As expected (and predicted, and propagandized), China’s National People’s Congress overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment to eliminate presidential term limits, paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in power after his second term ends in 2023.
The vote was as follows, per the AFP’s Joanna Chiu: 2958 in favor, 2 against, 3 abstentions, 1 invalid vote. Continue reading
Chinese soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army Navy stand guard in the Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands, on February 10. The Spratlys are the most contested archipelago in the South China Sea. Stringer/Reuters
Roughly 15 years ago, a Chinese fighter jet pilot was killed when he collided with an American spy plane over the South China Sea. The episode marked the start of tensions between Beijing and Washington over China’s claim to the strategic waterway. So in May, when two Chinese warplanes nearly crashed into an American spy plane over the same area, many in China felt a familiar sense of nationalist outrage. “Most Chinese people hope China’s fighter jets will shoot down the next spy plane,” wrote the Global Times, China’s official nationalist mouthpiece.
Though little talked about in the West, many Chinese officials have long felt that war between Washington and Beijing is inevitable. A rising power, the thinking goes, will always challenge a dominant one. Of course, some analysts dismiss this idea; the costs of such a conflict would be too high, and the U.S., which is far stronger militarily, would almost certainly win. Yet history is riddled with wars that appeared to make no sense. Continue reading
China’s military is expected to expand its offshore presence with the passage yesterday of a wide-ranging new national security law that highlights the country’s need to protect its “overseas interests”.
Besides underscoring the need to protect national territorial sovereignty and integrity, the law passed by the National People’s Congress says it is the military’s duty to defend these overseas interests, through military action if necessary.
This is in addition to the People’s Liberation Army’s responsibilities in peacekeeping, international rescue operations and escort missions.
Fu Ying, the National People’s Congress spokeswoman, told this week’s annual plenum that the rise was in line with suggestions by the central authority.
The mainland increased its military budget by 12.2 per cent last year. Continue reading
China must continue to develop aircraft carriers to maintain the security of its Indian Ocean routes, says People’s Liberation Army hawk Yin Zhuo.
The 69-year-old rear admiral made the comments Monday, a day before the commencement of the annial “two sessions” of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. Continue reading
1) The exchange rate between the yuan and US Dollar is sizeable – 6.12 yuan per US Dollar at this very moment.
2) The PLA doesn’t have the same overhead costs, as servicemen are paid peanuts compared to their American counterparts.
3) Screws, bolts and other similar parts do not cost $25 each after everyone gets their pockets lined.
The moral of this story: Don’t ever let anyone use the “But the Chinese costs are only 0.00001% of what America spends!” argument. They’re absolutely clueless, haven’t done their homework, and are the exact reason why one day the United States will get hit with One Clenched Fist.
The Chinese threat (as well as the Russian) is real and becoming more dangerous each day. Combine this with the US un-intelligence community not even knowing what their enemies are up to and, Houston, we have a problem.
The sword is coming.
China made headlines today with its annual military budget, up 12.2 percent to $132 billion dollars this year. That’s about one quarter of the $495 billion military budget that President Obama presented to Congress yesterday.
Predictably, official commentary here stresses that China is a peace-loving nation with no aggressive intentions. But Beijing has also signaled its ambitions to be the power that holds the ring in the western Pacific, and those ambitions have been spelled out, arguably clearer than ever before, in a direct challenge to US military preeminence.
China needs a powerful military, explained Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the National People’s Congress, on Tuesday because “if some country provokes or undermines consensus or even damages peace and order in the region, then China must respond effectively.” Continue reading
The new road-mobile missile was shown deployed on a transporter-erector launcher. It is the latest indication that China’s military is moving forward with at least four other long-range precision guided missiles that threaten U.S. and Asian security.
The camouflage-painted missile was shown as it was photographed from a passing car. It first appeared online Feb. 29 on at least two Chinese military web sites.
The new missile was described in online posts as a “strategic” missile, meaning it is likely capable of being armed with nuclear warheads.
U.S. intelligence agencies were recently alerted to the new missile and officials say it is being analyzed closely.
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the photos.
The disclosure appears to be another manifestation of China’s growing nationalism and boasting of military prowess. China often showcases new weapons systems around the time of major Communist Party meetings. Two major nationwide sessions in Beijing—the annual National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress—are currently underway.
Full article: China Unveils New Nuke Missile — Fresh challenge to U.S. Pacific forces (Washington Free Beacon)
Global Geopolitics 