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White Paper on China's National Defense
16 October 2000
Foreword
The turn of the century has opened a new chapter in the development of human society.
When we look back on the twentieth century we notice that mankind created
enormous material and spiritual wealth never seen before. We also experienced
two world wars, hundreds of local wars and the Cold War that lasted for nearly
half a century, suffering tremendously from the scourge of wars or the menace of
wars. The Chinese nation has gone through many hardships. The Chinese people
have fought bravely for their national independence, liberation, democracy and
freedom. They have finally brought the country onto the road toward
modernization. The Chinese people know full well the value of peace.
Humanity is facing a rare chance for development as well as tough challenges
in the new century. To safeguard world peace and promote the development of all
are the themes of the times and the common aspirations of people all over the
world. China is engaged wholeheartedly in its modernization drive. A peaceful
international environment and a favorable surrounding environment serve China's
fundamental interests. China steadfastly follows an independent foreign policy
of peace and is committed to a new world of peace, stability, prosperity and
development. China firmly pursues a defensive national defense policy and is
determined to safeguard its state sovereignty, national unity, territorial
integrity and security. The Chinese people are ready to work together with other
peace-loving people of the world and contribute their wisdom and strength to
world peace and development, and a more beautiful future for mankind.
At this important point in history ——the turn of the century ——we publish this white paper, China's National Defense in 2000, to express the Chinese people's sincere aspirations for peace and to help the rest of the world better understand China's national defense policy and its efforts for the modernization of its national defense.
I. The Security Situation
Peace and development remain the two major themes in today's world. The trend
toward multi-polarity and economic globalization is gaining momentum, and the
international security situation, in general, continues to tend toward
relaxation. Relations among big powers are complicated, with many interwoven
contradictions and frictions. However, drawing on each other's strength,
cooperating with and checking and constraining each other remain a basic feature
of their relationship. The vast number of developing countries, with great
potential for growth, are an important force in promoting the establishment of a
fair and reasonable new international order, and in safeguarding world peace and
development. Science and technology are making progress with each passing day,
and economic ties between countries have become ever stronger. Economic
development, scientific and technological innovation, and the growth of
aggregate national strength remain the priorities for many countries. Worldwide,
the forces for peace are prevailing over the forces for war. A new world war
will not break out for a fairly long time to come.
The security situation in the Asia-Pacific region has been on the whole
stable. Many Asian countries, particularly the East Asian countries, have tided
over the financial crisis and their economies are steadily recovering with
bright prospects. It is the policy options of most countries to rejuvenate their
economies, and enhance dialogue and cooperation. They will continue to develop
state-to-state relations in accordance with such principles as sovereign
equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. A
number of countries have consistently stood for peaceful settlement of disputes,
and engaged themselves in security dialogues in a variety of forms, at different
levels and through different channels. All this has helped enhance mutual
understanding and trust. The cooperation among ASEAN, China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea （10+3） is steadily developing in the economic and financial
field. The tense situation on the Korean Peninsula is markedly easing off. China
and Viet Nam have signed a land border treaty. The situation in the South China
Sea remains generally stable.
However, in today's world, factors that may cause instability and uncertainty
have markedly increased. The world is far from peaceful. There is a serious
disequilibrium in the relative strength of countries. No fundamental change has
been made in the old, unfair and irrational international political and economic
order. Hegemonism and power politics still exist and are developing further in
the international political, economic and security spheres. Certain big powers
are pursuing "neo-interventionism," "neo-gunboat policy" and neo-economic
colonialism, which are seriously damaging the sovereignty, inde-pendence and
developmental interests of many countries, and threat-ening world peace and
security. The United Nations' authority and role in handling international and
regional security affairs are being seriously challenged. Under the pretexts of
"humanitarianism" and "human rights," some countries have frequently resorted to
the use or threat of force, in flagrant violation of the UN Charter and other
uni-versally recognized principles governing international relations. In
particular, the NATO, by-passing the UN Security Council, launched military
attacks against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, producing an extremely
negative impact on the international situation and relations between countries.
A series of negative developments have occurred in the area of arms control and
disarmament. In particular, a certain country is still continuing its efforts to
develop and introduce the National Missile Defense （NMD） and Theater Missile
Defense （TMD） systems, which have undermined the international community's
efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to promote
disarmament. As modern science and technology and economic globalization
continue to develop, competition among countries has become fiercer than ever
before. Financial and economic risks are increasing, and economic security has
become a concern for all countries. As the gap in development and the disparity
between rich and poor countries continue to widen all over the world,
particu-larly between the South and North, polarization has become an
increasingly serious problem.
Local wars and armed conflicts have increased again, with conflicts and
turbulence caused by ethnic, religious, territorial, resources or other factors
cropping up one after the other. Some countries have continued to enlarge
military blocs, strengthen military alliances and seek greater military
superiority. This has seriously affected world security and stability. Divisive,
terrorist and extremist forces of every description have continued to endanger
the international community, and global problems such as the environment,
narcotic drugs and refugees have become increasingly prominent.
There are new negative developments in the security of the Asia-Pacific region. The United States is further strengthening its military presence and bilateral military alliances in this region, advocating the development of the TMD system and planning to deploy it in East Asia. Japan has passed a bill relating to measures in the event of a situation in the areas surrounding Japan. All this goes against the tide of the times. Joint military exercises have increased in the region, to the detriment of trust between countries. The uncertain factors af3fecting security on the Korean Peninsula continue to exist, and the situation in South Asia remains unstable. Encroachments on China's sovereignty and interests in the South China Sea are not infrequent, and some extra-regional countries are attempting to interfere in this issue.
The Taiwan Straits situation is complicated and grim.
Lee Tenghui flagrantly dished out his "two states"
theory in an attempt to split the country. The new
leaders of the Taiwan authorities have adopted an
evasive and obscure attitude to the one-China principle.
Separatist forces in Taiwan are scheming to split the
island province from China, in one form or another. This
has seriously undermined the preconditions and
foundation for peaceful reunification across the
Straits. This is the root cause of tension across the
Taiwan Straits. The United States has never stopped
selling advanced weapons to Taiwan. Some people in the
United States have been trying hard to get the Congress
to pass the so-called Taiwan Security Enhancement Act.
And some are even attempting to incorporate Taiwan into
the US TMD system. The newly revised Guidelines for
US-Japan Defense Cooperation has failed to explicitly
undertake to exclude Taiwan from the scope of "the areas
surrounding Japan" referred to in the Japanese security
bill that could involve military intervention. These
actions have inflated the arrogance of the separatist
forces in Taiwan, seriously undermined China's
sovereignty and security and imperiled the peace and
stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
The world is undergoing profound changes which require the discard of the
Cold War mentality and the development of a new security concept and a new
international political, economic and security order responsive to the needs of
our times. The core of the new security concept should be mutual trust, mutual
benefit, equality and cooperation. The UN Charter, the Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence and other universally recognized principles governing
international relations should serve as the political basis for safeguarding
peace while mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity its economic
guarantee. To conduct dialogue, consultation and negotiation on an equal footing
is the right way to solve disputes and safeguard peace. Only by developing a new
security concept and establishing a fair and reasonable new international order
can world peace and security be fundamentally guaranteed.
China's fundamental interests lie in its domestic development and stability,
the peace and prosperity of its surrounding regions, and the establishment and
maintenance of a new regional security order based on the Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence. China will continue to develop friendly relations and
cooperation with all other countries. It will make unswerving efforts to
safeguard and promote the peace, stability, prosperity and development of the
Asia-Pacific region in particular and the world in general.
II. National Defense Policy
China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. The
Constitution of the People's Republic of China （PRC） and the National Defense
Law of the PRC, which is enacted in accordance with the Constitution, specify
the tasks of the armed forces of the PRC as being to consolidate national
defense, resist aggression, defend the motherland, safeguard the people's
peaceful labor, participate in national construction and serve the people
wholeheartedly.
China has always attached primary importance to safeguarding state sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and security, and has been working hard for a peaceful international and a favorable peripheral environment for China's socialist modernization drive. The development and powerfulness of China will constitute no threat to anyone, but will rather promote the world peace, stability and development. Never to seek hegemony is the Chinese people's solemn pledge to the world.
China's defense policy has the following main aspects:
——Consolidating national defense, resisting aggression, curbing armed
subversion, and defending state sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and
security. China's efforts in defense modernization are purely for self-defense.
China spares no effort to avoid and curb war, and to solve international
disputes and questions left over by history through peaceful means. However, in
view of the fact that hegemonism and power politics still exist and are further
developing, and in particular, the basis for the country's peaceful
reunification is seriously imperiled, China will have to enhance its capability
to defend its sovereignty and security by military means.
——Building and consolidating national defense independently and through
self-reliance. China stresses self-reliance as the basis for safeguarding state
security, and insists on making national defense policies and development
strategies independently. China does not seek alliance with any country or bloc
of countries, nor does it participate in any military bloc. China builds its
defense science, technology and industry and develops its weaponry through
self-reliance.
——Implementing the military strategy of active defense. Strategically, China
pursues a principle featuring defensive operations, self-defense and gaining
mastery by striking only after the enemy has struck. Such defense combines
efforts to deter war with preparations to win self-defense wars in time of
peace, and strategic defense with operational and tactical offensive operations
in time of war. While basing them-selves on existing weaponry and carrying
forward their fine traditions, China's armed forces seek to adapt to profound
changes in the world's military sphere, and prepare for de-fensive operations
under modern, especially high-tech, conditions.
——Building a lean and strong military force the Chinese way. In line with the
general requirements of being qualified politically, competent militarily, and
having a fine work style, a strong sense of discipline and adequate logistical
support, the Chinese armed forces strive to strengthen their overall development
and form a revolutionized, modernized and regularized people's army with Chinese
characteristics. China adheres to building the armed forces by enhancing their
quality, strengthening the armed forces by relying on science and technology,
and managing the armed forces according to law, and is endeavoring to transform
its armed forces from a numerically superior to a qualitatively superior type,
and from a manpower-intensive to a technology-intensive type, as well as to
train high-quality military personnel and improve the modernization level of
weaponry in order to comprehensively enhance the armed forces' combat
effectiveness.
——Combining the armed forces with the people and practicing self-defense by the
whole people. China adheres to the concept of people's war under modern
conditions, and exercises the combination of a streamlined standing army with a
powerful reserve force for national defense. The reserve force and militia are
maintained at an appropriate scale, with an optimized structure and an enhanced
level of training. In the light of the principle of combining peacetime footing
with wartime footing and the army with the people, and having reserve soldiers
among the people, China works hard to popularize and promote defense education,
perfect the defense mobilization system and enhance the defense mobilization
capacity.
——Subordinating national defense to, and placing it in the service of, the
nation's overall economic construction, and achieving their coordinated
development. Developing the economy and strengthening national defense are two
strategic tasks in China's modernization efforts. The Chinese government insists
that economic development be taken as the center, while defense work be
subordinate to and in the service of the nation's overall economic construction.
Meanwhile, along with economic development, the state strives to enhance its
national defense strength, to effec2tively support the armed forces in their
efforts to improve their quality and to form a mechanism which enables national
defense and economic development to promote each other and develop in harmony.
——Safeguarding world peace, and opposing aggression and expansion. China
resolutely opposes hegemonism and power politics, and combats the policies of
war, aggression and expansion. China also objects to any country imposing in any
form its own political system and ideology on other countries. China does not
seek military expansion, nor does it station troops or set up military bases in
any foreign country. China opposes arms race, and supports the international
community in its efforts to promote world and regional peace, security and
stability.
China possesses a small number of nuclear weapons entirely for self-defense.
China undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, and not to use or
threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states. China does
not participate in any nuclear arms race, and never deploys any nuclear weapons
beyond its borders. China maintains a small but effective nuclear
counterattacking force in order to deter possible nuclear attacks by other
countries. Any such attack will inevitably result in a retaliatory nuclear
counterstrike by China. China has always kept the number of its nuclear weapons
at a low level. The scale, composition and development of China's nuclear force
are in line with China's military strategy of active defense. China's nuclear
force is under the direct command of the Central Military Commission （CMC）.
China is extremely cautious and responsible in the management of its nuclear
weapons, and has established strict rules and regulations and taken effective
measures to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear weapons.
Settlement of the Taiwan issue and realization of the complete re-unification of
China embodies the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. The Chinese
government upholds the basic principle of "peaceful reunification, and one
country, two systems" for settling the Taiwan issue, carrying forward the eight
propositions on the development of relations between the two sides of the Taiwan
Straits and the promotion of the peaceful reunification of China. The Chinese
government has consistently adhered to the one-China principle and will never
give in or compromise on the fundamental issues concerning state sovereignty and
territorial integrity. The change of the Taiwan regional leaders can not change
the fact that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory. Settlement of the Taiwan
issue is entirely an internal affair of China. The Chinese government firmly
opposes any country selling arms to Taiwan, or entering into military alliances
in any form with Taiwan, as well as outside interference in any way. The Chinese
government will do its utmost to achieve peaceful reunification, and advocates
settling differences through dialogues and negotiations on the basis of the
one-China principle. However, if a grave turn of events occurs leading to the
separation of Taiwan from China in any name, or if Taiwan is invaded and
occupied by foreign countries, or if the Taiwan authorities refuse, sine die,
the peaceful settlement of cross-Straits reunification through negotiations,
then the Chinese government will have no choice but to adopt all drastic
measures possible, including the use of force, to safeguard China's sovereignty
and territorial integrity, and achieve the great cause of reunification. The
"Taiwan independence" means provoking war again, and fomenting splits means
relinquishing peace across the Straits. The Chinese People's Liberation Army
（PLA） unswervingly takes the will of the state as its supreme will and the
national interests as its supreme interests. It has the absolute determination,
confidence, ability and means to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and will never tolerate, condone or remain indifferent to the
realization of any scheme to divide the motherland.
III. National Defense Construction
Structure and Organization of the Armed Forces
The armed forces of the PRC are composed of the PLA, both the active and reserve
components, the Chinese People's Armed Police Force and the militia. The CMC of
the PRC directs and assumes unified command of the nation's armed forces. The
Ministry of National Defense under the State Council directs and administers
national defense work.
The active components of the PLA are the country's standing army, which mainly
undertake the task of defensive military operations, and help to maintain social
order, if necessary, in accordance with the law. Its basic organizational
structures can be categorized into the general headquarters/departments, the
services and arms and the military area commands.
——The general headquarters/departments. The PLA's general
headquarters/departments system is composed of the General Staff Headquarters,
the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department and the
General Armaments Department, which are placed under the leadership of the CMC.
The CMC, through these four general headquarters/departments, directs and
commands all the military area commands and the services and arms. The routine
work of the Ministry of National Defense is handled, respectively, by these four
general headquarters/departments. The General Staff Headquarters is the leading
organ of all military work of the nation's armed forces. It organizes and leads
the military construction of the nation's armed forces, and organizes and
commands their military operations. Under it there are departments in charge of
operations, intelligence, training, adjutant and force structure, mobilization,
etc. The General Political Department is the leading organ of all political work
of the nation's armed forces. It administers the armed forces' Party work, and
organizes their political work. Under it there are departments in charge of
Party affairs, personnel, publicity, security, etc. The General Logistics
Department organizes and directs the armed forces' logistics construction and
logistical support. Under it there are departments in charge of financial
affairs, quartermaster, health administration, military transportation,
materials and POLs, capital construction and barracks, auditing, etc. The
General Armaments Department organizes and directs the weaponry and equipment
construction work of the armed forces. Under it there are departments in charge
of planning; armaments for Navy, military aviation and strategic equipment; Army
equipment research, development and procurement; general equipment support;
electronics and information infrastructure, equipment and technology
cooperation, etc.
——The services and arms. The PLA is composed of three services ——the Army, Navy
and Air Force ——and an independent arm, the Second Artillery Force. The Army has
such arms as the infantry, artillery, armor, engineering, communications,
anti-chemical warfare and Army aviation, as well as other specialized units. The
Navy has such arms as the surface, submarine, naval aviation, coastal defense
and marine corps, as well as other specialized units. The Air Force has such
arms as the aviation, surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft artillery, radar,
and airborne, as well as other specialized units. The Second Artillery Force is
composed of the strategic missile, conventional missile, and other specialized
units.
——The military area commands. The military area commands （theaters of war） of
the PLA are military organizations set up according to the state's
administrative divisions, geo-graphical locations, strategic and operational
orientations, and operational tasks. Under each military area command are a
number of Army combined corps, units of various arms, logistical support units,
and provincial or garrison commands. Their major functions include organizing
and coordinating the joint operations and exercises of the ground, naval and air
forces in each military area; exercising direct leadership over Party affairs,
military training, administration, political work, logistical and armaments
support of the Army units under its jurisdiction; and directing the militia,
military service, mobilization, civil air defense and battlefield construction
work in the military area. At present, the PLA has seven military area commands,
namely, Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
The PLA has the Academy of Military Science （AMS）, the National Defense
University （NDU）, and the National University of Defense Technology （NUDT）. The
AMS is the PLA's highest-level research institute and center of military
science. The NDU and the NUDT are the two institutions of higher learning
directly under the CMC. The former is mainly responsible for the education and
training of senior commanding and staff officers and researchers, while the
latter is mainly responsible for the education and training of senior scientists
and engineers, and specialized commanding officers.
The PLA's reserve force is a force with its preset organizational structure,
with the reserve personnel as the base and active personnel as the backbone. The
reserve force, which is incorporated into the PLA's order of battle, receives
military training in peacetime according to relevant regulations, and helps to
maintain social order, if necessary, in accordance with the law. In wartime, it
may be called into active service in pursuance of a state mobilization order.
The Chinese People's Armed Police Force undertakes the task of maintenance of
security entrusted by the state. It is under the dual leadership of the State
Council and the CMC, and consists of internal security forces, and gold mine,
forest, water and power, and transportation security forces.
The militia is a component of the state's armed forces. The militiamen and
women, under the command of military organs, perform combat readiness support
and defensive operations, and help to maintain social order. The General Staff
Headquarters is in charge of nationwide militia work. Each military area command
is responsible for the militia work under its jurisdiction. Each provincial
command exercises leadership and command over the militia in its region.
Mobilization and Education
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress （NPC） decides on
general or partial mobilization, and the State Council and the CMC jointly
direct mobilization preparation and implementation. In November 1994, the State
Commission for National Defense Mobilization was established. The Commission is
a consultant and coordinating body in charge of nationwide defense mobilization
under the leadership of the State Council and the CMC. Its major tasks are to
carry out the military strategy of active defense, organize and implement the
state's defense mobilization, and coordinate the relations between economic and
military affairs, the armed forces and the government, and manpower and
materials support in defense mobilization, so as to enhance national defense
strength and the ability to shift from a peacetime to a wartime footing.
In peacetime the state conducts mobilization preparation and integrates
mobilization of the armed forces, the national economy, civil air defense,
national defense transportation and other fields into the state's overall
development plan and program. Mobilization of the armed forces entails the
measures and actions taken by the state to turn the armed forces from a
peacetime to a wartime footing. Mobilization of the national economy entails the
measures and actions taken by the state, in a well-organized and planned way, to
shift the economic sectors and related institutions from a peacetime to a
wartime footing. The major tasks of civil air defense mobilization include the
directing, building and management of civil air defense projects; command,
communications and warning systems, and evacuation areas; the protection of key
economic targets; the conduct of civil air defense publicity and education; and
the management of civil air defense funds and assets. The Air Defense Law of the
PRC went into force on January 1, 1997. Defense transportation mobilization
provides organizational, material and technological support to transportation
and communications and construction during peacetime, and organizes and
implements transportation and communications support during wartime.
All the state organs and armed forces, all political parties and mass
organizations, and all enterprises, institutions and citizens, must fulfill the
mobilization obligations during peacetime according to regulations stipulated by
laws, and fulfill the prescribed mobilization tasks after the state has
proclaimed a mobilization order. At present, in line with the principle of
combining a peacetime with a wartime footing and the military with the civilian
sectors, and having reserve soldiers among the people, China continues to
perfect its defense mobilization system, strengthen its mobilization potential
and capacity, and promote the modernization of defense mobilization work.
China's defense education is guided by the principle which com-bines regular
education with intensive education, universal education with advanced education,
and textbook education with conduct education. Education in defense theories,
spirit, and knowledge and skills is provided for all citizens. This aims to
improve the citizens' under-standing and knowledge of national defense, to
develop their spirit of patriotism and to help them perform defense duties
conscientiously.
According to the National Defense Law of the PRC, all state organs and armed
forces, all political parties and mass organizations, and all enterprises and
institutions are responsible for organizing and carrying out defense education
in their respective regions, departments or units. The state and society at
large launch defense education and publicity activities in various forms using
mass media and other means. The armed forces make use of their military museums,
military history exhibitions, halls of fame and memorial halls of heroes as
bases for patriotism and defense education among the people. Schools and
colleges, with the assistance of military organs, offer appropriate defense
courses according to their levels and types, or add defense education to related
courses. The state has made national defense education part of the education of
the whole people, gradually bringing it into a socialized, diversified,
regularized and institutionalized pattern.
Defense Expenditure
The Chinese government has consistently stuck to the principle of strict
control, management and supervision of defense spending. It has established a
complete administrative and regulatory system. China's defense budget and final
accounts are examined and approved by the NPC. The state and armed forces'
auditing organs exercise auditing and supervision of the total defense budget,
itemized budgets and the budgets for various departments, as well as the entire
process of execution of these budgets.
China's defense expenditure falls into the following categories: personnel
expenses, costs for maintenance of activities, and costs for equipment.
Personnel expenses mainly cover the pay, food and clothing of officers,
non-ranking cadres, enlisted men and civilian employees. Costs for maintenance
of activities mainly cover training, construction and maintenance of facilities
and running expenses. Costs for equipment mainly cover research,
experimentation, procurement, maintenance, transportation and storage. China's
defense expenditure covers not only the active forces, but also the militia and
reserve forces. Support for some retired officers, the education of the children
of military personnel, and other social spendings are also provided in the
defense expenditure.
China's annual defense expenditures in 1998 and 1999 were RMB 93.47 billion yuan
and 107.67 billion yuan, respectively, and that for 2000 is RMB 121.29 billion
yuan （see Table below）. The annual increase in defense expenses went or will go
for the most part to cover the increased spending for carrying out their routine
duties and operations after the armed forces have ceased commercial activities;
increased spending for the placement of retired officers and their pensions;
increased spending for pay and subsidy raises for military personnel to keep
their living standards in step with the nation's social and economic development
and with the increase of the per capita in-comes of urban and rural residents;
and increased spending for maintaining a garrison in Macao.
Overall, China's defense expenditure has remained at a fairly low level. In
1998 and 1999, the proportion of defense spending in the total state financial
expenditure was 8.66% and 8.20%, respectively, and that in 2000 is 8.29%, all
lower than those in 1997 or earlier . In terms of US dollars, China's annual
defense expenditure in 2000 is US$ 14.60 billion, which is only 5% of the USA's
defense spending, 30% of Japan's, 40% of UK's, 48% of France's, and 64% of
Germany's . In addition, the percentage of China's defense spending in its gross
domestic product （GDP） is also lower than those of the USA, the Republic of
Korea （ROK）, India, UK, France and some other countries .
Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
China's fundamental aim in developing science, technology and industry for
national defense is to satisfy the basic demands of national defense, guarantee
the production and supply of military equipment, and raise the level of national
defense modernization.
Since the establishment of the PRC in 1949, the country, with a relatively small
input and within a relatively short period of time, has built a comparatively
complete defense science, technology and industry system independently through
self-reliance, basically meeting the requirements for transforming the PLA from
a simple ground force into an integrated armed service comprising the Army,
Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force. In the field of sophisticated
technology, the successful development of atomic bombs, missiles and man-made
satellites has made China one of the few countries in the world with its own
nuclear weapons and space technology. In the field of conventional equipment,
China has made a fundamental shift from copying to independent production,
giving a powerful boost to the modernization of the PLA's weaponry.
To meet the demands of the development of the socialist market economy, and set
up a new defense science, technology and industry system with topnotch
efficiency, China has carried out foundamental structural reforms. In March
1998, a new Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
was set up, to act as the leading department of the State Council in this
regard, responsible for carrying out disciplinary management like policies, laws
and regulations, plans, standards, and supervision in defense science,
technology and industry. In July 1999, the corporations of five military
industries, involved in nuclear, astronautics, aeronautics, ship-building and
weapons sectors respectively, were reorganized into ten corporations, namely,
China National Nuclear Corporation, China Nuclear Engineering and Construction
Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Aerospace
Machinery and Electronics Corporation, China Aviation Industry Corporation I,
China Aviation Industry Corporation II, China State Shipbuilding Corporation,
China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, China North Industries Group
Corporation and China South Industries Group Corporation. Through this reform,
the market competition mechanism has been introduced into China's national
defense science, technology and industry, the structure and layout of which have
been gradually improved. In addition, the contingents of military industry have
been streamlined, the capability of shifting from a peacetime to a wartime
footing has been enhanced and strenuous efforts have been made to establish a
new military industry system of an open type.
In developing its defense science, technology and industry, China adheres to the
principle of reliance on science and education, makes full use of the country's
scientific and technological capacity to develop military research and
production, strengthens cooperation and exchanges in this field with other
countries worldwide, promotes development of new and high technology weapons and
equipment, accelerates the pace of application of scientific research findings,
and strives to supply arms of high performance, reliable quality and complete
sets. Meanwhile, China's defense science, technology and industry, by strongly
promoting the peaceful use of military industry technology and bringing the
advantages of military industry into full play, gives priority to the
development of civilian-use nuclear energy, aerospace, aviation, and
shipbuilding industries, and thereby forms a benign circle of mutual
military-civilian progress. Now, China's defense science, technology and
industry has become an important force in the country's national economic
development.
Frontier Defense
China's land borders total more than 22,000 km in length; its mainland coastline
stretches for some 18,000 km; and it neighbors more than 20 countries, either
contiguous or separated by stretches of sea. The Chinese government pursues a
policy of good neighborliness and friendship. It defends and administers its
land borders and territorial seas, safeguards the country's territorial
sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and secures both its land and sea
borders, strictly in accordance with treaties and agreements it has signed with
its neighboring countries, and the United Nations maritime conventions. China
advocates settling pending and unresolved border and maritime demarcation issues
through negotiations, attaches importance to the setting up of a mutual
confidence-building mechanism in border regions, and opposes the use of force or
provocative acts. China has solved or basically solved boundary issues left over
by history with most of its adjacent countries. In the 1960s, China and the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea （DPRK）, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Nepal and Myanmar settled their border issues through negotiations. In the
1990s, China signed new border treaties or agreements with Laos, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Viet Nam, re-demarcating or basically
demarcating the respective boundaries. The borders between China and Laos and
Russia were resurveyed; the field survey of the border between China and
Kazakhstan has been completed; the survey of the border between China and
Kyrgyzstan has started, and the survey of the border between China and Viet Nam
is about to commence. China has signed treaties, agreements and understandings
respectively with the DPRK, Mongolia, Russia, Myanmar, Viet Nam and Laos on
border control measures, setting up confidence-building measures, preventing
dangerous military activities and promoting border cooperation, jointly
maintaining frontier order within a bilateral or multilateral legal framework
and preserving peace and stability on the borders. In the course of its vigorous
development of various kinds of cooperative relations with its neighboring
countries, China has opened more than 200 ports along its land and sea
frontiers.
China exercises a joint military-civilian land and sea border management system,
headed by the military and with a sharing of responsibilities between the
military and the local authorities. The State Council and the CMC exercise
unified leadership over land and sea border defense. The Chinese government
places the utmost importance on the formulation of laws concerning frontier
defense. It has enacted a series of laws and regulations, and corresponding
local laws and regulations have been put in place by concerned provinces,
autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. The
concerned departments of the state have promulgated special regulations with
regard to exit and entry control and the management of land and sea ports.
Border control departments conduct publicity and education activities aimed at
enlightening the people of the frontier areas as to the nature of the
boundaries, the concept of frontier defense, and border policies and laws. They
also wage special battles to crack down on smuggling and narcotics, and hit hard
at transnational, trans-border criminal activities in accordance with the law.
The Macao Garrison
Following the Chinese government's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong in
1997, on December 20, 1999, it resumed sovereignty over Macao, an important
symbol of which is the stationing of a PLA garrison in Macao to fulfill defense
duties. It is also an important guarantee for safeguarding national sovereignty
and security, as well as the long-term peace and stability of Macao.
The stationing of the PLA garrison in Macao was carried out strictly in
accordance with the provisions of the law. The Basic Law of the Macao Special
Administrative Region （MSAR） of the PRC, passed by the First Session of the
Eighth NPC in March 1993, clearly states that the Central People's Government of
China is responsible for the defense of the MSAR. In June 1999, the Tenth
Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth NPC deliberated and passed the
Garrison Law of the MSAR of the PRC, which officially went into effect on
December 20, 1999. The provisions of the Garrison Law state that the Macao
Garrison will not interfere in the local affairs of the MSAR, but if the
government of the MSAR, in a time of need, requests the Central People's
Government for the assistance of the Macao Garrison in the maintenance of social
order or in case of disaster, the Garrison is obligated to render the necessary
assistance in compliance with the instructions of the CMC. The Garrison's tasks
are to fulfill defense duties, manage military installations, handle matters
concerning foreign military affairs, and ensure Macao's security and stability.
The expenses of the Macao Garrison are undertaken by the Central People's
Government. The Macao Garrison practices a personnel rotation system. The
Garrison Law also contains regulations governing the obligations and discipline
of the members of the Garrison, as well as judicial jurisdiction.
The PLA Macao Garrison, subordinate to the leadership of the CMC, is mainly
composed of ground forces, with some naval and air force personnel on its staff.
In carrying out its defense duties, the Macao Garrison must observe the national
laws as well as those of the MSAR, and uphold the rules and regulations of the
PLA. Following its stationing in Macao, the Macao Garrison has strictly adhered
to the law in the aspects of its garrisoning, administration, conduct and
management, undertaken arduous training, observed strict discipline, and
strengthened in an all-round way the building of the force along the line of
regularization. By adhering to the regulations of the Garrison Law, the Garrison
has set up normal working relations with the government of the Special Region
and has timely established channels for contacts with Macao society, thereby
promoting the Macao people's understanding of and trust in the Garrison.
The PLA Macao Garrison will persevere in the guideline of "one country, two
systems," fulfill its defense responsibilities efficiently and perform every
item of its duties under the Garrison Law, so as to contribute to the country's
security and Macao's stability and development.
IV. Armed Forces Building
Military Legal System
It is stipulated in the National Defense Law of the PRC that the armed forces of
the PRC shall abide by the Constitution and laws. To meet the requirements of
the development of the country's legal system building, China's armed forces
have implemented the guideline of governing the armed forces according to law,
strengthened military legal system building and gradually brought the building
of national defense and armed forces onto the track of the legal system.
China's military legislation has significantly accelerated since 1998. The NPC
Standing Committee has enacted the Law of the PRC on Garrisoning the Macao
Special Administrative Region, providing legal basis for the Macao Garrison to
station its troops and perform its defense duties according to law. The revision
of the Law of the PRC on Military Service System has further improved China's
military service system. The State Council and the CMC have revised the
Regulations on the Service of the PLA Soldiers on Active Service, and the CMC
has stipulated more than 40 items of military regulations such as the
Regulations of the PLA on Institutional Education and the Regulations of the PLA
on Border Defense Duties, providing full legal guarantee for the strengthening
of the building of national defense and armed forces, the promotion of various
military reforms and the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of
the officers and soldiers. The PLA general headquarters/departments, the
services and arms and the military area commands have formulated over 300 items
of military rules, further advancing the course of governing the armed forces
according to law.
Based on the relevant laws of the state, China's armed forces have formed a
military judicial system which is composed of the military courts, military
procuratorates and internal security organs, respectively exercising the trial,
procuratorial and investigating powers in accordance with the law with regard to
criminal cases within the armed forces. The military courts are special people's
courts set up by the state in the armed forces and consist of three levels: the
PLA, the military area command and the corps. The military courts independently
exercise trial power in accordance with the law. The trial procedures are the
same as those for ordinary people's courts. A military court at the next higher
level is the court of appeal for that at the next lower level. The military
courts accept criminal cases within the armed forces and may accept other cases
with authorization from the Supreme People's Court. The military procuratorates
are special people's procuratorates set up by the state in the armed forces and
consist of three levels, which are the same as those for the military courts.
They independently exercise procuratorial power in accordance with the law. A
military procuratorate at a higher level directs the procuratorial work of that
at a lower level. The military procuratorates, in accordance with the provisions
of the Criminal Procedures Law, assume the responsibility of examining criminal
cases investigated by the internal security organs and deciding whether to
approve an arrest or to initiate a prosecution; directly accepting and
investigating criminal cases involving crimes committed by taking office
advantage and deciding whether to make an arrest or to initiate a prosecution;
exercising supervision over the legality of the investigatory and judicial
activities of the internal security organs and the military courts. The
president of the PLA Military Court and the procurator-general of the PLA
Military Procuratorate are appointed or removed by the NPC Standing Committee.
The internal security organs, set up in the political organs of the PLA units at
or above the regiment level, carry out investigation of criminal cases within
the armed forces in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedures
Law. China's military judicial organs shall render criminal punishment, in
accordance with the Criminal Law of the PRC revised in 1997 and the four Geneva
conventions and the two 1977 additional protocols to which China has all
acceded, on military servicemen for their acts in violation of international
humanitarian law such as maltreating prisoners of war, injuring, killing or
plundering innocent residents in times of war.
The military lawyers in the armed forces and their legal services are
administered in line with the national lawyers system. Military lawyers must
obtain state-set qualifications after passing uniform national examinations. The
armed forces are manned with military lawyers at three levels: the corps, the
division and the brigade. At present, there are 272 military legal advisory
sections with 1,688 full-time or part-time lawyers. Military lawyers serve as
legal advisors to the commanding officers and organs in their decision-making,
act as defender when accepting authorization by criminal defendants or act as
agent when accepting authorization by military units or servicemen.
Military legal knowledge has been incorporated into the military education and
training of the PLA units and the curriculum of military academies and schools.
In accordance with the unified national plan, China's armed forces have launched
three five-year campaigns from 1986 to 2000 to popularize legal knowledge. Law
courses are taught to cadets and officers in various military academies and
schools, covering national laws, military regulations and rules, fundamental
legal knowledge and international humanitarian law.
Downsizing and Restructuring
In September 1997, China announced an additional reduction of 500,000 military
personnel over the next three years. By the end of 1999, this reduction had been
achieved, and the adjustment and reform of the structure and organization of the
armed forces had been basically completed.
Reducing military personnel by compressing the scale of the armed forces. The
PLA was reduced to less than 2.5 million by downsizing the Army, restructuring
the naval and air units, deactivating some units with outdated equipment,
restructuring logistical support and equipment management systems, military
academies and schools and training establishments, and dismantling and merging
internal organs of the units at and above the corps level to cut a total of
500,000 persons. Of all the services, the Army was cut by 18.6%; the Navy,
11.4%; the Air Force, 12.6%; and the Second Artillery Force, 2.9%.
Making the leading organs at and above the corps level leaner by streamlining
the organizational structure. By undergoing readjustment of functions, and
cutting and merging departments, internal bodies and personnel are reduced. By
dismantling and merging subdivisions in the PLA general
headquarters/departments, military area commands and services and arms, both the
subordinate sections of the specialized organs and personnel were reduced by
about 20%. Following this, the total number of organs at and above the corps
level was reduced by over 1,500, making the command structure leaner, more agile
and efficient. Over 290 business management bodies engaged in commercial
activities were either completely dismantled or handed over to local
governments.
Optimizing the PLA's structure through readjustment. The Army field troops
deactivated some corps headquarters and a number of divisions and regiments,
thus further improving the organizational structure. The Navy, Air Force and
Second Artillery Force dismantled or merged some of their organic units through
elimination of outdated equipment and restructuring. After readjustment, the
Army field troops have become more integrated, smaller, lighter and more
versatile. The services and arms featuring higher technology make up a higher
percentage of the armed forces. Their structure is further optimized.
Straightening out relations within the PLA through structural reform. The
General Armament Department has been set up to readjust the weaponry and
equipment administration system. Centralized management for the major items of
weaponry has been achieved. The weaponry and equipment construction has been
placed under unified leadership and the across-the-board and life-cycle
management strengthened. The logistical support system has been readjusted. A
joint logistical support system based on military area commands, which combines
area support with organic support and general supply with specialized supply,
has been established. These have greatly enhanced the all-service integrated and
intensive support capability. The reform of educational and training
institutions has resulted in the reduction of military academies and schools,
expansion in the scope of individual institutions, upgrading in officer training
and greater percentages of officers selected for training. The military
academies and schools are moving in the new direction of enlarged scale,
modernized instruction, standardized management and socialized logistical
support.
Ideological and Political Work
The Chinese armed forces have all along given priority to ideological and
political work. In the new historical conditions, the tasks in this regard are:
To provide powerful spiritual motivation to win in future high-tech wars, and to
provide a reliable political guarantee for preserving the nature of the people's
army, its distinctive character and style of work.
The ideological and political work in the Chinese armed forces aims at raising
the overall quality of the officers and men and producing a new generation of
officers and men, who are strong ideologically and politically, competent
militarily, knowledgeable in science and culture, and fit physically and
mentally. To achieve this, the improvement of political quality must be
integrated with the improvement of overall quality; the study of advanced
ideology with the grasp of general knowledge; the educational guidance with
practice; and the strict discipline with greater self-control. To win future
wars, the Chinese armed forces resolutely give play to their power in
ideological and political work, educate officers and men with correct
ideological theory, encourage them with a lofty revolutionary spirit, nurture
them in a good political environment, and discipline them strictly with rules
and regulations. The Chinese armed forces constantly strive to increase the
ideological consciousness, dauntless spirit, sturdy style of work and iron
discipline of their officers and men, and to increase their awareness of
modernization, science and technology and creativity, and to raise the all-round
fighting capability of the armed forces.
The Chinese armed forces adhere to the absolute leadership of the Communist
Party of China and persist in making it their aim to serve the people heart and
soul, placing the interests of the state and people above everything else and
carrying forward the patriotism and revolutionary heroism of the rank and file.
They cultivate in their officers and men a firm faith in revolutionary ideals
and a spirit of sacrifice and dedication, foster in them a correct outlook on
the world, life and values, educate them to support the reform, to have a
correct regard for the interests adjustment arising in the reform, to persist in
building the armed forces through diligence and thrift, and to always maintain
the armed forces' true political qualities of arduous struggle.
Military Training
The PLA has always attached strategic importance to military training.
Proceeding from the needs of real fighting, the PLA conducts arduous and strict
training of its troops. Through decades of development and continuous reforms
and carrying forward its good traditions, a unique and relatively complete
system of troop training and institutional education has taken shape.
In the late 1990s, the PLA, in order to adapt to profound changes in the world's military affairs and win high-tech local wars, actively engaged in military training featuring new technology, and energetically carried out military training reforms. In the development and innovation of military theories, new conditions and characteristics of high-tech local wars have been studied in depth. New disciplines in military training have been set up. Operational training theories, especially for combined operations, have been continuously improved. Newly-revised doctrines for operations and battles have been promulgated to adapt to the new situation. In updating training programs, emphasis has been laid on the learning of and training in new knowledge, skills, equipment and warfare. A new training program system has taken shape, with the focus on enhancing the level of difficulty and intensity of training. In improving training methods and means, the practice of base training, and simulated and network training have been actively promoted. A combined tactical training base system suitable for various combat training requirements has been established, and the linking of campaign and tactical models with weapon system simulators as well as a network linking models of services and arms and specialized models have been basically completed. In addition, a distributive interactive operational command and control simulation system, new equipment operation training simulators and a computer-aided training system have been widely applied. A military training information network covering all the major units and academies and schools of the PLA has been set up. To improve the training management mechanism, efforts have been made to strictly carry out the PLA's Military Training Regulations and other training statutes, conduct regularized training, and enhance the organization, leadership and administration of military training consonant with the new situation arising from the state and armed forces' reform. In recent years, joint and combined arms exercises have been meticulously organized in the Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing and Guangzhou military area commands, greatly raising the comprehensive quality of officers and men and the overall fighting capability of the troops under high-tech conditions.
With the basic objective of training new high-quality military personnel, and
bearing in mind the needs of defense and armed forces modernization in the 21st
century, the PLA has set up an institutional education system with Chinese
characteristics. In the structural reform in 1999, the PLA's system of academies
and schools underwent a structural reform, canceling, merging and reconstructing
some institutions. As a result, the original two categories of institutions for
training commanding and technical officers have been replaced by two categories
of institutions for training officer candidates and in-service officers. Five
universities have been established ——the universities of national defense
science and technology, information engineering, science and engineering, naval
engineering, and air force engineering. Officer training has shifted to a
two-track system-this is to gradually realize the targets of the military
providing such training while being supported by national education. The
training of its postgraduates is increasing on a yearly basis. The PLA is making
an effort to have all officer candidates receive higher education by 2010. Some
officer candidates, who have received regular （four-year） college education and
basic military training at comprehensive educational institutions, will then
receive professional training at specialized institutions in accordance with
their future posts. New specialties have been brought into being by integrating
highly technical command specialties with relevant specialties, and some
officers will receive integrated command and technical training. Middle-level
commanding officers will receive integrated military and political training.
Commanding and staff officers will receive training in the same institutions,
and medical and political officers throughout the PLA will receive unified
training. Through readjustment and reform, the total number of military
academies and schools has been reduced by about one-third, their structure has
become more comprehensive and their scale has been expanded, and the training
level, quality and benefits have been markedly improved.
Logistics
The PLA regards logistical construction as an important part of the effort
toward comprehensively enhancing combat effectiveness and meeting the needs of
modern warfare. On the principle of combining a peacetime with a wartime
footing, combining the army with the people, overall planning, emphasis on key
points, scientific management, and diligence and thrift, it strives to provide
adequate logistical support for army building, operations and other activities.
Since the founding of New China, the logistical work of the Chinese armed forces
has been making progress constantly. Logistics for the Army alone has evolved
into combined logistics for all the services and arms. Simple and backward
logistical equipment has evolved into diversified equipment backed by modern
technology and some high technology. Logistical support capability for military
operations in ordinary conditions has evolved into that under modern, especially
high-tech, conditions.
In the 1990s, the logistical work of the Chinese armed forces focused on meeting
the needs of providing logistical support during local wars in high-tech
conditions and strengthening the logistical operational readiness. Logistical
work supporting emergency mobile forces has been quickened. Logistical support
forces for emergency mobile operations has been organized. And the logistical
support capabilities for crisis response have been enhanced. Investment in war
preparation projects has been increased. The scope, distribution and structure
of war material reserves have been properly adjusted. And by reliance on science
and technology, logistical support has been invigorated, so as to continuously
raise the level of the modernization in logistical support. Marked progress has
been made in the research and development of highly technical and specialized
logistical equipment to provide the armed forces with flexible and effective
field facilities for logistical supply, sustainment support, medical aid and
emergency repair, surface replenishment, air refueling and maneuverability
support for the Second Artillery Force. In January 2000, the Chinese armed
forces started to practice the joint logistics system, which is based on
military area commands by the combination of regional support with organic
system support and the combination of general supply support with special supply
support. Unified general-purpose material supply and service support are
provided by military area commands, and special material supply and service
support are provided by the services and arms through their organic channels.
To keep pace with the development of the socialist market economy and meet the
needs of the armed forces' quality construction, the Chinese armed forces have
carried out a series of reforms in logistical work. In December 1998, the PLA
and the Armed Police Force ceased to engage in commercial activities. Most of
the more than 6,000 enterprises run by the military were closed down or handed
over to local authorities. In July 1998, in conformity with the requirements of
the military insurance system stipulated in the National Defense Law of the PRC,
the State Council and the CMC jointly promulgated the Program for the
Implementation of the Military Insurance System. A military insurance system
with Chinese characteristics is gradually taking shape. In addition, the
soldiers' casualty insurance system and the demobilized soldiers' medical
insurance system were implemented in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In recent
years, the Chinese armed forces have endeavored, through continuous
explorations, to realize a socialized service system by contracting out certain
logistical support items, utilizing market resources and streamlining military
support establishments, so as to raise the cost-effectiveness of defense
expenditure. From January 2000, mess management, barracks maintenance and post
exchange service will be gradually contracted out in organizations at or above
the corps level and military academies and hospitals in large and medium-sized
cities.
Weaponry and Equipment
Consistently placing weaponry construction in a prominent position, the Chinese
armed forces strive to modernize military equipment and enhance their
operational capability for self-defense.
Since 1949 China has adhered to the principle of focussing on self-reliance
while actively drawing on advanced foreign military technology. It has made
great achievements in modernizing its weaponry, providing a powerful support for
building a modernized army and safeguarding state sovereignty and security. The
basic realization of standardization and serialization of the Army and
general-purpose armaments has enhanced the capabilities of fire repression,
ground assault, battlefield manoeuverability, battlefield intelligence and
reconnaisance, operational command and protection, and has thus met the demand
for combined operations. The Navy has made great progress in enhancing missile
availability, three-dimensional operation capability and information capability,
and it thus has acquired the capability of offshore defensive operations. The
Air Force has acquired an all-weather, all-aerospace and round-the-clock
operational capability of a rather high level, and is being equipped with
certain high-tech weaponry. The Second Artillery Force has been equipped with
short-range, medium-range, long-range and intercontinental missile systems, and
has the capability of rapid reaction and mobile operations.
To meet the requirements of an evolving socialist market economy and the
restructuring of government organs, the PLA has gradually set up a new weaponry
management system since 1998. Based on the strategy of invigorating the armed
forces by reliance on science and technology, Chinese armed forces are
quickening the pace of new weapon R and D and pushing the development of their
armaments by means of scientific and technological innovations. They attach
importance to giving play to the role of the market mechanism by encouraging
appropriate competition. They are gradually improving their equipment ordering
system, and building and improving the research and acquisition contracting
system. A system featuring across-the-board and life-cycle management will be
gradually practiced, which would raise the quality and control the life-cycle
cost of high-tech weapons, and increase the overall effectiveness of weaponry
construction. In addition, laws and regulations concerning equipment
administration and procedures for equipment work will be improved that fit in
with the new management system so that the equipment work will be accomplished
in an orderly, coordinated and highly efficient way.
Faced with the world's military developments and the characteristics of modern
warfare, the Chinese armed forces will, in the course of modernizing their
weaponry, devote themselves to transforming semi-mechanized and mechanized
weapon systems to automatized and informationized systems as soon as possible,
so that they can possess weapons as advanced as possible and assure the
accomplishment of the sacred missions assigned to them by the nation.
Disaster Relief
China is a country vulnerable to natural disasters. To help cope with floods from big rivers, droughts and storms in some areas, and mud-rock flows and landslides along railways and highways, the PLA takes an active part in disaster alleviation projects organized by the local governments. During the past two years, it has participated in building over 20,000 km flood-prevention dikes, over 30 reservoirs, over 300 km anti-tide dams, and more than 300 irrigation and drainage pumping stations, including such comprehensive projects as the Xiaolangdi on the Yellow River, the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River Valley, rainfall flow concentration in Gansu Province, and sand prevention and control in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It has played a positive role in supporting the national economy and sustainable social development. To participate in disaster relief work, the general headquarters/departments, military area commands, provincial military commands and lower-level commands have all assigned personnel to the national and local rescue and relief command organs, to coordinate the command relationship between the military and local governments, formulate rescue and relief measures, establish disaster situation reporting systems, manage relief assets, and implement organization and coordination of disaster relief in a flexible, rapid, efficient and accurate way. The participating units all have their own rescue plans. Routine rescue rehearsals are conducted to keep boats, planes, motor vehicles and other disaster relief assets in readiness for immediate action in case of any disaster. The past two years have witnessed more than 500,000 PLA officers and men participating in more than 100 rescue and relief operations. In particular, in the fight against the floods from the Yangtze, Nenjiang and Songhua rivers in 1998, the PLA contributed more than 300,000 officers and men, as well as 12,500 motor vehicles, 1,170 boats and ships and over 200 planes, repaired or reinforced dikes and dams over 10,000 km long, closed breaches and remove dangers at more than 14,000 places. They also rescued and evacuated more than three million victims, making outstanding contributions to the protection of the people's lives and the state property. The PLA, while engaging in disaster relief, has also taken an active part in post-disaster rehabilitation by raising donations and helping disaster-stricken people to resume production, rebuild homes and overcome difficulties. In the past two years, the armed forces have helped disaster-stricken people to build more than 40,000 houses, and donated over 26 million items of clothing and quilts and other materials worth more than RMB 30 million yuan.
V. International Security Cooperation
Military Exchanges
China handles its military relations independently, and conducts military
exchanges and cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five
Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Military diplomacy should serve the state's
overall diplomacy and the modernization of national defense and the armed
forces. In pursuance of this purpose the PLA has actively engaged in external
contacts and exchanges in a flexible and practical manner, and made sustained
efforts for enhanced mutual trust, friendship and cooperation with armed forces
of other countries, and for regional and world peace, stability and development.
Over the past two years, China has sent more than 70 high-level military
delegations to over 60 countries, and hosted some 160 high-level foreign
military delegations. In addition, the Chinese military has conducted friendly
and mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation with its foreign counterparts
in the technical and other specialized fields. In this regard it has dispatched
more than 150 technical or other specialized delegations abroad, while over 180
foreign military delegations of the similar nature have visited China.
China has improved its military relations with its neighbouring countries. With
active high-level military contacts, the bilateral military relations between
China and Russia have developed smoothly. Chinese armed forces have made great
efforts to promote ties with the armed forces of Northeast Asian countries, and
made positive contributions to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and
Northeast Asia as a whole. China's military contacts with countries in
Southeast, South and Central Asia have maintained their momentum. At the same
time, China has further strengthened its military relations with countries in
West Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, as well as those in Eastern Europe
and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Chinese armed forces have continued
to provide assistance to their counterparts in developing countries in personnel
training, equipment, logistical materials, and medical care, and will seek to
widen the scope of contacts in the future.
In May 1999, China postponed its high-level military exchange programs with the
United States in response to the serious incident of bombing of the Chinese
Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by the US-led NATO. Following the
gradual improvement of the relations between the two countries, normal military
contacts between China and the US have resumed. The defense ministries of the
two countries held defense consultations at the vice-ministerial level in
January 2000. The US defense secretary visited China in July of the same year.
China has always attached importance to the development of military relations
with European countries, and has exchanged or maintained high-level visits and
conducted military exchanges with them at various levels.
The past two years have seen good-will visits by Chinese naval vessels to New
Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Tanzania and South Africa, and
visits to China by naval vessels from France, Russia, Australia, Malaysia,
Belgium, Canada and Turkey. In addition, China has sent many delegations or
groups of military experts to other countries for visits, training, study or
research, and hosted many similar foreign delegations or groups. These exchanges
of visits have covered many fields, ranging from military education, training
and management to scientific research, academic study, culture and sports, and
medical care. In August 1999, the PLA participated in the Second World Military
Games held in Croatia.
New progress has been made in cooperation between the PLA and foreign armed
forces in military education and training. In the past two years, more than 200
Chinese military personnel have been sent to study in Russia, Germany, France,
Britain, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Kuwait, while nearly 1,000 military
personnel from Africa, Latin America and Europe and other Asian countries have
come to study in China.
Regional Security Cooperation
China supports regional security dialogue and cooperation at different levels,
through various channels, in different forms and in a step-by-step manner
pursuant to the principles of participation on an equal footing and reaching
consensus through consultation in the spirit of seeking common ground while
reserving differences. China maintains that the multilateral security dialogue
and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region should be oriented toward and
characterised by mutual respect instead of the strong bullying the weak,
cooperation instead of confrontation, and seeking consensus instead of imposing
one's own will on others. China has participated in the ASEAN Regional Forum （ARF）,
Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia （CICA）,
Council on Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region （CSCAP）, Northeast
Asia Cooperation Dialogue （NEACD）, Academic Symposium of China, the United
States and Japan, and other activities for multilateral security dialogue and
cooperation. China stands for enhancing mutual understanding and trust between
countries and promoting regional peace and stability through these important
governmental and non-governmental channels of discussions on security issues.
The ARF is the only pan-Asia-Pacific official multilateral security dialogue and
cooperation forum at present. Representatives of the Chinese ministries of
foreign affairs and national defense have attended all the ARF foreign ministers
and senior officials' meetings. They have also attended official or unofficial
meetings on confidence-building measures, peace-keeping, maritime search and
rescue, emergency rescue and disaster relief, preventive diplomacy,
non-proliferation, and guiding principles within the framework of the ARF. In
the past two years, China has hosted, successively in Beijing, the ARF Seminar
on Tropical Hygiene and Prevention and Treatment of Tropical Infectious
Diseases, the ARF Professional Training Program on China's Security Policy, the
4th ARF Meeting of Heads of Defense Colleges, and the ARF Seminar on Defense
Conversion Cooperation.
China holds that the ARF should continue to focus on confidence-building
measures, explore new security concepts and methods, and discuss the question of
preventive diplomacy. At the same time, it believes that the parties concerned
should have a full discussion first on the concept, definition, principles and
scope of preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region and reach consensus in
this regard. China has actively advocated the development of multilateral
cooperation in military medicine, military law and the conversion of military
technologies and facilities for civilian use within the framework of the ARF. It
has proposed to establish an ARF marine information and data center, encouraged
exchange of high-level military visits and port calls by naval vessels, as well
as exchanges of military personnel, and supported cooperation in emergency
rescue and disaster relief, safety in maritime navigation and marine
environmental protection.
China has been an active participant in the process of the CICA initiated by
Kazakhstan, believing the purpose of the CICA as generally consistent with its
security goals in Asia. It is of the view that the CICA should develop step by
step with full consideration given to the regional peculiarities and diversities
in Asia.
In 1996, China formally joined the CSCAP, and in 1997 established the CSCAP
China Committee. And it has actively participated in the CSCAP activities.
Since the establishment of the NEACD in 1993, China has attended all its
meetings, and in 1996 and 1999, hosted the fourth and ninth NEACD meetings in
Beijing. China has also worked with other member states and succeeded in getting
the NEACD to reach agreement on the guiding principles for cooperation between
Northeast Asian countries.
China has established, with Russia, the United States, France, Germany, Ukraine,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring countries and regional
organizations, mechanisms for regular or irregular consultations on the issues
of security, defense and arms control. Desirous of maintaining lasting peace and
stability in the Asia-Pacific region, officials and scholars from China's
Ministry of National Defense and other departments concerned have involved
themselves more extensively and deeply in symposiums and other activities on
Asia-Pacific security. This has promoted mutual understanding and trust between
China and the countries concerned.
Confidence-Building Measures
The Chinese government has always attached importance to confidence-building
measures with neighbouring countries and has worked hard for their adoption. It
has energetically advocated the conclusion of border treaties or agreements
through talks between the parties concerned on an equal footing in accordance
with the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other
countries and refraining from directing at any third party and threatening or
harming other countries' security and stability, so as to safeguard equal
security for all the parties concerned, and regional peace and stability.
In April 1996, the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in Shanghai for the first time and signed the Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas. In April 1997, the heads of state of the five countries met again in Moscow and signed the Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Areas. The agreement stipulates that each country should reduce its military forces deployed in the border areas to such a minimum level as to be compatible with the good-neighborly relations it enjoys with the other four countries in accordance with the principle of equal security. It reiterates that none of the contracting parties should use or threaten to use force against the others, nor should any of them seek military superiority unilaterally; that the military forces of one party deployed in the border areas shall not engage in any military activity to threaten any other party or prejudice the peace and stability of the border areas; and that the number of military personnel and the quantity of the main categories of weaponry and military technical equipment in the geographical areas as defined in the agreement should be reduced or restricted. In July 1998 and August 1999, respectively, the heads of state of the five countries met for the third and fourth times in Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, where they signed joint state-ments. In July 2000, the heads of state of the five countries met for the fifth time in Dushanbe of Tajikistan. The President of Uzbekistan attended the meeting as an observer. The Dushanbe Statement signed after the meeting points out that the five countries are playing an increasingly important and positive role in safeguarding regional security and stability and are committed to making the "Shanghai Five" a regional mechanism for their multilateral cooperation in all fields. The five countries have decided to deepen cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic and trade, military, military technology and other fields to consolidate regional security and stability, and to effectively implement all the clauses of the agreements they have signed concerning confidence-building in the military field and the mutual reduction of military forces along the border areas. They have made it clear that they will never allow any country to use their territory to conduct any activities detrimental to the sovereignty, security and public order of any of the five countries, and that they will support each other's efforts in safeguarding their national independence, state sovereignty, territorial integrity and social stability.
In March 2000, the defense ministers of the five countries met in Astara of
Kazakhstan for the first time. The joint communiqué signed after the meeting
reiterates the determination of the five countries to develop their military and
political relations and conduct friendly cooperation based on equality and
mutual trust with due consideration to the interests of all the parties and
their neighboring areas. It points out that such cooperation is not exclusive,
nor is it directed at any third country or bloc of countries. The five countries
stressed their firm opposition to interference in other countries' internal
affairs on the excuse of protecting ethnic or religious interests, or human
rights. They declared that they would never tolerate national separatism,
religious extremism or terrorism, and that they would resolutely oppose any
activity by such forces on their respective territory against other countries.
They pledged to jointly take effective measures to crack down on such activities
so as to safeguard regional peace and stability. The five agreed that they would
further study the possibility of strengthening confidence-building measures in
the military field, promote cooperation between frontier departments, and
jointly combat transnational crimes, stage joint exercises in preventing
dangerous military activities, combating international terrorists and carrying
out emergency rescue and disaster relief, share peace-keeping experiences and
coordinate with each other in their peace-keeping operations.
In August 1995, China's Ministry of National Defense and the Frontier Defense
General Administration of the Federation of Russia signed the Sino-Russian
Agreement on Frontier Defense Cooperation. Under the Agreement, the two sides
shall cooperate with each other in frontier defense and make every effort to
turn the boundary between China and Russia into one of peace, tranquility and
friendship; exchange information in the interest of frontier defense
cooperation; coordinate their measures to effectively guard their boundary and
maintain order there; prevent accidental incidents or conflicts in the border
areas; coordinate with each other in taking measures against illegal activities
in the border areas; assist in the search for, detention and timely transfer of
people crossing boundaries illegally, together with their transportation means
and belongings; exchange experiences on organizing and implementing the defense
of their national boundaries; and help each other with technical equipment for
the defense of their national boundaries.
In November 1999, China's Ministry of National Defense and the Frontier Guards Administrative Bureau of Mongolia signed the Sino-Mongolian Agreement on Cooperation in Frontier Defense. The Agreement stipulates that the two sides shall promote cooperation in frontier defense and make efforts to keep peace and stability on the boundary between China and Mongolia; exchange information in the interest of maintaining normal order in the border areas and other related information; discuss measures and share experiences in guarding and managing the border and maintaining normal order there; prevent accidental incidents or disputes in the border areas; crack down on illegal activities across the border, such as smuggling of weapons, trafficking in narcotics and other contrabands, robbery and theft; strengthen cooperation between boundary representative bodies of the two countries in handling border incidents through consultation, and assist each other in the search for and timely transfer of the people crossing boundaries illegally, together with their transportation means, livestock and other belongings; and inform each other of any possible natural disasters or epidemic diseases which may cause losses to the other and measures to be adopted to prevent them from crossing the boundary.
The relevant government departments and frontier forces of China have faithfully
implemented the stipulations of the treaties and agreements, and actively
promoted exchanges and cooperation with their counterparts of neighboring
countries. They have dealt with boundary affairs in a timely manner and cracked
down on illegal activities in the border areas together with their counterparts
through communication and consultation mechanism, and frontier talks and
meetings. With the gradual establishment and implementation of
confidence-building measures, there has been a visible decrease in the number of
boundary disputes and incidents, a normal order in the border areas has been
effectively maintained, and a peaceful and friendly atmosphere has gradually
prevailed along the boundary.
Participation in UN Peace-Keeping Operations
According to the UN Charter, the UN Security Council is conferred primary
responsibility for the maintenance of world peace and security. As a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, China has been committed to the maintenance
of international peace and security. It attaches great importance to the United
Nations and supports it in playing its due role in maintaining international
peace and security under the guidance of the purposes and principles of the UN
Charter.
In order to guarantee their success and sound development, UN peace-keeping
operations must strictly adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN
Charter, especially the principles of respect for state sovereignty and
non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. No UN peace-keeping
operations should be launched without the prior consent of the countries
concerned. All UN peace-keeping forces should strictly observe neutrality and
non-use of force except for self-defense. Peaceful means, rather than coercive
measures, should be sought to settle disputes, such as mediation, good offices
and negotiation. Double standards and military interference under the name of
the UN should be rejected. Any decision on launching UN peace-keeping operations
must be based on practicability and capabilities, and no peace-keeping operation
should be launched when conditions are not ripe. Peace-keeping forces should not
become a party to a conflict, which would be a deviation from the basic purpose
of peace-keeping operations.
Adhering to the above principles, China has participated actively in UN
peace-keeping activities. So far China has sent 522 military observers, liaison
officers or advisers and 800 men in two batches from engineering units to the UN
peace-keeping operations, including the United Nations Truce Supervision
Organization （UNTSO）, United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission （UNIKOM）,
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia （UNTAC）, United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara （MINURSO）, United Nations Operation
in Mozambique （ONUMOZ）, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia （UNOMIL）,
United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone （UNOMSIL） and United Nations
Mission in Sierra Leone （UNAMSIL）.
At the moment, 38 Chinese military observers are still serving with UNTSO,
UNIKOM, MINURSO and UNAMSIL. In January 2000, at the request of the United
Nations, the Chinese government dispatched 15 civilian policemen to the United
Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor, the first time for China to send
civilian policemen to UN peace-keeping operations. In addition, the Chinese
government has continued to take part in the UN's stand-by arrangements.
Meanwhile, four Chinese have laid down their lives, and dozens have been wounded
in UN peace-keeping operations in order to support the United Nations in
fulfilling the mission entrusted to it by the UN Charter.
VI. Arms Control and Disarmament
Recent years have witnessed a series of negative developments in the area of
international arms control and disarmament, which have undermined the sound
momentum international disarmament efforts had gathered following the end of the
Cold War. The international community is confronted with grave challenges in its
efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction （WMD） and
promote disarmament, and with the emerging danger of a new arms race, which has
become a cause for serious concern.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the issue of arms control
and disarmament, and works hard to promote the sound development of the
international disarmament process. It believes that fair and rational arms
control and disarmament efforts are conducive to the relaxation of the
international situation, thereby constituting a vital means of safeguarding
world peace and enhancing international security. At the same time, the Chinese
government resolutely opposes the attempts of some countries to use arms control
and disarmament as a tool to weaken other countries and reinforce their own
military superiority for the purpose of seeking regional or global hegemony.
Nuclear Weapons and Missile Defense
China has consistently advocated the complete prohibition and thorough
destruction of nuclear weapons, and has made unremitting efforts to this end. On
the very first day it came into possession of nu-clear weapons, China solemnly
declared that it would not be the first to use such weapons, no matter what the
time or the circumstances. Later, China undertook unconditionally not to use or
threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or
nuclear-weapon-free zones. In May 2000, China, together with four other
nuclear-weapon states, issued a joint statement declaring that their nuclear
weapons are not targeted at any country.
China vigorously supports the efforts of the countries concerned to establish
nuclear-weapon-free zones on a voluntary basis, and has undertaken to provide
both positive and negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states and
nuclear-weapon-free zones. In July 1999, China reached an agreement with ASEAN
on the text of the Protocol to the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
Treaty and became the first among the five nuclear-weapon states to commit
itself to signing the Protocol once its revised text is open for signature.
As the most universal international arms control treaty, the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons （NPT） has laid a solid legal foundation for
international efforts to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons, promote
nuclear disarmament and enhance the peaceful use of nuclear energy. China
supports all efforts to consolidate and strengthen the international mechanism
of nuclear non-proliferation, and has faithfully fulfilled its obligations under
the NPT. This position of China's will remain unchanged. In December 1998, China
signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency （IAEA） the Additional
Protocol aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the IAEA safeguard system,
undertaking to report to the IAEA China's nuclear cooperation with
non-nuclear-weapon states.
The CTBT is an important milestone in the process of international nuclear
disarmament. As one of the first countries to sign the CTBT, China has been
actively participating in the work of the Preparatory Commission of the Treaty
Organization, and earnestly carrying out preparatory work for the implementation
of the Treaty in China. Being a nuclear-weapon state, China is fully aware of
its responsibilities concerning the entry into force of the Treaty. Therefore,
the Chinese government is still committed to the early ratification of the
Treaty, despite such negative developments in the past two years as the nuclear
tests in India and Pakistan and the US Senate's refusal to ratify the CTBT. Now,
the Chinese government has already com-pleted the necessary preparations and
formally submitted the Treaty to the NPC for review and ratification.
China has all along adopted a positive attitude to the negotiation of a
convention that prohibits the production of fissile materials for nuclear
weapons purposes, known as the FMCT. The Chinese government maintains that
progress on the issue of the FMCT negotiations is, and will continue to be,
closely related to the global peace and security situation. In view of the fact
that the US is accelerating its efforts for the development and possible
deployment of a national missile defense system and space weapons, and that the
US and Russia still possess nuclear arsenals large enough to destroy the world
many times over, it is China's position that continued nuclear dis-armament and
the prevention of an arms race in outer space are multilateral fora of arms
control that should be given more priority than the FMCT negotiations.
Therefore, the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva should not emphasize the
importance of only the FMCT negotiations to the neglect of the issues of nuclear
disarmament and the prevention of an arms race in outer space, and should, at
the minimum, give equal attention to all three issues by carrying out its
substantive work in a balanced manner.
The Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems （hereafter
referred to as the ABM Treaty） plays a very important role in maintaining the
global strategic balance and stability, promoting nuclear disarmament and
enhancing international security. However, in recent years the United States has
accelerated its development of a national missile defense system in disregard of
the relevant provisions of the ABM Treaty and the opposition of the
international community. China expresses its strong opposition to such moves on
the part of the United States, for they will undermine the global strategic
balance, severely hamper the nuclear disarmament process and international
non-proliferation efforts, jeopardize global peace and regional stability, and
may even touch off a new round of arms race.
The Resolution on the Preservation of and Compliance with the Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty, co-sponsored by China, Russia and Belarus, and adopted at the
54th Session of the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority, called
upon the parties to the ABM Treaty to refrain from the deployment of
anti-ballistic missile systems for the defense of their territories. It also
expressed support for further efforts by the international community to
safeguard the inviolability and integrity of the ABM Treaty. The Resolution is a
clear manifestation of the international community's opposition to US efforts to
develop and deploy missile defense systems, and of its will to safeguard the ABM
Treaty. On July 18, 2000, President Jiang Zemin of the PRC and President Putin
of the Russian Federation signed a joint statement on anti-missile defense. In
the statement, the Presidents reaffirm that the ABM Treaty remains the
cornerstone of global strategic stability and international security, and
constitutes the basis for a framework of the key international agreements
designed to reduce and limit offensive strategic weapons and to prevent the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Emphasizing that it is totally
untenable to press for amending the ABM Treaty on the pretext of socalled
missile threats from some countries, the Presidents point out that to amend the
text of the ABM Treaty is tantamount to an act of undermining the ABM Treaty and
will inevitably bring about a series of negative consequences, and that the
country which presses for amending this treaty will have to bear the full
responsibility for all these consequences. The Presidents also reiterate that
under the current strategic situation, it is of great practical significance to
preserve the integrity and effectiveness of the ABM Treaty. The United States
government should earnestly heed the appeal of the international community and
stop the development and deployment of missile defense systems that may
undermine global strategic stability.
The joint research and development of the theater missile defense （TMD） system
by the United States and Japan with a view to deploying it in East Asia will
enhance the overall offensive and defensive capability of the US-Japan military
alliance to an unprecedented level, which will also far exceed the defensive
needs of Japan. This will touch off a regional arms race and jeopardize security
and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. China expresses its profound concern
over such a development.
China is strongly opposed to the provision of the TMD system, its components and
technology, and any such assistance to Taiwan. China is also strongly against
any attempt to incorporate Taiwan in any form into the TMD system by any
country.
Chemical and Biological Weapons
China does not possess chemical weapons and has always stood for the complete
prohibition and thorough destruction of such weapons. As a State Party to the
Chemical Weapons Convention （CWC）, China has faithfully fulfilled all its
obligations under the Convention. It has submitted its initial declaration and
annual declarations in time and in their entirety, and accepted several
inspections by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons （OPCW）.
It has also participated in each session of the Executive Council and the
Conference of State Parties. China has been active in supporting the work of the
OPCW and has cosponsored, along with the OPCW, a regional seminar on
implementation of the Convention, as well as several training courses for
inspectors. In June 1998, the State Administration of the Petroleum and Chemical
Industry of China added ten chemicals to the third category of the List of
Controlled Chemicals.
It is the view of the Chinese government that the implementation of the
Convention has been, on the whole, satisfactory, since it entered into force
three years ago. However, there are problems which should not be ignored: The
universality of the Convention leaves a lot to be desired; a certain State Party
has made de facto reservations regarding the provisions of the Convention in the
form of domestic legislation; and some State Parties have been very slow
destroying their chemical weapons stockpiles. These problems should be put right
as soon as possible.
China has been a victim of chemical warfare. Large quantities of chemical
weapons abandoned by the Japanese invaders remain on Chinese soil to this day.
These weapons still seriously threaten the lives of the local people and have
caused serious damage to the ecological environment. In July 1999, the Chinese
and Japanese governments signed the Memorandum on the Destruction of the
Chemical Weapons abandoned by Japan in China, in which the Japanese government
explicitly admits the fact of the abandoning of chemical weapons, and undertakes
to earnestly fulfill the obligation and duty of destroying these weapons. China
urges Japan to start the substantive destruction conscientiously and at the
earliest date possible, in accordance with the principles and provisions set
forth in the Memorandum.
China does not possess biological weapons, and was once a victim of such
weapons. China stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of
biological weapons, and strongly opposes the development, production and
stockpiling of biological weapons by any country, as well as the proliferation
of such weapons and related technology in any form by any country. As a State
Party to the Biological Weapons Convention （BWC）, China has fully and
conscientiously fulfilled its obligations under the Convention and has, on an
annual basis, provided the United Nations with information on
confidence-building measures in this regard.
China supports the enhancement of the effectiveness of the BWC in a
comprehensive manner. Upon its accession to the BWC, China pointed out the
absence of concrete and effective measures for verification. China holds that,
in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the BWC, a necessary verification
mechanism should be established. In view of the complexity of biological weapons
and bio-technology, the verification mechanism to be established must be
rational, just and feasible. In order to protect the legitimate security and
commercial interests of State Parties, concrete measures aimed at preventing the
abuse of verification should be provided for. At the same time, there should be
concrete measures to promote international cooperation and exchanges among State
Parties in the field of bio-technology for purposes not prohibited by the
Convention. These measures will be conducive to enhancing the universality of
the Con-vention and the future Protocol.
Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space
China is strongly opposed to an arms race in outer space. China maintains that
the exploration and utilization of outer space should be for the sole purpose of
promoting the economic, scientific and cultural development of all countries,
and benefiting all mankind.
Such activities as the testing, deployment or use of weapons, weapon systems or
their components should be banned in outer space, in order to preve