Chinese Military,Political and Social Superthread

[CougarKing]

This doesn't change their "no-first strike" nuclear weapons use policy, or so they say.

Free Beacon

Chinese Military Confirms DF-41 Flight Test
Beijing says new multi-warhead missile does not change nuclear policy

BY: Bill Gertz  
December 26, 2014 3:36 pm

China’s People’s Liberation Army on Thursday confirmed that its military conducted a flight test of a new long-range missile that U.S. intelligence agencies say involved the use of simulated multiple warheads.

“China has the legitimate right to conduct scientific tests within its border and these scientific tests are not targeting any country or target,” PLA Sr. Col.  Yang Yujun told reporters at a year-end news briefing.

Yang was asked about the flight test of the DF-41 ICBM on Dec. 13 and whether the testing of the missile changed China’s strategic nuclear policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

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[a_majoor]

The PLAN is also working on large surface cruisers for force projection. The proposed stats are pretty impressive, but we will have to wait a few years to see the finished product and how well it performs:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/01/china-also-developing-railguns-and.html

China also developing railguns and lasers for their navy but will first have a modern missile cruiser in about 2017

China appears to be developing a new cruiser, potentially called the Type 055, which reportedly would displace approximately 10,000 tons and carry large numbers [about 128] of antiship cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and land-attack cruise missiles as well as potentially laser and rail-gun weapons. The first 055 hull to begin construction in the 2015-2016 timeframe. The 055 CG is expected to replace PLAN Type 052D destroyer as China's main combatant surface, with at probably twice as many missile launchers (128 vs. 64). The 055 CG will play a major part in China's naval strategy starting with a projected entry into service of 2017-2020. Its large size, formidable armament and powerful sensors will match or exceed that any current U.S. or allied AEGIS warship in the Pacific.

It will become the principal escort for China’s future aircraft carrier battle group.

The US has begun testing combat lasers on ships, planes and ground vehicles in 2014 and will being testing railguns in 2016.

China appears to be building its first big cruisers. Although shipbuilders have yet to lay down the first ship of the class, a mockup suggests that China could be planning a cruiser of (by contemporary standards) very large proportions.

Some analysts have estimated the Type 055 at around 12,000 tons, and have suggested that it could carry up to 128 vertical launch cells. A cruiser of this size could threaten to strike into the deep interior with cruise missiles, or could control the airspace in order to protect a task force.

Researchers in China are trying to produce a railgun that can shoot slugs at 2.5km per second. At greater speeds the friction from air deforms the projectile’s aerodynamic profile, which can cause it to stray off course.

 

[CougarKing]

China's "Maginot Line" ...

Maginot Line in the South China Sea

The Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed just before the border with Switzerland and the borders with Germany and Luxembourg during the 1930s.

A mature network of military facilities in the Spratlys, including an expanded Fiery Cross presence, would effectively extend China’s ability to project power by over 800 kilometers (500 miles), particularly through Chinese Coast Guard patrols in contested areas and potentially even air operations. Similar to its relative economic supremacy, China’s relative advantages in military size, modernization, and professionalism suggest that it is the only South China Sea claimant that is potentially capable of establishing de facto air and sea denial over tiny islet networks in a maritime setting as vast as the Spratly archipelago.

China’s German-built Tianjing Hao dredger is the largest of its type in Asia and China’s primary weapon in island-building, cost approximately $130 million to build. China may invest over $5 billion over ten years on reclamation in Johnson South Reef; the Philippines’ 2014 military budget is less than $2 billion.

China is the only claimant whose economic prowess can support projects that, without violence, significantly alter the status quo there.

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Source: The Next Big Future

 

[Edward Campbell]

Island building is nothing new in Asia. A couple of the world's biggest, busiest (and best) airports are on large, artificial islands. If you can find an "anchor" point you can dredge from the open ocean floor and build, and build, and build ...

The impact on the marine ecology is unclear, but likely not good.

 

[CougarKing]

A large quantity in hull numbers does not ensure quality though, in spite of reported advancements in Chinese warship design and weaponry.

Defense News

China's DDGs Set To Outnumber Neighbors'

TAIPEI — China's Navy will outnumber the largest competitor in the region — Japan — in the number of phased-array radar-equipped destroyers in 2018, if production continues on schedule.

On Dec. 22, China commissioned its fifth 052C destroyer, the Jinan, leaving one last ship of that type to be finished.

The People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN's) procurement of Luyang-class Type 052C/Ds and Type 055 guided-missile cruisers with phased-array radars will provide long range anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) support to four planned carrier strike groups. They will also provide coverage for high value units such as 20,000-ton Type 081 amphibious assault ships, said Tony Beitinger, vice president of market intelligence for AMI International.

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[tomahawk6]

The PRC is completing construction of the world's largest Coast Guard "cutter".

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-china-is-building-the-worlds-largest-coast-guard-1677699141

 

[a_majoor]

I wonder about two things:

1. Do a large number of PLAN hulls negate things like American "Air-Sea Battle" doctrine, or just provide a target rich environment?

2. What sorts of "out of the box" thinking can be done to negate a quantitative advantage in hulls?

For 2 I am thinking of robotic platforms like Seaglider and Waveglider that can stay at sea for months and keep tabs on the environment, but there are plenty of other approaches that can be taken as well.

 

[tomahawk6]

A surface ship is a prime target for submarines.A large surface fleet would be necessary for force projection.

 

[CougarKing]

China's CCP again wary of another religious group they see as a threat to their one-party rule: the growing (Evangelical/Protestant, etc.) Christian converts in their population.

Christian Science Monitor

In China, a church-state showdown of biblical proportions

Christianity is booming in China, propelling it toward becoming the world's largest Christian nation. But as religion grows, it spurs a government crackdown.

(...SNIPPED)

Yet there is also trouble brewing for China’s faithful. As evangelical Christianity grows sharply, officials fear it could undermine their authority. Already, Christians may outnumber members of the Communist Party. That has far-reaching implications both for Chinese society and for a party that frowns on unofficial gatherings and other viewpoints. In China, party members cannot be Christian.

More than half of China’s Protestants attend illegal “house churches” that meet privately. The rest go to one of China’s official, registered Protestant churches, such as Chongyi. The official or legal churches, known since 1949 as the “Three-Self Patriotic Church,” operate under an arrangement that says in effect: We are patriotic, good citizens. We love China. We aren’t dissidents. We go to official theology schools. So the party will let us worship freely.

(...SNIPPED)

For decades, Christianity here was considered something for older female peasants. But the demographics of religion are changing dramatically. China’s new faithful are younger, more educated, more urban, and more affluent.

One surprising change is that a majority of believers no longer view Christianity as something foreign. They increasingly view faith as transcending its Western missionary-derived system. Many Chinese no longer accept the idea that being Christian means forfeiting a Chinese identity.

Last summer, China’s religious affairs chief said that 500,000 Christians are baptized each year in the country. A joint study between Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Peking University in Beijing estimated that there are now 70 million Christians over age 16 in China. Communist Party membership is about 83 million.

Carsten Vala, an expert on religion in China at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, says 40 million to 60 million is “the low end of a conservative” estimate of the number of Evangelicals.

Fenggang Yang, director of the Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University in Indiana, says he thinks there are more than 80 million Christians and that China will have 245 million by 2030 if growth is steady – making it the world’s most populous Protestant nation.

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[CougarKing]

The continued downward spiral of oil prices is also having an adverse effect on China's maritime industry:

Reuters

China's shipyards brace for leaner times as oil slump sours rig building spree

By Brenda Goh and Rujun Shen

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - For China's shipyards, the oil rig market that was supposed to be a blessing is in danger of becoming a curse.

As crude prices slide, oil producers are slashing new project spending. With a near 40 percent slice of a global market worth tens of billions of dollars, Chinese rig builders that offered juicy financing terms and discounts to leapfrog Asian rivals in recent years are now the most exposed to a slowdown.

Diversifying to pull out of a downturn in traditional shipbuilding, China's state and privately owned yards have lured orders away from regional peers, building scores of rigs for down payments of as little at 1 percent. Many haven't yet been chartered by oil explorers, industry watchers say.

Some in the industry fear that rig builders are now heading toward a slowdown, possibly with cancellations and price cuts, that could persist longer than the oil market's slump. Even if oil prices recover enough to stoke exploration, an inventory of ready-made rigs will be on hand, delaying new construction.

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"We're having a big headache because there are no orders," said an official at a large state-backed Chinese shipyard, speaking condition of anonymity. He cited a lack of rig order enquiries for the year 2016 and beyond.

Earlier this month, COSCO Corp COSC.SI, one of China's biggest shipyards, said it has decided to terminate building an offshore platform known as Octabuoy after failing to find buyers.

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[CougarKing]

The Chinese entrepreneur who bought the ex-Soviet carrier Varyag from Ukraine on the pretext of turning her into a casino and turned it over to the PLA, now wants to be paid.

Agence-France-Presse via Yahoo News

China 'never paid businessman' who bought aircraft carrier

The Chinese businessman who bought an unfinished Soviet-era vessel that became his country's first aircraft carrier was quoted Tuesday as saying that Beijing never repaid the $120 million it cost him.

Entrepreneur Xu Zengping paid Ukraine a $20 million fee for the Varyag, which was eventually commissioned into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as the Liaoning. But the price ballooned once towing it to China -- a process that was delayed for years -- and other costs were included.

Xu also revealed that the ship was still fitted with its original engines at the time it was transported to China, contrary to reports.

Xu, a former PLA basketball player, was chosen to negotiate the acquisition, posing as a businessman who wanted to use it for a floating casino in Macau, and then giving it to the authorities.

But he told Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper: "I still haven't received one fen (one hundredth of a yuan) from our government. I just handed it over to the navy."
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[Edward Campbell]

The Chinese entrepreneur who bought the ex-Soviet carrier Varyag from Ukraine on the pretext of turning her into a casino and turned it over to the PLA, now wants to be paid.

Agence-France-Presse via Yahoo News

He'd best be careful ... his pay might amount to a (pretty cheap) bullet in the back of the head, and his family might be billed for that.*

Xi Jinping is serious about cleaning up corruption in China; he is even more serious about using his anti-corruption campaign to thin (decimate) the ranks of his political opponents and fill them with his own loyalists. Xu Zengping doesn't strike me as being a Xi loyalist ... you can connect the dots.

_____
* Mostly an old wives' tale (about families being required to pay for the bullet that executed their father/son/brother, etc) but families of men executed for certain crimes were punished by having property expropriated and being relocated to remote, poor regions, etc.

 

[CougarKing]

Seems the current economic slump related to falling oil prices and reported lack of orders at domestic shipyards hasn't affected military shipbuilding so far:

China Defence Blogspot

Serial launch of three warships in a single day by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai

They are:

The 21st Type 054A FFG
The 4th Type 071 LPD
The 4th Type 815 AGI

(PICTURES AT LINK ABOVE)

 

[CougarKing]

Aw shucks.

Looks like there's gonna be some "lao wai"(老外) (Chinese slang for foreigners) who'll be upset they can't sneak into some dark corner in some local Starbucks deep in mainland China, and use a VPN to access Facebook or gmail aymore. 

They'll have to stick to using Renren (Chinese facebook) instead:

Tech Crunch

China Cracks Down On VPN Services After Censorship System ‘Upgrade’

China is cracking down on VPNs, software that allows internet users to access Twitter, Facebook, Gmail and others services blocked in the country, according to state media and service providers.

People’s Daily reports that China’s ‘Great Firewall’ internet censorship system was “upgraded for cyberspace sovereignty”, a move that affected the usage of at least three popular VPN services and attacked others with more vigor than usual.

Strong VPN noted on its blog that it is suffering “connection issues” from China, while TunnelBear told TechCrunch it is investigating after reports from some China-based customers who “have been less successful in connecting over the last few weeks.”

Furthermore, Astrill, a service that is well used by China’s expat and business community, this week alerted users of issues with its iOS client.

An employee at Astrill reportedly told People’s Daily that the company did not know how long the disruption would last following the “upgrade,” although Astrill’s service on other platforms — including Apple’s Macs — is apparently not affected.

Other prominent VPN services noted stronger attacks, but claimed to operate as usual.

A spokesperson at ExpressVPN told TechCrunch that its “services appear to be working normally on all platforms, including for China customers.

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[CougarKing]

Not really surprising considering the recent opening of more direct flights and passenger shipping routes between Taiwan and the mainland, although there have been direct trade links for years, with thousands of Taiwanese businessmen on the mainland.

Defense News

Chinese Spies Expand Operations in Taiwan

TAIPEI — As relations continue to expand between China and Taiwan since the election of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008, so does espionage.

With the 2009 Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, cross-strait ties have flourished. The number of Chinese visitors to the island is now around 3 million annually. The joke among many government officials in Beijing, according to media reports, is that it will be easier to buy Taiwan than invade it.

Recent cases show that China is clearly using money to coax political officials and military officers to view China as a benefactor, not an enemy. Last year alone, 15 alleged spy cases surfaced. Of those, 90 percent involved either active or retired military personnel, according to a report presented to the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee by the National Security Bureau.

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[a_majoor]

Along more conventional lines, the PLA is fielding a new(er) light tank for use in mountainous terrain, and another AFV (possibly a SP system):

http://china-defense.blogspot.ca/2015/01/the-new-chinese-mountain-warfare-light.html

The new Chinese mountain-warfare light tank

While pictures of this new Chinese (ZTQ-??) light tank have been appearing in Chinese internet since Dec 2011 but its turret has not been revealed until now.  Judging from armor protection offered by those extreme sloped glacis plates,  maybe there is a reason to keep its "head" covered all those years.

Not much is known about this new AFV but it has been spotted en route to the Tibet area on a regular basis.  It is also sporting a 105mm tank gun.

Posted by Coatepeque at 9:51 PM

 

[CougarKing]

One of three warships reported launched from a single Chinese shipyard in one day on the previous page of this thread:

China launches fourth Type 071 LPD

IHS Jane's 360

The Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai launched its fourth Type 071 landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ship for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on 22 January.

<snipped>

The other ship to be launched was the fifth Type 815 'Dongdiao' class intelligence gathering ship (AGI), which berthed adjacent to two other Type 815Gs that are fitting out, one of which was launched in April 2014.

A total of six Type 071 LPDs are anticipated. Three Type 071s are currently stationed in the PLAN's South Sea Fleet base at Zhanjiang and it is possible that three more may be based with the East Sea Fleet.

The Type 071 has an estimated length of 210 m, a displacement of 18,500 tonnes, and a well deck capable of holding four Yuyi-class assault hovercraft. If the hovercraft are removed it is estimated to be able to accommodate up to about 60 armoured vehicles and about 800 troops.

China's fourth Type 071 LPD was launched from the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on 22 January. Source: Chinese internet

 

[CougarKing]

A rare military parade usually shown only every 10 years in Beijing on an anniversary of the PRC's founding will be held this year as well to send a message to Japan and the US...

Diplomat

China's Military Parade: A Warning to Japan and the US

China’s military parade is not only meant to “intimidate” Japan — it’s a signal to the U.S. as well.

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China typically holds a major military parade on every tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. The last parade came in 2009 under then-President Hu Jintao and incorporated 52 Chinese-made weapons systems, including cruise missiles, drones, and (flying overhead) fighter jets. The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II provides Xi a handy excuse to hold his own military parade without waiting another four years for the 70th anniversary of the PRC to roll around.

Back in 2009, an official from the National Day Military Parade Joint Command attempted to reassure observers that the public display of China’s military might was not meant to intimidate anyone. “A country’s military ability is not a threat to anyone; what is important is its military policy,” he insisted. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying echoed this stance when asked about the 2015 military parade in Tuesday’s press conference. “By hosting commemorative events with other counties, China is to awaken each and every virtuous man’s desire for and commitment to peace, to refresh people’s memory of the history and love for peace, and to showcase China’s staunch position of upholding the victory of WWII and the post-war international order, and safeguarding world peace,” Hua said.

One Chinese media report, however, is offering a different explanation. An online piece from People’s Daily attempts to unravel the political significance of China for the first time holding a military parade not linked to the anniversary of the PRC founding. The very first reason? “To display China’s military power.” Military might is a crucial aspect of national strength, the piece explains, the necessary backing for both political chess matches and economic competition. Now that China has become a major player in the world’s geopolitical scene, it’s time for China to display its military power.

The second reason given by the People’s Daily piece is the one receiving all the attention: “to intimidate Japan.” The piece explains, “In recent years, backed by the U.S. return to Asia strategy for containing China, Japan’s China policy has been more and more unrestrained… Barring an unexpected occurrence, Japan is going to take further steps toward amending its pacifist constitution and pushing toward national normalization.” The only way to stop this “insane attempt,” the piece argues, is for China to show its own military might and demonstrate its determination not to allow Japan to change the post-war order.

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[CougarKing]

Xi looking for dissent within the Central Military Commission and other PLA arms?

Bloomberg

Chinese Army's Call For Commanders to Obey Xi Signals Tensions

(Bloomberg) -- China’s military must “resolutely obey” orders from President Xi Jinping, a commentary on the PLA Daily website said, a sign Xi is seeking to quell possible dissent as his anti-graft probe penetrates deeper into the armed forces.

“Adherence to the Party’s absolute leadership is a founding principle of the army,” said the commentary published Wednesday on the website of the People’s Liberation Army. All officers and soldiers should “resolutely obey” the Communist Party and Central Military Commission Chairman’s orders. Xi heads the party and the CMC, the highest military body.

Publication of the commentary comes two weeks after 16 People’s Liberation Army generals were put under investigation for graft as Xi seeks to root out corruption that he says undermines combat readiness.

“There must have been a lot of grumbling in the PLA,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, director of government and international studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. “It underscores that there must have been some friction between Xi and some leaders. Otherwise they wouldn’t need a front page commentary.”

Representatives of the military participated for the first time in the annual plenary session of the party’s top disciplinary agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, earlier this month, according to the official WeChat account of the People’s Daily.

At a recent internal meeting with senior military officials, Xi urged top PLA officers to set an example for both the military and the public.

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[CougarKing]

A Liaoning/Varyag copy?

Agence-France-Presse via Yahoo News

China building second aircraft carrier - reports
By: Agence France-Presse
February 2, 2015 12:58 PM

BEIJING -- A firm has won a contract to supply cabling for a second Chinese aircraft carrier, comments by local authorities suggested in the latest sign that Beijing is boosting its maritime power, although news of the development was swiftly deleted online.

Authorities in Changzhou said on a verified social media account that "in 2015, our city will focus on promoting some major programs," including Jiangsu Shangshang Cable Group "winning the contract for China's second aircraft carrier".

The Changzhou Evening News carried a similar report at the weekend, although both the newspaper article and the post on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging service, were deleted shortly after publication.Neither report gave details of the ship.

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In a subsequent leak, Wang Min -- the Communist Party secretary of Liaoning province, where China's first aircraft carrier is based -- said the country was already working on a second ship to be completed around 2020.