BEIJING: China hopes that Australia acts and speaks with caution on the South China Sea and that its words and actions on the matter match each other, a senior Chinese officer told the visiting head of the Australian Defence Force.
Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting U.S. freedom of navigation exercises there. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Fan Changlong
Chinese Military Vice Chairman Urges Troops to Get Ready For Combat: Xinhua
While it is unclear how much of it is populist bluster, how much is posturing, and how much an actual, objective caution, Bloomberg points out an article by China’s news agency Xingua posted on the website of the Ministry of National Defense, in which Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (which is chaired by Xi Jinping himself) “urges Chinese troops to get prepared for combat by improving planning, equipment and logistical support in order” to be ready to “win the war.”
Bloomberg adds that Fan made the comments in recent inspection tour of China’s Southern Theater Command. The warning comes days after China officially warned the US that its patrols in the South China Sea – which despite last week’s decision by the Hague tribunal – deems as its own, could end in “disaster.” Continue reading
Russia and China vow to enhance military ties
Top Chinese and Russian military officers pledged to further enhance military ties on Wednesday.
Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, told Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, the development of relations between the two countries and the two armed forces have maintained good momentum in recent years.
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