Last week and over the week, China held its “two sessions” — the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Although not many remarkable discussions about national defense were immediately evident, some points of interest have emerged from the information that has been officially released.
First, many of the documents reiterate the importance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This is often linked with China’s emphasis that the military must “follow the party, fight to win and forge exemplary conduct.”
Evidently, the longstanding slogan of “the party commands the gun” is still firmly entrenched. If that is the main consideration when appointing personnel, could it not lead to officials prioritizing “redness” over expertise, which could result in amateurs leading professionals?
On top of restating the importance of the CCP, reports delivered during the “two sessions” also highlighted the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “outstanding” completion of tasks and missions over the past year. The main purpose of this is probably to “reaffirm” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) unprecedented third term in office.
Regarding military expenditures, aside from the costs of equipment, drills and logistics, the PLA has also been paying close attention to its troops’ wages and conditions. This might have something to do with the weak state of China’s economy.
When the overall economy is in trouble, increased defense spending covers the cost of maintaining military personnel’s pay and conditions, which would help with recruitment, despite the country’s falling birthrate.
As in the past, the “two sessions” stressed the development of relations between the military and civilians. Officials discussed building military bases, boosting the armed forces’ ability to mobilize “new-domain forces with new combat capabilities” and the defense technology industrial complex.
Compared with China’s previous emphasis on “military-civilian fusion,” the CCP is now even more eager to “find military potential in civilian capabilities,” which means using civilian talent and capital along with military-civilian dual-use construction to develop its national defense.
With regard to international attitudes, at last month’s Singapore Airshow, China’s strategic desire to become a major power was on clear display.
China showcased its weaponry and demonstrated that it has branched out into flight simulation systems and navigation control devices. It was even offering flight training courses. Along with selling military hardware, it promoted its defense wares through integrated packages that include software and personnel training.
Another thing that was noticeable at the show was other nations’ wariness of Chinese media and exhibitors.
The clearest example was when some Chinese attendees wanted to get a closer view of a German Air Force Airbus military transport aircraft, but were denied entry by a German crew member. Furthermore, questions asked by Chinese representatives were all skillfully deflected. This is indicative of various countries’ current attitudes.
Although China is gradually moving away from its previous “wolf warrior” style of diplomacy, many countries still see it as posing some kind of threat. This will be a thorny problem for China as it grows into a major military power.
Lin Ying-yu is an assistant professor in Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies.
Translated by Julian Clegg
The return of US president-elect Donald Trump to the White House has injected a new wave of anxiety across the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwan, an island whose very survival depends on the delicate and strategic support from the US, Trump’s election victory raises a cascade of questions and fears about what lies ahead. His approach to international relations — grounded in transactional and unpredictable policies — poses unique risks to Taiwan’s stability, economic prosperity and geopolitical standing. Trump’s first term left a complicated legacy in the region. On the one hand, his administration ramped up arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned
The Taiwanese have proven to be resilient in the face of disasters and they have resisted continuing attempts to subordinate Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nonetheless, the Taiwanese can and should do more to become even more resilient and to be better prepared for resistance should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) try to annex Taiwan. President William Lai (賴清德) argues that the Taiwanese should determine their own fate. This position continues the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) tradition of opposing the CCP’s annexation of Taiwan. Lai challenges the CCP’s narrative by stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to the
US president-elect Donald Trump is to return to the White House in January, but his second term would surely be different from the first. His Cabinet would not include former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former US national security adviser John Bolton, both outspoken supporters of Taiwan. Trump is expected to implement a transactionalist approach to Taiwan, including measures such as demanding that Taiwan pay a high “protection fee” or requiring that Taiwan’s military spending amount to at least 10 percent of its GDP. However, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invades Taiwan, it is doubtful that Trump would dispatch
World leaders are preparing themselves for a second Donald Trump presidency. Some leaders know more or less where he stands: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy knows that a difficult negotiation process is about to be forced on his country, and the leaders of NATO countries would be well aware of being complacent about US military support with Trump in power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely be feeling relief as the constraints placed on him by the US President Joe Biden administration would finally be released. However, for President William Lai (賴清德) the calculation is not simple. Trump has surrounded himself
RSS