming a leading player on the world stage.

Endnotes

1. Runes, Dagobert D, “Dictionary of Philosophy”, Kessinger Publishing, Philosophical Library, New York, pp338

2. Yu, Han, “Yuan Dao”

3. Kondapalli, Srikanth – response to questionnaire, 2014.

4. Kondapalli, Srikanth, and Jacob, Jabin – Response to Questionnaire, 2014.

5. Tellis, Ashley J, and Swaine, Michael D, “Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy”, Project Air Force, Rand, 2000, pp21.

6. Ibid pp 25

7. Jacob, Jabin and Kondapalli, Srikanth - Response to Questionnaire, 2014

8. Storey, Ian, “China’s Malacca dilemma”, China Brief, Volume 6 Issue 8, April 2006

9. Li, Nan, “The PLA’s Evolving War Fighting Doctrine, Strategy and Tactics 1985-95: A Chinese Perspective, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997 and Godwin, Paul HB, “From Continent to Periphery: PLA Doctrine, Strategy and Capabilities Towards 2000", Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997.

10. Johnston, Alistair Ian, “China’s Militarised Interstate Dispute Behaviour 1949-92, A First Cut at the Data”, China Quarterly No 153, March 1998.

11. Li, Nan, “The PLA’s Evolving Campaign Doctrine and Strategy”., Rand, 2006, pp 1-29, “www.rand.org“

12. Hsu, Immanuel CY, “The Rise of Modern China”, Oxford University Press, New York, 1970, pp183-269,376-422

13. Barfield, Thomas J, “The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empire & China”, Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1989 pp 122

14. Sheperd, John Robert, “Statecraft and Political economy on the Taiwan Frontier, 1600 – 1800, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1993 pp 142-145

15. Tellis, Ashley J, and Swaine, Michael D, “Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy”, Project Air Force, Rand, 2000, pp 65.

16. O’Neill, Hugh B, “Companion to Chinese History”, Facts on File Publications, New York, 1987, pp313

17. Wolters, OW, “The Fall of Srivijaya in Malay History”, Lund Humphries Publications Ltd, London, 1970 pp 28-29,37-38,155

18. Hao, Yen-p’ing and Wang, Erh-min, “Changing Chinese Views of Western Relations,1840-95" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol 11, Part2, Cambridge University Press, London, 1980 pp 161-172

19. Hsu, Immanuel CY, “The Rise of Modern China”, Oxford University Press, New York, 1970,pp 317-342.

20. O’Neill, Hugh B, “Companion to Chinese History”, Facts on File Publications, New York, 1987, pp 145-146

21. Fairbank, John King, “China, A New History”, Harvard university Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1992 pp 167 - 173

22. Lai, David, “Learning from the Stones: A Go Approach to Mastering China’s Strategic Concept “Shi”, 2004, pp 1- 39, www.carlisle.army.mil

23. Kissinger, Henry, “On China”, Penguin Books, 2011, pp23-25.

@Lieutenant General SL Narasimhan, AVSM, VSM was commissioned into the madras Regiment on 17 December 1977. After the command of a Corps in the Eastern Sector, he is currently posted as Commandant, Army War College, Mhow.

A very good summary.

Looks like these are Chanakyas 'upayas' or ways and not strategy per se.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 31 Oct 2015 05:42

Another one goes down the Xerox lane!
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-bu ... u-34-14189

Su-34

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 31 Oct 2015 21:55

http://usiblog.in/2015/09/the-princess- ... e-society/

Societal Changes in China

Princess syndrome
High divorce rate in China
Lewis Point
Too late recognition of the 1 child policy flaw

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Nov 2015 10:56

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_A._Bell

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10418.html

He was on World Affairs Council on Monda 2 Nov 2015

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 04 Nov 2015 08:58

Cracks in the presstitution showing up... we are getting some decent information about significant foreign policies now. The wand perhaps begins from SCS zone, and end at the Atlantic ocean edges of Eu land.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 652837.cms

Delhi purposefully riles Beijing as tension mounts in South China Sea

NEW DELHI: As tension mounts in the South China Sea (SCS), where the US just sent a guided-missile destroyer to challenge China's fanciful 9-dashed line claim, India is showing it is open to not only aggressively seeking freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region but also ensuring disputes are resolved in keeping with international laws.

Top government officials here said it was "on purpose" that India mentioned the South China Sea also as West Philippine Sea after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's recent meeting with her counterpart from the Philippines, secretary of foreign affairs Albert F Del Rosario. It was the Philippines which insisted that South China Sea be referred to also as West Philippine Sea in the joint statement issued after the meeting.

The two leaders recently co-chaired the third India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation. The joint statement issued also referred to South China Sea as West Philippine Sea, the name which Manila has been using only for the past 4-5 years to challenge Beijing's claims over 90 per cent of South China Sea waters, including the Spratly island chain near the Philippines.

This was the first time that India referred to South China Sea also as West Philippine Sea in any official document. It is significant for India that 60 per cent of India's seaborne trade passes through Malacca Strait which opens into the South China Sea. According to government sources here, India is also concerned about China's expanding naval presence in the Indian Ocean region and the fact that Beijing is looking to acquire a base for its navy in Djibouti, located strategically on the horn of Africa.

While PM Narendra Modi did not allude to this issue in his meeting last week with Djibouti President Ismail Guelleh, the government remains concerned about how a base in Djibouti could allow China to operate more freely in Indian Ocean, nullifying the advantage of geography to India in overseeing some of world's busiest shipping lanes.

In the meeting with Swaraj, while he thanked India for goodwill visits by Indian naval ships, Rosario also emphasized that it was high time India started to 'act east and go east' with more such visits by the Indian navy.

READ ALSO:
US to operate 'wherever' law allows in South China Sea

Beijing warns, follows US warship in disputed South China Sea

In fact, it was during PM Narendra Modi's summit meet with President Obama last year in September when the NDA government seemed to suggest a subtle shift in India's position over South China Sea by mentioning for the first time, in a joint India-US statement, the need for freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. Until then India had refrained from bringing up the issue publicly in any bilateral exchange with the US.

In the meeting with Rosario, India also called for settlement of all disputes by peaceful means and for refraining from the threat or use of force, in accordance with universal principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. While China has ignored proceedings at the international arbitration court in the Hague, which Manila approached, saying UNCLOS was not applicable in South China Sea, Beijing has used the same UNCLOS to stake claim over Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands in East China Sea.

India's decision to follow the ruling of international arbitration in its own maritime dispute with Bangladesh seems to have given it the moral right to pitch for similar arbitration in South China Sea disputes. In the joint statement, the Philippines recognized the steps taken by India to solve its maritime boundary with Bangladesh, through arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration "and its acceptance of the ruling as an example of peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS by the International Court."

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Nov 2015 10:46

China interferes with ASEAN meet!
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/n ... -hostility

South-east Asian ministers cancel joint accord amid South China Sea hostility

Summit of defence ministers scraps customary public statement following divisions over China’s claim on disputed islands.

Oliver Holmes in Bangkok and agencies
Wednesday 4 November 2015 05.21 GMT

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have poisoned a meeting of south-east Asian defence ministers, with officials cancelling plans for a joint statement traditionally issued at the end of the summit.

US delegates said there was no accord at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), after China demanded the statement omit reference to the South China Sea, where it has overlapping claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
Analysis How China's artificial islands led to tension in the South China Sea
Beijing is attempting to build artificial islands, while other states in the region are looking to the US to flex its military muscle on their behalf

“Understandably a number of Asean countries felt that was inappropriate. It reflects the divide China’s reclamation and militarisation in the South China Sea has caused in the region,” an unnamed US official was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Representatives accompanying US defence secretary Ash Carter to the summit in Malaysia argued it would be better to cancel the ceremony rather than leave out the contentious point.

“This was an Asean decision but in our view no statement is better than one that avoids the important issue of China’s reclamation and militarisation in the South China Sea,” the official said.

China’s defence ministry announced later on Wednesday that “certain countries” outside the region were responsible for the cancellation after they tried to force what it called unrelated content into the joint statement, in an apparent reference to the US delegation.

China and the US are not members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations but were invited to the Asean defence ministers meeting plus summit.
Delegates pose for a group photo before the opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) retreat in Subang, Malaysia.

Delegates pose for a group photo before the opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) retreat in Subang, Malaysia. Photograph: Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua Press/Corbis

Washington launched a direct military challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims last week when it sent a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Lassen, to the South China Sea.

The US said the trip within 12 nautical miles (22km) of Subi Reef, where China has built military installations, was meant to demonstrate the principle of freedom of navigation. But Chinese vice-foreign minister, Zhang Yesui, summoned US ambassador Max Baucus and told him the move was “extremely irresponsible”.

Chinese defence minister Chang Wanquan reiterated that view to Carter at the Asean meeting in Malaysia, according to US officials in Kuala Lumpur.
South China Sea images reveal impact on coral of Beijing's military bases
Read more

The US argues that China has militarised island formations and coral reefs. Chinese president Xi Jinping told US president Barack Obama in September that China has no military intentions for the area.

The naval corridor is an important shipping route for roughly £3.17tn in trade and the region is thought to have oil and gas reserves. While China is building airstrips and military outposts on the mostly-empty islands, nations in south-east Asia have also tried to boost their claims by constructing houses, schools and medical centres on islands they claim.

In May, Chinese and Vietnamese ships collided as Beijing tried to set up an oil rig. Vietnam released footage of a Chinese ship ramming and sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 05 Nov 2015 11:55

Saik and Singha: is it known as east vietnam sea also? North malaysian sea?

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 07 Nov 2015 00:13

In its 2006 “Medium- to Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology” (MLP), the Chinese government declared its intention to transform China into “an innovative society” by 2020 and a world leader in science and technology by 2050. The aim of the 2006 MLP was to reduce China’s reliance on imported technology to no more than 30% within a few years, to increase domestic R&D funding, and to leapfrog foreign rivals in what the government identified as “strategic emerging sectors,” among them biotechnology, energy-efficient technologies, equipment manufacturing, information technology, and advanced materials. To that end, the Chinese government introduced export subsidies for Chinese firms and a policy requiring government ministries and state-owned businesses to procure goods, when feasible, from Chinese-owned companies. Despite objections that those moves violate the terms of China’s membership in the World Trade Organization, few international firms have left, instead resigning themselves to supporting innovation within China.

https://hbr.org/2014/03/why-china-cant-innovate

May be this could also be the reason for hasty implementation of the TPP - To force multi-nationals to make China comply with WTO rules.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 07 Nov 2015 14:24

vayu tuvan wrote:Saik and Singha: is it known as east vietnam sea also? North malaysian sea?

Perhaps Champa sea?

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 09 Nov 2015 06:50

East Tamil Nadu Sea or Chola Sea? #reallyasking

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 09 Nov 2015 07:24

Echoing Modi-Obama agreement, Parrikar calls for freedom of navigation in South China Sea

member_23858 · Post by **member_23858** » 09 Nov 2015 20:56

Apologies if posted earlier.
Request to mods: If not appropriate for this thread, please delete it.
[youtube]watch?v=C5IwwnP5e78[/youtube]

member_23858 · Post by **member_23858** » 09 Nov 2015 20:57

[youtube]watch?v=Gm4uVWNAc0k[/youtube]
Styrofoam houses for the Uighars!!!!

And the Ummah guardians, hte pakis, are not speaking a word about their 3.5 Blothels

TKiran · Post by **TKiran** » 11 Nov 2015 09:39

Mods, please excuse me if this is not the right thread to discuss Indian scene compared to China, please delete if inappropriate. Earlier there used to be India-china thread I m unable to dig out.

India needs urgent reforms to health care.
1. In china health care industry is controlled by government. There is no health care industry in china. Only govt hospitals and very less in numbers. It used to be like that in India, but some how govt didn't feel that health care should be treated with too much of govt control. Result is that there is huge industry. I'm not against private health care industry, but the industry thrives on too many sick people who are the bread and butter for the industry. So any policy which is directed towards achieving healthy population would be thwarted by this industry. How did China achieve such healthy population, if some guru can explain I would be grateful.

2. I feel that there is deliberate effort by multi national food processing industry to make the entire Indian population sick by adulteration and corruption in food control department s in India is not helping either. I never heard anything about diabetes, cancer in the last generation how come it became epidemic in India, while its not so in china?

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 11 Nov 2015 09:45

Hong Kong bookstore disappearances shock publishing industry

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 15 Nov 2015 22:13

Old age dependency ratio

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 16 Nov 2015 02:23

AVIC Begins FC-31 Export Drive

China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) has stated plans to fly a production version of its FC-31 Gyrfalcon fifth-generation fighter by 2019.

Although reluctant to take questions, company officials also stated they are in negotiations with the Chinese government to offer the aircraft to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, despite previous reports that the fighter would only be offered for export.

Speaking in Dubai, where the company is displaying a model of the FC-31 outside China for the first time as the company begins the export push for the Gyrfalcon, Li Yuhai, deputy general manager at AVIC, said the aircraft was demonstrating the “technological and management progress” of the program.

Lin Peng, the FC-31’s chief designer, hinted that the company was looking for an international partner for the aircraft rather than the relationship it has with Pakistan’s Aeronautical Complex on the JF-17. He said that international customers would be able to customize their aircraft in terms of communication systems, sensors and weapons, something that would likely only be done outside China.

He added that the aircraft would be low-observable against a number of multi-spectrum sensors, and claimed the aircraft would be stealthy against L-band and Ku-band radars.

Peng said the aircraft’s primary armament would be the PL-9 short-range missile, the SD-10A medium-range air-to-air missile and small diameter bombs. He said the aircraft would be able to carry 2,000 kg (4,400 lb.) of weapons in its single internal bay and 6,000 kg (13,220 lb.) externally.

The company would not say which engine would power production aircraft but that it would be a “advanced medium thrust engine” producing 88.29 kN. (20,000 lb./9,000 kg) of thrust. The demonstrator aircraft is currently powered by the Russian RD-93 which powers the Mikoyan MiG-29.

With a first flight planned for 2019, an initial operating capability would occur some time in 2022/23 and the aircraft would become fully operationally capable two years later.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Nov 2015 11:40

Chinese police kill 28 terrorists - AFP

Chinese police have killed 28 members of a terrorist group in the mainly Muslim Xinjiang region, authorities announced on Friday, in the bloodiest such operation in months and as Beijing denounces Western “double standards” in the wake of the Paris attacks. The killings took place over the course of a 56-day manhunt following an attack on a colliery in Aksu in September that left 16 people dead, said the Xinjiang regional government’s Tianshan web portal.

One "thug" surrendered, it added. It was the first official confirmation of both the attack on the mine and its aftermath. — AFP

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Nov 2015 15:59

Three top Chinese officials killed in Mali attack - PTI

Three top Chinese officials of a state-owned company were among 27 people killed in the attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, triggering strong condemnation from President Xi Jinping on Saturday.

Three executives of the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited were killed in the hotel siege in the Malian capital Bamako on Friday, the company said in a statement.

Call to global community

Mr. Xi consoled the families of the victims, and asked the government agencies to increase work to protect citizens abroad and called on the international community to do more to prevent violent acts.

“China will strengthen cooperation with the international society to resolutely fight violent terrorist activities that hurt innocent lives, to maintain world peace and tranquillity,” China Central Television quoted Mr. Xi as saying.

Rescue operations

Chinese leaders attached great importance to the incident, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said, adding the Ministry and Chinese Embassy in Mali had launched emergency- response mechanism immediately and conducted rescue operations.

More than 100 other hostages were rescued by Malian forces at the hotel. China Railway Construction Corp identified the victims as Zhou Tianxiang, general manager for the corporation’s international group; Wang Xuanshang, a deputy general manager of the international group; and Chang Xuehui, general manager of the group’s West Africa division.

Disregard for conscience

The Mali government and the international community have made great efforts for the rescue operations yet the attackers showed a total disregard for human conscience and committed brutal and inhumane crimes, Mr. Hong said, adding that four Chinese nationals were rescued from the hotel.

The Chinese government expressed deep sorrow and sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, he said.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 18:14

SSridhar wrote:Three top Chinese officials killed in Mali attack - PTI
....

“China will strengthen cooperation with the international society to resolutely fight violent terrorist activities that hurt innocent lives, to maintain world peace and tranquillity,” China Central Television quoted Mr. Xi as saying.

...

Chinese leaders attached great importance to the incident, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said, adding the Ministry and Chinese Embassy in Mali had launched emergency- response mechanism immediately and conducted rescue operations.

Does this get China actively involved in the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq?

arun · Post by **arun** » 21 Nov 2015 19:36

SSridhar wrote:Chinese police kill 28 terrorists - AFP
Chinese police have killed 28 members of a terrorist group in the mainly Muslim Xinjiang region, authorities announced on Friday, in the bloodiest such operation in months and as Beijing denounces Western “double standards” in the wake of the Paris attacks. The killings took place over the course of a 56-day manhunt following an attack on a colliery in Aksu in September that left 16 people dead, said the Xinjiang regional government’s Tianshan web portal.

One "thug" surrendered, it added. It was the first official confirmation of both the attack on the mine and its aftermath. — AFP

Article from September reporting the attack. Clearly the death toll was overestimated then.

At least 50 reported to have died in attack on coalmine in Xinjiang in September

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 30 Nov 2015 05:02

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 01 Dec 2015 06:51

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that China's currency, the yuan, will join the fund's basket of reserve currencies.
Currently just the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the pound are in the group.
The IMF said the yuan ``met all existing criteria'' and should become part of the basket in October 2016.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said it was "an important milestone in the integration of the Chinese economy into the global financial system".
She added it was also a recognition of the progress that the Chinese authorities have made in the past years in reforming China's monetary and financial systems.
The yuan will now make up part of the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDR) - an asset created by the IMF which serves almost as a currency.

DavidD · Post by **DavidD** » 04 Dec 2015 04:16

deejay wrote:
SSridhar wrote:Three top Chinese officials killed in Mali attack - PTI
Does this get China actively involved in the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq?

No way, China isn't getting involved in that mess. China has been really lucky over the past 25 or so years, they were the clear enemy #1 after the disintegration of the USSR, yet it seems like every time the West gears up to go against China something happens and they get distracted. '89 and the period following that was probably their best shot, but the first Iraq War happened and China was saved. Ten years later in the late '90s and early 2000's it seemed like things were revving up again with the '99 embassy bombing and the plane collision, then 9/11 happened. As the Americans started rolling out the pivot another decade later, the whole Arab Springs with an interlude in Ukraine happens and their focus is elsewhere once again. It's almost incredible how despite increasing clout and assertiveness, China manages to escape the existing powers' scrutiny. How does the saying go? If your opponent is making a mistake, don't interrupt him? China won't step forth as the West and the Russians get entangled in the mess that is Syria. China is in a vulnerable spot right now undergoing both an economic and a military transformation, and the CCP needs to accomplish both of them without either leading to a political transformation, it can't afford the distraction of the Middle East and to draw attention to itself.

gashish · Post by **gashish** » 04 Dec 2015 06:21

ramana wrote:USI Journal has scholarly papers by servicemen and officials

Here is a China's Stratgey perspective

http://usiofindia.org/Article/?pub=Jour ... 7&ano=2714

In historic times, there was a power struggle between the emperor, his family members and senior military officers. In today’s political scenario the power struggle occurs between various power groups like tuanpai (Communist Youth League) and taizi (princelings). Changes in state policy used to take place depending on which group was powerful and a similar process happens even today.

This is a really fascinating construct. My understanding is that the tradition is to have candidates picked for Chinese presidency alternately from tuanpai and taizi. Chinese posters can confirm.
Hu Jintao was from tuanpai pool, while Xi Jinping is from taizi club. Bo Xilai was also a taizidang.

tuanpai are populist/socialist leaders, connected to and rose from the grassroots.
while taizi are pro-business capitalists, take "helicopter-style" short-cut into upper echelons of administration.(a la Rahul baba)

So in essence two major factions , which would probably exist as two different political parties in a "normal" democratic country

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/23/world/asi ... ns-primer/

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 04 Dec 2015 08:17

http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/china-ba ... operation/

time to up the ante on bordering states - nepal, bhutan, and including freeing tibet!

mohanty · Post by **mohanty** » 06 Dec 2015 11:28

China's GOLD Army. An army unit dedicated to finding and acquiring gold into mainland.

This is in Chinese. Can use google translate to convert to English.
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A6 ... 8%E9%98%9F

China is acquiring gold in a feverish pace. It is now the largest producer/miner of gold. Exports no gold. But is also the largest importer of Gold.

What is it that they know that we don't? While our Mr Modi is busy defrauding citizens of family gold.

In 2012 CCP party magazine published the following,

Currently, there are more and more people recognizing that the ‘gold is useless’ story contains too many lies. Gold now suffers from a ‘smokescreen’ designed by the US, which stores 74% of global official gold reserves, to put down other currencies and maintain the US Dollar hegemony. Effectively, the rise of the US dollar … and later the euro currency, from a single country currency to a global or regional currency was supported by their huge gold reserves.

Individual investment demand is an important component of China’s gold reserve system, we should encourage individual investment demand for gold. Practice shows that gold possession by citizens is an effective supplement to national reserves and is very important to national financial security.

So not only are they encouraging private citizens to acquire gold but have an army unit that acquires gold for the state which is kept secret.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 06 Dec 2015 13:39

mohanty wrote:China's GOLD Army. An army unit dedicated to finding and acquiring gold into mainland.

This is in Chinese. Can use google translate to convert to English.
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A6 ... 8%E9%98%9F

China is acquiring gold in a feverish pace. It is now the largest producer/miner of gold. Exports no gold. But is also the largest importer of Gold.

What is it that they know that we don't? While our Mr Modi is busy defrauding citizens of family gold.

In 2012 CCP party magazine published the following,

Currently, there are more and more people recognizing that the ‘gold is useless’ story contains too many lies. Gold now suffers from a ‘smokescreen’ designed by the US, which stores 74% of global official gold reserves, to put down other currencies and maintain the US Dollar hegemony. Effectively, the rise of the US dollar … and later the euro currency, from a single country currency to a global or regional currency was supported by their huge gold reserves.

Individual investment demand is an important component of China’s gold reserve system, we should encourage individual investment demand for gold. Practice shows that gold possession by citizens is an effective supplement to national reserves and is very important to national financial security.

So not only are they encouraging private citizens to acquire gold but have an army unit that acquires gold for the state which is kept secret.

What is the problem here? Can we have a single post without self depreciation. Modi is defrauding? As in you are accusing him of running a national fraud?

This news was about China but you couldn't stop yourself from this mandatory attack on Modi. Syrians are killing Syrians - while Modi is defrauding citizen lives - What is it that Syrians know that we don't?

adityadange · Post by **adityadange** » 06 Dec 2015 15:44

Funny even indians are not that crazy for gold.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 13:16

SaiK wrote:http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/china-ba ... operation/

time to up the ante on bordering states - nepal, bhutan, and including freeing tibet!

From the above,

Bangladesh is aware of India’s worries and does not want to be caught in a tug-of-war between the two Asian giants.

We have to develop interconnections more strongly with these nations.

More importantly, with Myanmar. India had historically a more significant relationship with 'Burma proper'. Burma was part of British India in recent times almost for a century. A lot of Indians settled down in Burma as far away as the Burma-China border.

The China-Myanmar border, after WWII, was opened only in the 90s. Since then nearly 2 million Chinese have moved into Myanmar's north & north-east owning and running anything from shops to mining & building projects.

The 'Burma Road' goes from Mandalay up the Shan hills to Maymyo and then up to Lashio, the terminus of the old British India railway. Kunming is about 800 Kms from there. The oil & gas pipelines from the Ramee island to Yunnan and then to Guanxi are already operational, a high-speed railway line (as part of BCIM) is being built to Mandalay from where it will extend to Kolkatta through Chittagong & Dakka. Though Myitsone hydroelectric project & the copper mine project have been almost stopped, they may even resume after the new democratic government takes over. The Chinese are doing a number of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the interregnum in thes eproject-affected places to assuage the feelings of the rural Burmese. Though Aung San Suu Kyi has closer relationships with India personally than China, the Chinese are developing contacts with her.

On the other hand, Indian project, the Multimodal Kalladan Transportation, is limping lamely. Manipur must be opened up significantly with Myanmar though the insurgency is a worry, no doubt. The Chinese infrastructure on the Chinese side of the Myanmarese border is tremendous in places like Ruili (where Paresh Barua was holed up). Even the Myanmarese Wa province is under the Chinese highway, power & telecom grids !

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 08 Dec 2015 03:53

http://www.niticentral.com/2015/12/07/c ... 37700.html
China’s overseas military base at Djibouti: A prelude to String of Bases

[The “Weishan Lake” comprehensive supply ship of the 14th escort taskforce under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) arrived at the Djibouti Port of the Republic of Djibouti June 6, 2013, (mil.cnr.cn/Deng Xiguang and Li Ding)]

China reached yet another milestone by establishing its first ever military base, a logistics facility to service military vessels in the horn of the Africa, Djibouti. In a major effort to assert its growing international stature China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who championed to strengthen and expand its military reach across the globe acquired the military base in Djibouti 4000 miles away from its land. By virtue of its strategic geographic location, Djibouti with a population of 900,000 is also home to the lone US military base in Africa. For several decades, China proclaimed that establishing overseas military base is akin to seeking hegemony and interference in internal affairs of other countries. Beijing maintained that it will refrain from such activities. But last week, China signed 10 years lease agreement to set up naval base Djibouti enabling it to gain access to Persian Gulf.

China’s interests in Africa are augured by its aspirations of gaining a vantage position in the Indian Ocean region. As a part of this strategy, China spent millions of dollars in development of infrastructure in Djibouti and even laid a rail road that connects it to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, a land locked country with numerous Chinese investment projects. China is the largest trading partner of Africa with trade volume surpassing $200 billion (thrice US-Africa trade).

Ever since occupying the high seat of power in November 2012, President Xi had ambitiously envisaged to revamp its 2.3 million strong military force. In a bid to overhaul the military and introduce reforms, he first launched an intense campaign against corruption and subsequently enhanced military budget which according to Congressional research service study is about $ 145 billion. All the while China has been highly critical of America’s approach of establishing overseas military bases. But now it is busy defending its own position under the pretext of safeguarding its navigational freedom and aiding in crucial antipiracy operations. Though China frequently bespeaks of its peaceful rise and lack of expansionist attitude its unquenchable thirst of building overseas military installations reminds of typical US style of naval suffusion.

US in the meanwhile is concerned as the new base is quite close to its Camp Lemonnier base home to 4000 armed personnel that carries out counter terrorism operations. US has recently extended its lease for 20 years with Djibouti. France too has a base in Djibouti and Japan which participates in UN antipiracy operations also stations its surveillance aircrafts and personnel there. Djibouti also hosts Pakistan and Italian military troops.

Djibouti the former French colony near Gulf of Aden has become hot-bed for overseas military installations firstly for its stable regime in the relatively volatile African East Coast and for its geographical location. It lies on the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a gateway to Red Sea and Suez Canal, one of the busiest shipping routes. It is less than 20 miles away from the war ravaged Yemen and acts as an ideal base for international operations. China sealed an agreement to pay $100 million as annual rent for using Djibouti base, where 700 troops were stationed to protect its oil interests in South Sudan.

China steadily entered the Indian Ocean region under the guise of helping in anti-piracy operations is now expanding its foothold in the Indian Ocean region. While the Somalian piracy trouble has long disappeared, China continues to extend its presence by wooing the Indian Ocean Littoral countries. Its generous infrastructure bounties and soft credit lines to Maldives, Sri Lanka are also part of this larger strategy. In fact China established its presence in Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean by undertaking major development projects of Gwadar Port in Pakistan and Hambantota port of Sri Lanka. The large part of the schematic presence of China in western Indian Ocean will focus on military operations other than the war (MOOTW). Presence in Djibouti will enable China to respond to contingencies of the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf region. China intends to develop a string of naval bases in the Indian Ocean region to protect its Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) and eventually expand its naval presence too. Now that US dependence of oil imports from the Arabian region has reduced, it questions US presence in the Gulf and aspires to replace its position. By and large China seems to have officially unveiled its “string of naval bases” pursuit with Djibouti logistics facility (Chinese preferred name for a base).

New Delhi can hardly afford to ignore the lurking presence and explicit augmentation of Chinese maritime capabilities with its ever expanding realm of influence. India’s depleting naval assets and inadequate replenishment of maritime resources should be a cause for major concern. Moreover, India shouldn’t take Chinese theatrics of “no military ambition in Djibouti” on their face, for it has mastered the art of subterfuge.

Djibouti is clearly a new beginning, a preview to the larger panorama of China’s geopolitical ambitions.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 19 Dec 2015 22:30

It may not be considered as hollywood. But this star wars and beyond will embolden china's stupidity to strike at satellites

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science ... space.html