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SHANGHAI – China and Germany are moving toward a closer and friendlier partnership, a process that seemed highly unlikely just three years ago and which could provide Beijing with an influential ally on the world stage.
By atimes.com

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Beijing, July 29 : Chinese military conducted two exercises near the Yellow Sea on Sunday to test the troop’s long-range striking precision.
By newkerala.com

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Foreign ministers from 27 countries discussed ways to promote confidence-building at an annual Asian regional security forum in Vietnam last week amid China’s rapid military-building
By japantoday.com

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London, July 24 : China’s hairiest man is set to undergo surgery to enhance his appearance in a bid to gain international movie stardom.
By newkerala.com

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China’s hairiest man is set to undergo surgery in the hopes of improving his looks and gaining international movie stardom.
By foxnews.com

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The offer to facilitate negotiations between China and its neighbors could open a new source of friction with China.
By nytimes.com

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Ahead of a joint military drill between the United States and South Korea, a Chinese military daily has said the country must continue to enhance its strength to fight “against the international hegemony.”
By hindustantimes.com

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WASHINGTON — America’s top military officer says he is worried about what he sees as a shift in the focus of China’s military buildup, VOA reports.
By b92.net

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Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen, says China has made a ‘fairly significant investment’ in military equipment
By www1.voanews.com

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BEIJING (Reuters) – China expressed “deep concern” on Wednesday after the United States and South Korea said they would start large-scale joint military drills on July 25.
By thestar.com.my

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The large-scale naval exercises off Japan and the Korean Peninsula will next week, despite objections from China.
By nytimes.com

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(RTTNews) – A Taiwanese Defense Ministry-sponsored study says China is increasing the number of missiles aimed at Taiwan to 2,000.
By news.ino.com

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China’s influence on Pak poses security concerns for IndiaChina’s influence on Pak poses security concerns for India
By economictimes.indiatimes.com

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Merkel says concerned about access to rare earth metals. 18 Jul 2010 1:42 PM
By businessspectator.com.au

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July 17, 2010: China is training more of its troops to use UAVs, and developing better ones for the troops to work with. Meanwhile, the best they have are a decade or more behind Western UAVs.
By strategypage.com

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China UFO sightings continued Thursday in the eastern part of the country. Last week, Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou closed for two hours when an unidentified object hovered over the skies.
By csmonitor.com

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For several years, US officials have pressed China to revalue its currency. They complain that the undervalued yuan represents unfair competition, destroying US jobs and contributing to the US trade deficit. How, then, should US officials respond?
By taipeitimes.com

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China has once again raised concerns over the upcoming joint naval drill between South Korea and the US.
By english.peopledaily.com.cn

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The leaders of China and Germany Friday agreed a joint communique saying the two countries will push forward their strategic partnership in a comprehensive way.
By english.peopledaily.com.cn

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China can do more. China can put her money where her mouth is and do something about the undervalued Renminbi.
By dinmerican.wordpress.com

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DUBLIN—-Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Global and China Military Industry Report, 2009-2010″ report to their offering.
By biz.yahoo.com

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WASHINGTON – The Defence Department says the U.S. and South Korea likely will forge ahead with joint military exercises in the Yellow Sea despite China’s objections.
By news.therecord.com

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July 13, 2010: China has introduced a new version of its standard 9mm military pistol (the Type 92). The new version has a polymer body, a longer (by 8.5 percent) barrel, a Picatinny accessory rail and several minor changes, apparently the result of user feedback.
By strategypage.com

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Despite not having a scheme in place, Australia has called on China to do more to tackle climate change.
By bigpondnews.com

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AUSTRALIA has called on China to do more to tackle climate change even though the Gillard Government does not have a scheme in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
By dailytelegraph.com.au

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China is considering closing its vast network of labour camps, allowing an unprecedented public debate over the controversial “re-education” program.
By canada.com

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Rising power has drawn a red line down the map of Asia and defied anyone to cross it, writes Peter Hartcher.
By theage.com.au

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Beijing, July 10 : China has rejected Japanese media reports on its military spending being 1.5 times higher than the country’s 2010 defense budget cited in March.
By newkerala.com

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Chinese telecoms maker Huawei Technologies is trying to secure its first major deal in the United States despite concerns in Washington over its possible close ties to China’s army, a report said Friday.
By news.yahoo.com

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BEIJING | As Xinhua reports, China and Tonga pledged to further strengthen military cooperation and exchanges when their senior military officials held talks here on Wednesday. …
By defpro.com

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Chinese authorities have warned the US and South Korea against staging joint military exercises near its waters in the Yellow Sea.
By presstv.ir

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BEIJING (Reuters) – A prominent Chinese dissident has challenged Premier Wen Jiabao to abolish state security police and slash spending on “stability” controls, saying he is ready to risk jail over his planned book criticising the premier.
By thestar.com.my

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China plans railway link with PakistanChina plans railway link with Pakistan
By economictimes.indiatimes.com

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China has opened its largest comprehensive maritime museum and the world’s largest professional maritime museum in the city of Shanghai.
By presstv.ir

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American officials reacted with puzzlement to the prison sentence imposed on an American geologist because he sold a database on Chinas oil industry.
By nytimes.com

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Wen, on his part, said that “a healthy, stable and dynamic China-India relationship is of far-reaching significance to the two nations, Asia and the whole world at large.”
By news.rediff.com

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BEIJING | As xinhua reports, China and Guyana pledged to advance their military ties when officials from the two countries held talks here Friday. …
By defpro.com

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China and Pakistan have started anti-terrorism exerises in China’s south.
By bigpondnews.com

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China’s military said Thursday it would welcome a future visit by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, state media reported, one month after a planned trip was called off.
By news.yahoo.com

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Hey guys, I’d be willing to have a discussion on PLA related topics through Google wave, so if anyone is interested, you can email me your Google wave account (my email is tphuang@gmail.com) or reply to this note and then I will try to answer any questions you may have. Please be respectful and not spam me.

By Feng

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China’s military said Thursday it would welcome a future visit by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, state media reported, one month after a planned trip was called off.
By news.yahoo.com

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China’s military said Thursday it would welcome a future visit by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, state media reported, one month after a planned visit was called off.
By news.yahoo.com

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Military commanders of one of the world’s largest military forces may soon be receiving new orders: Matchmake your soldiers.
By cnn.com

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China called its behavior beyond reproach, continuing an argument with the U.S. about how to handle North Korea.
By nytimes.com

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China will start six days of live-fire drills off its eastern coast Wednesday amid plans for joint U.S.-Korea military exercises in the region.
By canadaeast.com

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China will start six days of live-fire drills off its eastern coast Wednesday, state media reported amid plans for joint U.S.-Korea military exercises.
By canadaeast.com

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China will kick off six days of live-fire military exercises off its eastern coast later this week.
By bigpondnews.com

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After years of wrangling, the Pentagon finally decided in February that its troops were clear to use blogs and other social media. The Chinese military is going in the other direction. To put it mildly.
By feeds.wired.com

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China has issued regulations banning its soldiers from creating websites or writing web blogs, adding to the nation’s existing Internet curbs, state press reported.
By iol.co.za

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North Korea says it plans to introduce a new nuclear deterrent, hours after the US urged China to act over the warship issue.
By news.bbc.co.uk

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Though the Chinese Navy’s operating doctrine has changed from ‘near sea defence’ to ‘far seas operations’, China has a long way to go in becoming a real maritime power, writes Premvir Das
By news.rediff.com

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BEIJING (AFP) – China has issued regulations banning its 2.
By nz.news.yahoo.com

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BEIJING (AP) Upcoming joint U.S.-South Korean naval drills have sparked an unexpected outcry from Chinese nationalists, whose fiery rhetoric has been stoked by their country’s rising economic …
By foxnews.com

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China to declare its N-plans for Pakistan at NSG meetingChina to declare its N-plans for Pakistan at NSG meeting
By economictimes.indiatimes.com

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China is oriented to production, not consumption. It is unlikely then, that US companies will continue to make big profits from sales in China.
By csmonitor.com

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) China stepped in Wednesday to provide Cambodia with more than 250 military vehicles after the United States earlier suspended a similar shipment when the Cambod…
By foxnews.com

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China to go ahead with plans to build two N-reactors in PakChina to go ahead with plans to build two N-reactors in Pak
By economictimes.indiatimes.com

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China is likely to go ahead with its decision to finance the construction of two nuclear power plants in Pak.
By indianexpress.com

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The Chinese government is only doing the minimum to prevent Congress from listing it as a currency manipulator
By salon.com

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There is an irony in that “green technologies” for the West might rely on environmentally unfriendly mining in China.
By huffingtonpost.com

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WASHINGTON -China’s growing economic and military clout is a matter of concern in the United States and its allies including Japan and France, according to a recently released Pew Research Center poll. Read more…
By malaysianmirror.com

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China says its civilian nuclear co-operation with Pakistan is peaceful, after the US asks for details on the sale of reactors.
By news.bbc.co.uk

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China announced in late April the sale of two nuclear reactors to Pakistan.
By atimes.com

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June 12, 2010: Last month, China made an official protest to Japan, complaining that Japanese aircraft and ships harassed Chinese warships training in international waters (the East China Sea). Japan rejected the protest and reminded the Chinese that anyone can watch anyone on the high seas, and it’s been that way for everyone, for a long time.
By strategypage.com

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the United States of hypocrisy during a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai on Friday, two days after host China yielded to international pressure to back new nuclear sanctions against Tehran.
By asia.news.yahoo.com

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SHANGHAI – IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the United States of hypocrisy during a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai on Friday, two days after host China yielded to international pressure to back new nuclear sanctions against Teheran. ‘How can they have the right to impose pressure on other countries who are willing to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes?’ Mr Ahmadinejad …
By straitstimes.com

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Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Friday China will work with Japan to boost mutual trust in security affairs and reinforce bilateral defense exchanges. “This will help with the growth of China-Japan strategic and mutually-beneficial relations,” Liang said when meeting with a delegation of Japanese military officers and the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund. Hailing the sound …
By english.people.com.cn

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CENSORSHIP Google’s Chinese map snag Google Inc. is studying Chinese rules implemented last month that require online map services to obtain a government permit in order “to understand their impact on our map products in China,” said Kate Hurowitz, a… China – Google – Asia – Government – Business and Economy
By sfgate.com

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China hopes the United States will take an objective, rational and just view towards China’s national defense policy and the development of its armed forces, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in Beijing on Thursday. Qin’s comment came in response to a question on China’s attitude towards a U.S. military officer’s remarks on China’s military development. The Chairman of the U.S. Joint …
By english.people.com.cn

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BEIJING | As Xinhua reports, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Wednesday that China will step up military exchanges with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). …
By defpro.com

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Strained ties between the U.S. and Chinese militaries are holding back a more robust discussion of how to plan for a possible collapse of the North Korean regime, U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said.
By businessweek.com

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Top US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen has said he is “dismayed” by China’s lack of support for efforts to pressure North Korea over the fatal sinking of a South Korean warship.
By news.yahoo.com

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Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Wednesday that China will step up military exchanges with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Liang, also a State Councilor, made the remarks while meeting with Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithy, Chief of the General Staff of the UAE Armed Forces. Liang spoke highly of China-UAE ties, saying the two countries have maintained close political exchanges …
By english.people.com.cn

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US Military Chief “Dismayed” By China Response Over South Korea Ship Sinking
By feeds.foxbusiness.com

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China hopes the United States will take an objective, rational and just view towards China’s national defense policy and the development of its armed forces, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang here on Thursday.
By en.ce.cn

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Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says he is worried by Beijing’s ‘heavy investments’ in the sea and air capabilities of the China military and its rejection of military contacts with the US.
By csmonitor.com

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Top US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen has said he is “dismayed” by China’s lack of support for efforts to pressure North Korea over the fatal sinking of a South Korean warship.
By news.yahoo.com

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SINGAPORE – China’s military is a roadblock to better overall relations between the United States and China, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.
By news.therecord.com

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Buenos Aires (AFP) June 9, 2010 -

China is studying plans to install a satellite dish in Argentina for Beijing’s space program, a local official said Wednesday.

“China sent a delegation to Argentina to study the possibility of constructing an antenna for its space research,” said Adolfo Italiano, director of planning and technology for the Neuquen provincial government in southwest Argentina.

He said Chinese engineers offered few details but indicated an interest in Argentina for the space program.

In addition to Neuquen, the delegation visited other provinces, including Rio Negro and Mendoza and also traveled to Chile.

It is not known when the Chinese government will make a decision.

Beijing is considering launching in 2011 a space module, Tiangong-1, viewed as an important step towards the goal of a manned space station.

In 2003 China became the third country that sent a man into space with the Shenzhou-5 mission.

By spacedaily.com

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The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said Wednesday he is disappointed by the international community’s “tepid” response to North Korea’s attack on a South Korean warship and called on China to step up and do more. North Korea – Joint Chiefs of Staff – South Korea – Asia – United States armed forces
By boston.com

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June.04 (China Military News cited from Xinhua) — The development of China’s national defense capabilities is not aimed at challenging, threatening or invading any other country, but to maintain its own security, a senior Chinese military official said here on Saturday.

Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army pointed out at the 9th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asian Security Summit that some people still view China’s development with suspicion, worrying that China will seek expansion and hegemony when it becomes strong, as some western countries did.

Chinese Stealth Fighter’s Imagination Picture

“The development of China’s national defense capabilities is not aimed at challenging, threatening or invading any other country, but at, first and foremost, maintaining its own security, ” Ma said.

Ma noted that every country should combine its own interests of its own people with shared interests of people around the world, and its own national security with the common security with the international community.

Only common development can guarantee sustainable development for all, and only common security is truly sustainable security, which has been implemented by China in the practice of foreign strategy, Ma said.

“We believe maintaining security in the Asia-Pacific region serves China’s interest, and it is also China’s responsibility,” Ma said, adding that China has the responsibility to make greater contribution to regional peace and prosperity and it is willing to do so.

The 9th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asian Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, is held in Singapore from June 4-6. Delegations from 28 countries and regions, with more than 300 delegates including defense ministers, chiefs of defense staff, and other senior security policy-makers, attended the summit.

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By admin

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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Jeff Hagen evaluates the balance between observed Chinese capabilities and U.S. forces in light of China’s continued modernization of its military.
By rand.org

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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Roger Cliff reviews the capabilities of China’s air forces as part of understanding the nature of the military challenge China is presenting to the United States.
By rand.org

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TENSIONS SIMMERING on the Korean peninsula over the Norths sinking of a South Korean navy vessel took a fresh twist yesterday when China, North Koreas only meaningful ally, accused its neighbour of killing three Chinese at the border last week.
By rss.feedsportal.com

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Israel a small country with limited influence on China has found ways to engage an emerging superpower whose geopolitical heft is increasingly vital to the Jewish state.
By nytimes.com

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By HALLEN JOY SUMINGWA www.nordis.net As I am writing this essay, I am getting ready for my journey to be an English teacher in Japan. Currently I am an English teacher in a public primary school here in Thailand, for three years now. Earlier, I used to teach in China for 2 years before I moved to [...]
By nordis.net

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Iran’s Ahmadinejad to visit China as world powers poised to slap new sanctions on Tehran.
By middle-east-online.com

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June.05 (released by “China Military Power Mashup” and written by Guo Hongbo) — The Chinese Air Force has demonstrated continued improvements in military capabilities in many crucial operations, military and non-military, including field combat drills. Sino-Russian military exercises, security maintenance for the Beijing Olympics and relief work for the Sichuan earthquake. The Air Force has achieved significant improvements in air offense, long-range precision strikes, air-defense and anti-missile capabilities, strategic air delivery, airborne operations, rapid response, joint operations, command and comprehensive support.

Air Offense

Scene One: On the night of Feb. 25, 2006, a dozen fighters flashed through the dark, heavily overcast sky in east China. They were conducting a beyond-visual-range (BVR) offense and defense drill in complicated weather conditions.

Thickening clouds and bursts of electromagnetic interference brought challenges and danger. The pilots were in intensive combat. They would fly until the last missile was fired and return to battle the moment tanks were refilled and weapons reloaded.

All the fighters landed smoothly without lights as the four-hour exercise ended at 11:30 p.m.

Scene Two: In late July 2008. more than 10 Air Force regiments and brigades, including air defense and electronic counter-measure forces, gathered in northwest China. The country’s largest comprehensive exercise was launched over tens of thousands of square kilometers to test airborne early warning, air defense and interception and counter-measure capabilities. New-generation fighters, surface-to-air missiles, information transmitters and field command shelters all converged from across China to form a comprehensive joint combat system that attacked and defended against an “enemy force” under intense electromagnetic interference.

Scene Three: In a military exercise in the South China Sea on June 15. 2009. the air force simulated offensive and defensive operations on the high seas under intense and complicated electromagnetic interference. Fighters, bombers and refueling aircraft took part. Behind them was a network of land and ship command centers ensuring command, communication and full group radar coverage.

The missions of combat air patrol, full-scale confrontation, redeployment and airdrops included more than 100 aircraft from around China.

Analysis: The Air Force has engaged in tactical exercises in complicated conditions, from single dimension to systematic and comprehensive, from single factor to intense electromagnetic environments, from short sea offensive drills to high seas patrols, focusing on the coordination of various branches and aircraft. The air force has been strengthening the role of simulation and networks in training. A new modern air force system has taken shape on the basis of third-generation fighters, bombers, early-warning, refueling and scout aircraft. The Air Force’s offensive capability has made a great advance to an information-oriented, all weather, all-terrain, extended-range, and comprehensive combat system.

Precision strikes

Scene One: On June 19, 2008, two fighter squads, based hundreds of kilometers apart, took off for a long-range precision strike exercise without prior notice. They were to gather at a designated rendezvous and destroy mobile ground targets hidden in the mountains. As magnetic interference disrupted communications, the pilots had to identify and attack multiple random targets by sight. They reported all targets destroyed within minutes.

Scene Two: In late August 2008, a regiment of bombers flew straight to a target area at sea from thousands of miles away, crossing three military area commands and landing at two unfamiliar airports en route. The pilots prepared for the strike before reaching the area. The “enemy ships” were instantly destroyed in a missile attack.

Analysis: Long-range precision strike is a core combat capability of a modern air force. It is a combination of air refueling, stealth technology and precision-guided munitions. China’s Air Force has been improving its long-range precision strike capability by developing new equipment and improving training to guarantee advantage in local wars in the information era.

Air Defense and Anti-missile Capabilities

Scene One: In late autumn of 2000, a piercing alarm broke the peace of Bohai Bay. It announced the beginning of a joint exercise of the surface-to-air missile force and the air force. At 2:53 p.m., the “enemy” took the first move. Two flying objects flashed above the sea. The intruding targets were immediately destroyed. Then missiles brought down all the enemy aircraft.

Scene Two: In midsummer 2006, in the Gobi Desert, a military exercise under complicated electromagnetic conditions was underway. An anti-aircraft artillery regiment had just arrived from thousands of miles away. As they deployed, a missile several meters above the ground flashed toward them at hundreds of meters per second. The missile came into range and was immediately detonated in a hail of artillery fire.

Scene Three: In August 2006, a surface-to-air missile regiment moved day and night to the Bohai Sea for live-fire target practice. Under intense electromagnetic interference, they hit five moving targets simultaneously with eight missiles.

Analysis: The Air Force has many achievements: the first hit with a surface-to-air missile; the bringing down of a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft; and launching a high-altitude unmanned jet aircraft. However, the advances in air offense keep challenging our antiaircraft defense capabilities. The Air Force has striven to meet the challenges: from anti-aircraft to anti-missile and even space defense. Today’s Air Force is striding toward long-range air attack, all-dimension defense and multifunctional anti-missile and space defense.

Strategic Air Delivery

Scene One: In the summer of 2007, the Chinese-Russian military exercise, Peace Mission 2007, was set to go in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

At 8:30 a.m. on July 31, the first IL-76 took off from an airport in central Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, marking the launch of China’s air deployment. The exercise was the first large-scale, multi-force, long-range, cross-border operation of China’s air force. In four hours, after detouring around the Far East, the first echelon of China’s air force reached the exercise area.

Scene Two: At 2:15 p.m. on May 14 last year, 12 large transport aircraft took off from Nanyuan Airport in Beijing and airbases in Hubei and Shaanxi Province. They carried 50 medical teams of 1,500 doctors and 100 tonnes of goods.

The previous day, 32 transports had carried 6,800 personnel and 74 tonnes of goods to quake-stricken Sichuan Province in extremely bad weather, setting a China record for the number of aircraft mobilized in difficult conditions and time in the air.

During the relief work. 60 transport aircraft and helicopters from 16 aviation units, delivered 15,000 people and 3,000 tonnes of goods.

Analysis: Strategic delivery is a core capability of a modern air force. The Chinese Air Force is able to rapidly transport personnel, goods and combat units long distances and over large areas. The mobilization of tens of thousands of people from all corners of the country showed the Air Force’s delivery capability had taken shape with considerable scale and well-designed structure.

Airborne Operations

Scene One: From October 2003 till August 2004, China’s airborne troops completed 57 consecutive high-strength combat training programs in the harshest areas of 20 counties of three provinces in central, south and northeast China.

Scene Two: Deep in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, military officers from dozens of countries watched North Sword 2005. After fighters opened a landing area in a sustained offense, large transport aircraft dropped items by parachutes in various colors and sizes, some large for heavy equipment, some with propulsion equipment. The troops landed successfully though the wind speed was 7 meters a second on the ground and 8.9 meters a second in the air. After landing, the soldiers immediately gathered with the vehicle direction search systems and formed deep strike, comprehensive strike and fire assault teams. With the support of special forces, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and comprehensive support groups, the three teams started their operations.

Scene Three: On May 14, 2008, Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, was cut off from the outside world by the earthquake two days before. With no land support, weather information or landmark guidance, 15 airborne soldiers parachuted from 4,999 meters up through gaps in the clouds. They landed unharmed and sent out information about the area, helping to bring support and care.

Analysis: Airborne forces boast many distinctive advantages. They are multifunctional and unrestrained by geography. As security concerns have multiplied, the Air Force has adopted the development strategy of building “mechanized airborne troops” and “modularized force systems” in which airborne troops are a key assault force to be used at crucial and decisive moments. The airborne troops are growing into a strategically decisive force that can effectively contain crises and turn the tide in battle with rapid response, extended range and vertical attack capabilities.

Rapid Response

Scene One: On June 2000, an ultra-light aircraft illegally flew into China’s air space. The Air Force sent two fighters to intercept it. The intruder tried to flee using his advantages of low speed and extremely low altitude in a mountainous area. However, the fighter pilots showed outstanding flying skills and forced the aircraft to land by a fish pond.

Scene Two: Immediately after the May 12 earthquake of 2008, the Chinese Air Force adopted an emergency response mechanism. The first IL-76 transport plane took off one hour and 26 minutes after the quake, 46 minutes after receiving the order. Just two hours and 25 minutes after the quake. Premier Wen Jiabao took off in his special aircraft from Beijing. At 8 p.m., two large transports loaded with relief goods roared into the sky. Meanwhile, transporters, helicopters, scout and survey aircraft based across China headed to the quake zone. The first airborne troops landed 19 hours after the quake.

Analysis: Emergencies and air incidents are the tests of quick response capability in peacetime. I still recall ultra-light planes landing in Red Square in Moscow and flying over the White House. However, in China, the intruding ultra-light aircraft was immediately identified and forced to land. It was convincing evidence of the rapid response capability of the Air Force, which also performed outstandingly in natural disasters. Its rapid response capability has been proved by its prompt actions in emergency rescues and superb performance in military training.

Joint Operations

Scene One: In early 2000, a division of the Air Force took the lead in breaking barriers between different branches of China’s armed forces. It worked with the army and navy to build a cooperative tactical training area that integrated armored vehicles, anti-aircraft artillery, combat vessels, radar systems, missiles and air forces, paving way for an unprecedented joint combat exercise.

Scene Two: In October 2005, an army-air force joint exercise with modern information support was launched on a field training base. Fully loaded combat vehicles and personnel entered the assault area with helicopters hovering above. Ground-fire assault groups, equipped with remote information management systems, showered targets with fire as the joint assault was in full swing.

Scene Three: In February 2006, an army-air force joint exercise began deep in a mountain forest.

An Air Force command center, with authorization from the joint command base, took command of air and army forces to strike enemy anti-craft missile teams that were blocking the landing area.

Guided by army reconnaissance troops, fighters bombarded enemy targets and surface-to-air missile units opened fire. Army anti-aircraft artillery units struck the invading aircraft. Army and Air Force commanders gave coordinated orders from a single command base. Radar troops and air reconnaissance aircraft became the eyes of tank groups on land, and scouts guided bombers.

Covered by fighters, more than 10 transport helicopters brought airborne troops to the temporary landing spot. Command, light off-road, fire assault and anti-tank vehicles were deployed and heavily armed mechanized troops slid down ropes from the helicopters.

Analysis: It is widely accepted in the field of military research that joint operations will be essential in future warfare. The Air Force will become a partner of the Army and Navy and play an equally important role in the battlefield.

Decision-Making and Command

Scene One: When the catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008, China’s Air Force carried out its duties. In Chengdu Military Area Command’s air force command base, two giant screens carried information of all airports and aircraft in the area. More than 420 officers huddled in the command base, aviation management centers and airports, giving orders to rescuers.

On the day of the quake, more than 200 military and civil transport aircraft and helicopters gathered in the stricken area. Civil flights were cut from 500 to 200 with more than 100 flights diverted for quake relief. Within four days, military aircraft had flown 605 rescue and relief missions, 400 sorties a day at the peak. It was an unprecedented challenge with so many aircraft and complicated geological and meteorological conditions. The relief headquarters coordinated command, and opened all airports and military airspace, creating four special lines for relief work.

Scene Two: In August 2008, guarding the airspace over northeast, north, east, and south China was a vital part of security for the Olympic Games. The zone covered more than 1 million square kilometers and about 100 Olympic venues. It was China’s largest air security patrol to date.

To ensure the safety of the Olympic Games, the Air Force streamlined its command structure so that all forces from the military area command level to basic fire units were all under direct command of the special headquarters. The Air Force began intensive continuous air patrols in the 42 hours before and after the opening ceremony. During the games, more than 100,000 Air Force personnel remained on high alert.

Analysis: Decision-making and command is vital to military operations. The modern military organization is a complicated system. Commanders need technological, human and theoretical support. The decision-making and command capabilities of Chinese Air Force commanders and staff officers have made rapid progress. Great achievements have been made in the information construction of the air force, which facilitates smooth command and control.

Comprehensive Support

Scene One: The Chinese Air Force has accelerated the building of comprehensive support bases for aircraft. An exercise was held to test the comprehensive support capability for multiple types of aircraft in combat. It tested support functions, airport repair, refueling, transport of heavy

equipment and logistics communications and command.

Scene Two: In late autumn 2007, the Air Force conducted an exercise of urgent military support in a simulated air attack, focusing on airport repair and building field fuel depots.

At 11:10 a.m., “enemy” aircraft bombarded the airbase. “Emergency evacuation.” The command center sent orders to the computer terminals of emergency teams. Vehicles and personnel took cover in the shelters. Unable to identify a valid target, the enemy aircraft fired on a fake target set up by a camouflage team.

“Immediate repair for the damaged runway.” With the order was an image of a 2-meter-deep crater 8 meters wide on the visual system in the command center. An excavator, loader, roller and engineering vehicles rushed to the site, removing the debris and refilled the hole with a dense mixture of rocks, cement and concrete.

A fuel depot exploded and the pipeline was broken. A field fuel tank vehicle headed for a shelter and laid a 100-meter-long pipeline in four minutes.

At the same time, a field fuel depot with temporary tanks was being built. A transport vehicle carrying a cube-shaped container was laying fuel pipes and within three minutes it completed a 1,000-meter-long pipeline.

“Fixed aircraft arrest system destroyed, deploy mobile aircraft arrest system,” the command center ordered. Two mobile systems, carried on two trucks, were rushed to the end of the runway and the five nets were installed in under 50 minutes.

Analysis: It is said that amateurs talk about strategy, but experts talk about logistics. High-technology logistics for the Air Force mean much more than the daily support of its personnel. It is a comprehensive support capability that integrates logistics, technology and intelligence. From the performance of the Air Force in complicated exercises, we can tell that it has gradually developed a comprehensive support capability that adapts to the needs of all-terrain mobilization, new weapon development and combat and training missions.

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By admin

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Chinese Jet Gets Boost From Obama

One of the few concrete signs of cooperation to emerge from this week’s U.S.-China summit could boost Beijing’s drive to become a global aircraft maker.

President Barack Obama pledged Tuesday to push for closer technical collaboration and eventual U.S. safety approval for China’s ARJ21 commuter jet. That amounts to both a symbolic and practical step to counter Beijing’s growing frustration with U.S. aviation policy and U.S. restrictions on the purchase of certain technologies.

The high-profile U.S. initiative is especially significant because China’s own safety regulators are still a year or more away from approving the 70-to-100-passenger aircraft being developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., or Comac.

But signaling Washington’s desire to provide technical support and regulatory certainty down the road also raises questions about both the overseas role and the independence of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which has taken more of an arm’s-length approach toward certifying the safety of China’s future airliners.

Over the years, the FAA has forged close ties with Chinese carriers and aviation regulators through a multitude of joint safety efforts, data sharing and training programs. Hundreds of Beijing officials, airline managers, pilots and controllers have visited their U.S. counterparts. Partly as a result, the country’s commercial-aviation accident rate—China has gone nearly five years without a major fatal crash—is by some measures better than that of the U.S.

But when it comes to regulatory approval, the FAA has tried to maintain greater distance. Before Mr. Obama’s announcement, for example, FAA representatives in China pulled back from helping Comac teams developing the ARJ21 because of concern that such assistance might be considered a conflict of interest when other parts of the agency gear up to determine whether the plane meets U.S. safety standards. Nearly half the plane’s parts come from the U.S. An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment on President Obama’s announcement or what it means for future FAA steps.

So far, Western interest in buying the ARJ21 has been limited. At the Zhuhai air show in southern China last year, Comac announced that its first overseas order had come from General Electric Co. GE, which is supplying the engines, agreed to buy five of the regional jets with an option for 20 more, in a deal that could amount to $750 million. But GE also said that it planned to lease all the planes inside China. FAA certification is critical if Beijing hopes to attract other foreign buyers, and some U.S. officials predict it could take as long as two years. Currently undergoing flight tests, the plane has taken about twice as long to develop as its backers initially projected.

In some ways, however, the current discussions may be more of a prelude to broader commercial and regulatory cooperation on a larger Comac-designed jet, the more than 160-seat C919. Slated for certification no earlier than 2016, that model would compete directly with the two leading global airliner suppliers, Boeing Co and Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. Though still in early design, Chinese officials have said the C919 should have operating costs 10% below those of comparable Western jetliners

Safety and business considerations aren’t the only reason for U.S.-Chinese friction over aerospace collaboration. Honeywell International Inc. has struck a tentative deal to provide avionics and terrain-avoidance warning systems to Chinese customers. But one glitch, according to Honeywell officials, is that Chinese authorities insist that the updated digital maps Honeywell sells outside China can’t include data about sensitive facilities and man-made obstacles throughout the country.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704204304574544043310821078.html

By polaris

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China has the resources and technology–some of it obtained quasi-legally and illegally–to build a fifth-generation fighter, say U.S. Air Force and intelligence officials. But Beijing’s aerospace industry may be missing key skills needed for it to match the performance of advanced, Western-built combat aircraft.

What neither Beijing nor the Western defense community yet knows is whether Chinese technicians can generate the systems engineering and integration capabilities required to actually build in large production numbers and arm advanced aircraft with features similar to those of the aging B-2 and F-22 or the newer but less stealthy F-35 (AW&ST Nov.16, p. 26).

“You need a combination of the right shape, structural design, surface coatings, aerodynamic performance and flight control system,” says a U.S. Air Force official. “It’s not magic, but there’s still a lot of art in it.”

It remains to be determined if the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (Plaaf) will pursue a fighter design optimized for low observability or how much it will be willing to trade in terms of performance, supportability and delivery schedule.

The requirement–dubbed J-XX by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence in 1997–may well seek a more “balanced” approach to stealth, likely focusing on front-quadrant radar-cross-section reduction and the use of reapplicable coatings, rather than pursuing an all-aspect design. A twin-engine delta-canard concept has previously been suggested to be the general design approach.

While China is unlikely to field a platform with F-22-like capabilities within 10 years–as claimed by the Plaaf’s deputy chief, Gen. He Weirong–a new fighter is in development and may soon make its first flight, say Chinese aerospace industry and U.S. intelligence officials.

The U.S. intelligence official, a veteran analyst of China’s airpower, summarizes his view of the nation’s access to advanced technologies. “Between legal, quasi-legal [diverted] and espionage-based tech transfer, I’m sure China has obtained most of the data available on how we build our stealthy aircraft structures and the materials involved,” he says. “They also have taken full advantage of our open patent system, our open engineering undergrad and grad schools, our publish-or-perish academic promotion process and the ease with which an integrated, centralized [government] can thwart artificial, social-democratic distinctions between military, police, civil and commercial data.”

Aging F-22 and B-2 designs are another factor. They have given Chinese researchers more than 20 years to chase down those technologies. The B-2 has already gone through its first service-life-extension program.

“[With] what they’ve gotten from us, Japan, [South Korea], Russia and the European Union, they have access to all they need data-wise,” the intelligence official says. “Their only limitations are investment cash and the ability to work out production process engineering and integration, which we still do better than anyone. [Those skills] really reflect corporate culture and learning curve more than anything readily documented, although ISO 9000/9001/9002 and similar software documentation standardization are making that easier to steal, too.”

China’s J-10 strike fighter, which has an F-16-like capability, is considered the country’s best indigenous effort so far in terms of engines, avionics and aerodynamic performance. It began large-scale service in 2006. China’s military aircraft are profiting from knowledge about commercial composite-structure production garnered from building components for Boeing airliners and space materials.

The original J-10 work drew heavily on the Israeli Lavi program–Tel Aviv has generally proved a valuable source of technology for Beijing–and has benefited from Russian support.

Beijing also has used the J-11B development of the Russian Su-27 Flanker as the platform to introduce indigenous avionics, fire-control radar, weapons and powerplant. Further iterations of the systems produced for the J-11B may be earmarked for the J-XX.

The J-11B is designed to carry the PL-12 medium-range active radar-guided missile, rather than the export model of the Russian R-77 (AA-12 Adder). The PL-12 development reflects the overall improvement in China’s national guided-weapons technology base, even if the program had significant Russian input.

“Right now, the only arms race China is really facing is with India, and [Beijing is] winning,” the intelligence official says.

While that contest has no direct impact on the U.S., at least some Pentagon planners believe it will accelerate China’s large-force, war-making capability, while the U.S. is focusing its spending and technology development on limited-war and insurgency-type conflicts.

“In my view, we’re wasting billions on slow- and low-flying MC-12s [surveillance aircraft], MQ-1/-9 [remotely piloted aircraft], C-27J [light transports] and less-than-world-class, lowest-common-denominator, design-to-price [F-35] JSF,” the intelligence official says.

A veteran combat pilot with insight into the F-22 program says building an advanced fighter, even if it did not match the F-22′s or F-35′s performance, could be a serious threat to the U.S. stealth fleet if the new aircraft are built in large enough numbers to overcome an allied force through sheer attrition.

“Those fourth-generation fighters, when pitted against 187 F22s in large numbers, will eventually wear [the stealth fighters] down,” says an aerospace industry official. “They only carry eight air-to-air missiles. They don’t have to match Raptor capabilities if they build an advanced fighter in F-35 numbers.”

It would not be considered an impossible technological leap for China to build an F-35-like fighter with some stealth capabilities in 10 years. “They could throw a lot of resources at it,” a senior U.S. Air Force official says. “But we’ve yet to see a real organic design from China. So far, they’ve leveraged Russian or Israeli technology. They don’t have a lot of radar engineering capability, nor experience in integrating a complete structure. That’s the big question.

“You can paste on some [signature-lowering] capabilities, but changing a very large target to a large target doesn’t buy you too much operational advantage,” the Air Force official says. “You need very small stealth-signature numbers.”

The F-22 had an all-aspect requirement of -40 dBsm., while the F-35 came in at -30 dBsm. with some gaps in coverage.

The idea that the J-10 will serve as a technological springboard is considered unlikely.

“I believe the Chinese have a difficult road if their design is tied to the J-10,” he says. “As you know, significantly reduced signature requires more then coatings. The J-10 has many features which may produce the desired aerodynamic effects but would be a negative for signature reduction. I am sure they can somewhat reduce the signature with a few design tweaks and coatings, but the operational relevance would be questionable.

“They can certainly refine their composite-structure competency, and basic [stealth] coatings are widely known and available,” the Air Force official says. “The milestone will be when we see more refined shaping.”

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/CHFIGHT112409.xml&headline=China%20Promises%20New,%20Advanced%20Fighter

By polaris

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The Chinese Air Force has announced that it has a F-22 type aircraft ready to make its first flight within a year. The Chinese believe this aircraft will enter service within ten years. U.S. intelligence believes the Chinese are nowhere near this kind of capability. But given the quantity and quality of data Chinese hackers have been stealing in the past five years, it’s possible that they have much of the American technology that makes the F-22 and F-35 possible. Some believe that the Chinese also have a F-35 type design in the works as well.

American intel analysts believe that Chinese aviation technology (both design and manufacturing) is not yet capable of producing F-22/F-35 class aircraft. Given the experience with the first two Chinese designed and manufactured jet fighters (J-10 and JF-17), there is much doubt that China is capable of making the leap to F-22 class fighters. The big bottleneck is jet engine technology.

For two decades now, China has been developing the manufacturing technology for aircraft engines, the key component of any high performance aircraft. So far, China has been unable to create the manufacturing technology and personnel skills that are needed to make the engines for their most advanced jet fighters. For example, China is a major customer for Russian RD93 engines (originally designed for the MiG-29), and has bought over a thousand of them. The RD93 engines currently cost about $2.5 million each.

China has been developing a similar (apparently identical) engine to the RD93, the WS-13. Actually, this effort is being aided by Russia, which is selling China technology needed for the manufacture of key engine components. Russia isn’t happy about this, because they don’t want competition in the low cost jet engine market. Then again, China has a history of stealing technology it cannot buy, so the Russians are making the best of a bad situation. China says the WS-13 is nearly ready for service. Maybe, maybe not. Recently, China ordered another hundred RD93s. Building high performance military jet engines is difficult, and China has had problems mastering this kind of stuff. Not that they will not eventually acquire the skills, but until they do, they need the Russian made RD93s. Officially, more RD93 are being bought because China cannot produce enough of their WS-13s.

Chinese engineers also thought they had managed to master the manufacturing techniques needed to make a Chinese copy of the Russian AL31F engine. This Chinese copy, the WS10A, was meant for the Chinese J-10 fighter, which entered service two years ago. But the Chinese Air Force was not satisfied with the reliability or performance of the WS10A, and have ordered another hundred AL31Fs from Russia, in order to continue building J-10s. Meanwhile, Russian efforts to build an improved AL31 for their own F-22 competitor, have run into serious problems. Will the Chinese suddenly do better than their tutors?

The J-10 is the first modern jet fighter designed and built in China. The aircraft is an attempt to create a modern fighter-bomber that could compete with foreign designs. The experiment was not completely successful. Work on the J-10 began over twenty years ago, in an attempt to develop an aircraft that could compete with the Russian MiG-29s and Su-27s, and the American F-16. But the first prototype did not fly until 1998. There were problems, and it wasn’t until 2000 that the basic design flaws were fixed. By 2002, nine prototypes had been built, and flight testing was going forward to find, and fix, hundreds of smaller problems. It was a great learning experience for Chinese engineers, but it was becoming apparent that the J-10 was not going to be competitive with the Su-27s/30s China was buying from Russia. The J-10 looks something like the American F-16, and weighs about the same (19 tons). Like the F-16, and unlike the Su-27, the J-10 has only one engine.

The 13 ton JF-17, which uses the RD93, is meant to be a low cost alternative to the American F-16. It was developed in cooperation with Pakistan. The JF-17 is considered the equal to earlier versions of the F-16, but only 80 percent as effective as more recent F-16 models. The JF-17 design is based on a cancelled Russian project, the MiG-33. Most of the JF-17 electronics (in the Pakistani version) are Western, with Italian firms being major suppliers. The JF-17 can carry 3.6 tons of weapons and use radar guided and heat seeking missiles. It has max speed of nearly 2,000 kilometers an hour, an operating range of 1,300 kilometers and a max altitude of 55,000 feet. China has not yet decided on whether it will use the FC-1/JF-17 itself. This is apparently because China believes its own J-10 (another local design) and J-11 (a license built Russian Su-27) are adequate for their needs. The J-10, like the JF-17, did not work out as well as was hoped.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20091117.aspx

By polaris

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This is a huge deal. But $1.4 billion is not cheap, can Pakistan come up with enough funding for this purchase ?

LAHORE: China has agreed to sell Pakistan at least 36 advanced fighter jets in a landmark deal worth as much as $1.4bn, Pakistani and western officials said on Tuesday.

China will supply two squadrons of J-10 fighter planes in a preliminary agreement, which could lead to further sales in future, a Pakistani official said.

The official added that Pakistan might buy “larger numbers” of the planes in the future, but denied reports that Pakistan had agreed to buy 150 jets.

Experts describe the agreement as a “landmark” in Pak-China relations.

“The agreement should not simply be seen in the narrow context of Pakistan’s relations with China,” said Abdul Qayyum, a retired Pakistani general. “There is a wider dimension. By sharing its advanced technology with Pakistan, China is … also saying to the world that its defence capability is growing rapidly.”

China has supplied Pakistan with fighter jets for more than three decades. Experts said the sales would be evidence of China looking to expand its military power. “Countries like Iran and possibly some of the Middle Eastern countries would be keen to deal with China,” said one western official in Islamabad.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20091111story_11-11-2009_pg1_5

By polaris

article[s] found via yahoo.com”s news search
Singapore (AFP) June 5, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday chided China for suspending military ties over US arms sales to Taiwan, saying Beijing’s stance “makes little sense”. Renewing his call for stronger relations between the Chinese and US militaries, Gates said such a dialogue should not be “held hostage” over the long-running weapons sales. The arms sales had been going on …
By spacewar.com

article[s] found via yahoo.com”s news search
Over the past several years, China has given North Korean government officials jewels and precious stones worth $4 million, perfume and cosmetics worth $4.7 million, furs valued at $3.8 million as well alcohol and tobacco products worth $44 million, all in direct violation of a 2006 United Nations Security Council sanction China voted to approve.
By onlineathens.com

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June.03 (China Military News cited rom Xinhua and chinadaily) — China successfully launched its fourth orbiter into space at 23:53 Wednesday, as a part of its indigenous satellite navigation and positioning network known as Beidou, or Compass system.

The launch was disclosed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology via a statement posted on its official website Thursday.

The satellite was launched from the Long March 3III carrier rocket.

It will join another three satellites in orbit to form a network that will eventually consist of 35 satellites, said the statement.

According to the plan, the system will provide navigation, time and short message services in the Asia and Pacific region around 2012. It will be capable of providing global navigation services by 2020.

China started to build up its own satellite navigation system to break its dependence on the U.S. GPS in 2000, when it sent two orbiters as a double-satellite experimental positioning system, known as the Beidou system.

The launch of the country’s fourth Beidou orbiter late on Wednesday night signals “a step closer” toward the highly anticipated Chinese-version of the Global Positioning System (GPS), a senior official said on Thursday.

Beidou, or Compass system, is built to rival the United States-developed GPS, the European Union’s Galileo and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System, and is aimed at allowing travelers, drivers and military officials to know their locations.

China aims to have 12 Beidou navigation satellites in orbit before 2012 to cover the Asia and Pacific region, and complete the system with 35 navigation satellites to provide global services by 2020.

At 23:53 pm on Wednesday, the fourth orbiter was launched into space atop the Long March 3C carrier rocket from Xichang of Sichuan province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

It is the second Compass satellite launched in the past six months.

“The country is stepping into a busy period of launching the Compass satellites,” an unnamed official in charge of the project was quoted as saying on the official www.beidou.gov.cn website.

To follow the plan, eight more Compass satellites will be launched until 2012.

“As scientists have made breakthroughs in core technologies, the following launches should be able to meet the schedule,” Xiao Xiongbing, deputy director of the consultation office with China’s Association of Global Navigating Satellite Systems, told China Daily.

Building an indigenous navigation satellite system is considered to be important to a country’s information security.

Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based military expert, said that 90 percent of the world’s current weapons systems need a global positioning system.

With nearly 200 million people worldwide using GPS devices for positioning and navigation services, the system also generates a revenue of $120 billion a year, according to earlier reports.

Foreseeing the possible potential of China’s Compass system, efforts have already started to develop chips that are compatible to both systems, Xiao said.

“The Compass system and the GPS will supplement each other,” he said.

Users will be the beneficiaries of such compatibility as they will enjoy a more stable and accurate positioning and navigation service, he said.

But whether the market accepts the Compass system still depends on the chip’s price and performance, he said.

The Compass system’s developer promises to provide free services to the general public, including positioning with an accuracy of about 10 meters, speed-measurement and time services. A more accurate service will be available to authorized users only, the website reported.

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By admin

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May.31 (China Military News cited from indianexpress.com) — In A major setback to Pakistan, the strategic Karakoram Highway that connects China with Pakistan has been closed for over three months now after parts of it were submerged by an artificial lake following a massive landslide in Hunza valley in January. With reports suggesting that the damage could take more than a year or two to repair, the highway may stay closed for a while.

The landslide has led to the creation of a huge artificial lake in the Gilgit-Baltistan area, better known as the Northern Areas in India, along the Hunza river. The lake, which is said to have spread over 24 km and is now over 100 metres deep at certain points, is expected to breach very soon.

Karakoram Highway

The closure of the Karakoram Highway has badly affected the high-volume trade between Pakistan and China as well as military supplies. The highway connects the Gilgit-Baltistan area with Xinjiang province in China and has remained a source of military and strategic concern for India since it was built as a Sino-Pak “friendship highway”. Four years back, the two countries had agreed to further broaden the 1,300 km-highway.

The massive landslide in January, coupled with melting of glaciers in the last month or so, has posed the biggest challenge to Pakistani authorities since the highway was constructed. Engaged in campaigns against terrorist outfits on its western border, the Pakistan army has been on high alert over the past few days over a possible breach in the lake.

Pakistan Army engineers are looking at building a bypass on the Karakoram Highway to re-establish connectivity. Reports indicate that boats are being sent across submerged sections to ferry goods.

With the closure affecting military supplies from Beijing to Islamabad, a Chinese defence delegation recently visited Pakistan to discuss alternative arrangements.

It’s believed that two bridges on the highway, at Gulmit and Shiskat — the former an engineering marvel — are now submerged. The extent of damage and the possibility of building a bypass quickly can only be explored once there is a breach in the lake and the water drains out. By Pakistan’s own estimates, outflow currently is less than 200 cusecs while the inflow is 2400 cusecs. There is little over 100,000 acre feet water in the lake and Pakistan’s estimate is that the lake cannot hold more than 112,000 acre feet. So the breach is imminent any day.

As and when the breach occurs, Pakistan’s disaster management authorities have estimated that 35-40 villages may be washed away. Some 40,000 people have apparently been evacuated to avert major loss of life.

Chinese engineers, along with Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation, have constructed a spillway, but work on that too has been affected because of fear of more landslides.

The entire highway has always been viewed as an environmentally dangerous project given that it was built through an ecologically sensitive area and Pakistan, in fact, lost over 800 workers during the construction phase largely due to landslides.

Thereafter too, landslides have continuously disrupted movement on the road. But special arrangements have been made by the Pakistan army to ensure that the road is not blocked for a long time. Pakistan is also concerned about the possible collection of silt in the Tarbela dam, where the water from the lake would flow.

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By admin

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May.25 (China Military News cited from Reuters) —  The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said Tuesday that military ties with China are lagging behind the two countries’ other dealings in maturity and sophistication.

Admiral Robert Willard told People’s Liberation Army deputy chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, that it was regretful that military ties were so far behind the “other very mature engagements that occur between our two countries.”

Willard made the comment during the first high-level military talks between the sides since Beijing suspended military exchanges earlier this year in anger over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its own territory.

PLA Navy’s Ka-27 Helicopter imported from Russia

Ma voiced his own frustration, saying Chinese plans for military exchanges with the United States in 2010 had been “seriously disrupted” by the Obama administration’s announcement in January. Washington said Jan. 30 that it would go ahead with a sale of $6.4 billion in military hardware to Taiwan — including helicopters, missiles and other weapons.

Willard is in Beijing as part of a second round of strategic talks, termed the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, that began last year in Washington. The gathering brings together dozens of Cabinet officials from both sides, the chiefs of both central banks and military officers.

“It has been a great pleasure to attend the Strategic Economic Dialogue. I’ve been struck by the maturity and sophistication in the level of exchange between the United States in China in a wide variety of areas,” Willard told Ma. “Regretfully, the military to military relationship, we think, lags far behind these other very mature engagements that occur between our two countries.”

Reporters were ushered out of the room shortly after Willard’s comments and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was not immediately able to confirm what else was discussed.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory and has threatened to invade if Taiwan moves to make its de facto independence permanent.

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May.21 (China Military News cited from Reuters) — China is building an advanced combat jet that may rival within eight years Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-22 Raptor, the premier US fighter, a US intelligence official said.

The date cited for the expected deployment is years ahead of previous Pentagon public forecasts and may be a sign that China’s rapid military build-up is topping many experts’ expectations.

“We’re anticipating China to have a fifth-generation fighter … operational right around 2018,” Wayne Ulman of the National Air and Space Intelligence Centre testified yesterday to a congressionally mandated group that studies national security implications of US-China economic ties.

“Fifth-generation” fighters feature cutting-edge capabilities, including shapes, materials and propulsion systems designed to make them look as small as a swallow on enemy radar screens.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates had said last year that China “is projected to have no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020″ and only a “handful” by 2025.

He made the comments on July 16 to the Economic Club of Chicago while pushing Congress to cap F-22 production at 187 planes in an effort to save billions of dollars in the next decade.

Ulman is China “issues manager” at the centre that is the US military’s prime intelligence producer on foreign air and space forces, weapons and systems. He said China’s military was eyeing options for possible use of force against Taiwan, which Beijing deems a rogue province.

The People’s Liberation Army, as part of its Taiwan planning, also is preparing to counter “expected US intervention in support of Taiwan,” he told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

He said the PLA’s strategy included weakening US air power by striking air bases, aircraft carrier strike groups and support elements if the US stepped in.

Attacks against US “basing infrastructure” in the western Pacific would be carried out by China’s air force along with an artillery corps’ conventional cruise missile and ballistic missile forces, he said outlining what he described as a likely scenario.

He described China as a “hard target” for intelligence-gathering and said there were a lot of unknowns about its next fighter, a follow-on to nearly 500 4th generation fighters “that can be considered at a technical parity” with older US fighters.

“It’s yet to be seen exactly how (the next generation) will compare one on one with say an F-22,” Ulman told the commission. “But it’ll certainly be in that ballpark.”

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon’s No 1 supplier by sales, is in the early stages of producing another fifth-generation fighter, the F-35. Developed with eight partner countries in three models with an eye to achieving economies of scale and export sales, it will not fly as fast or as high as the F-22.

Gates has argued that the United States enjoys a lopsided advantage in fighters, warships and other big-ticket military hardware. Some US congressional decisions on arms programs amount to overkill, out of touch with “real-world” threats and today’s economic strains, he said in two speeches on the issue this month.

“For example, should we really be up in arms over a temporary projected shortfall of about 100 Navy and Marine strike fighters relative to the number of carrier wings, when America’s military possesses more than 3,200 tactical combat aircraft of all kinds?” Gates said on May 8.

China says its J-10B is a 4th generation fighter

“Is it a dire threat that by 2020 the United States will have only 20 times more advanced stealth fighters than China?” he added at the Eisenhower presidential library in Abilene, Kansas.

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, discounted the gap between the timelines cited by Gates and Ulman. He declined to comment on whether China had made enough progress since last July to change intelligence on the next fighter’s debut.

Richard Fisher, an expert on the Chinese military at the private International Assessment and Strategy Centre, said Gates’ decision to end F-22 production is proving to be “potentially very wrong.”

“We will need more F-22s if we are going to adequately defend our interests,” he said in an interview on Thursday at the hearing.

Bruce Lemkin, a US Air Force deputy undersecretary for ties to foreign air forces, told the commission he had visited Taiwan twice in his official capacity and that the capabilities of Taiwan’s aging F-16s, also built by Lockheed, were not “keeping up.”

Whether to meet Taiwan’s request for advanced F-16 fighters or upgrade the old ones was still under review by the Obama administration, he said before Ulman spoke.

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