China yet to fully explain defence plan

diver18

Breaking news
China yet to fully explain defence plan
From: AAP June 16, 2011 11:30AM

CHINA continues to spend a very large amount of money to modernise and expand its defence forces but without explaining why it needs such a large military, a new study says.

That contrasts with the United States which also spends a vast amount on its military but spelled out a detailed strategic rationale in its 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).

In a paper released on Thursday, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) analysts Dr Andrew Davies and Andrew Rothe said the 2010 White Paper - China's National Defense in 2010 (CND10) - provided only a very limited insight into China's military thinking.

It says the overarching defence goal - defending China's lands - is entirely unexceptional. That's followed by the "distinctly Chinese" objective of opposing and containing separatist forces in Taiwan, Tibet and East Turkistan.

CND10 notes more intricate and volatile regional security with "relevant major powers" increasing their strategic investment.

China is developing a significant naval capability including an aircraft carrier and nuclear submarines but fails to answer a key question - just how far offshore do Chinese ambitions extend?

Dr Davies and Mr Rothe said there had been much speculation that China saw its interests as extending past the South China Sea to the Strait of Malacca, the Philippine Sea and the Sea of Japan.

"But none of that is to be found in CND10 and that is the basis of most criticism of China's lack of transparency," the ASPI paper said.

In contrast, the QDR expresses concerns about the growing capabilities of nations such as China to limit US ability to project power.

It cites China's development of advanced missiles, long-range air defences and attack submarines.

"There is nothing in either (white paper) to suggest that the ASPI was wrong in previously observing that, at least to some extent, the two sides are configuring their militaries to fight one another," the ASPI said.

Dr Davies and Mr Rothe said China now possessed the ability to threaten significant losses if America intervened on behalf of Taiwan, while US ability to dictate to China in its proximate waters was much diminished from a decade ago.

China's defence spending has increased markedly, as has its economy, but it's only now building its first aircraft carrier while the US had been operating up to a dozen nuclear carriers for decades.

"These realities necessarily limit what China can aspire to do on the global stage in the foreseeable future," they said.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking- ... rfku0-1226076286045

jack_j11

Why does China need to fully explain its defence plan?

hwacheng

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