Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Defense Aerospace China's Defense Budget to grow 17.6% in 2008 (Source: Chinese Government Portal; issued March 4, 2008) China plans to increase its defense budget by 17.6 percent in 2008, a parliament spokesperson said in Beijing on Tuesday. The planned defense budget for 2008 was 417.769 billion yuan, a rise of 62.379 billion yuan from last year, Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for China's top legislature's annual session, told a press conference. (ends) China Military Expansion Could Have Global Implications (Source: US Department of Defense; issued March 3, 2008) WASHINGTON --- China not only is a rising international economic power, but also …

From American Enterprise Institute China's Defense White Paper What It Does (and Doesn't) Tell Us By Dan Blumenthal, Christopher Griffin Posted: Thursday, January 25, 2007 China Brief (vol. 7, no. 2) Publication Date: January 24, 2007 Credit should be given where it is due, and if one reads between the lines, the four Chinese defense white papers released every even year since 2000 have provided clearer insight into Beijing’s strategic aims and defense planning than ever intimated by Zhongnanhai through the 1990s. While the China’s National Defense in 2006 white paper should be primarily read as a piece of propaganda--part of China’s public campaign to assur…

Chinas Emerging C4ISR Revolution (The Diplomat)

China's Evolving Nuclear Deterrent (RAND, pdf)

China's first ARM breaks cover (Jane's)

China's first defence white paper China's Military Strategy (PRC Ministry of National Defense)

Global Security

China's Main Mission: South China Sea, Not Syria (The National Interest)

Excerpt from: Naval War College CHINA’S MATURING NAVY Rear Admiral Eric A. McVadon, U.S. Navy (Retired) Naval War College Review, Spring 2006, Vol. 59, No. 2 STARTING WITH QUESTIONS The following questions and answers may be an unusual way to begin probing the specific naval aspects of the issue, but they focus on an often neglected, but arguably the most surprising, single PLAN acquisition program—its bold move to build quickly a modern nuclear submarine force despite its troubled past in this arena. These incisive questions—posed to the author in 2005 by experts on the Chinese submarine force—are especially useful in that they take the PLA’s Ta…

Special Report: China's military hawks take the offensive (Reuters) Chinese Generals Call For War With Just About Everyone (DefenseNews, Intercepts blog)

Chinas Increasingly Good Mock Air Battles Prep Pilots for Real War (Wired, Danger Room blog)

China's Most Important South China Sea Military Base (The Diplomat) With imagery.

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities (CRS)

Document: China's Naval Modernization (USNI News)

Chinas Navy Goes Stealth (The Diplomat) Namely, the Type 056 Jiangdao FFL

China's Navy Is Already Challenging the US in Asia (The Diplomat)

China's Navy Makes Strides, Work Remains To Be Done (DefenseNews) Chris Carlson, of the Admiralty Trilogy Group (and Harpoon fame), gets a quote in there.

China's navy not yet a threat to Japan and US Taipei Times A former Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Fleet Air Wing commander, retired Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura, spoke to 'Taipei Times' Staff Reporter Rich Chang on the Chinese navy's abilities - especially its submarine fleet - as well as the potential for military cooperation between the US, Japan and Taiwan Monday, Oct 31, 2005,Page 3 Taipei Times: It is widely believed that China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been making substantial progress, particularly with their submarine force. What is your evaluation of PLAN? Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura: I see PLAN's capability as still bei…

China's new destroyers feature Aegis tech copied from U.S. Special to World Tribune.com EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM Thursday, July 21, 2005 China's military put its new guided missile destroyers on display last week, disclosing its two new warships that are equipped with Aegis-type battle management systems. Two new Luyang II guided missile destroyers are part of China's naval builduup. The two Luyang II guided missile destroyers are Beijing's first Aegis-type ships. The ships are currently undergoing sea trials. U.S. intelligence officials say China stole the technology for the Aegis battle management system by setting up a front company in the United Sta…

China's New Y-20U Tanker Joined Dozens Of Other Warplanes Flying Near Taiwan (The War Zone)