Peace of the Middle Kingdom
Recently, the State Council of the People's Republic of China published a white paper titled "China's Military Strategy" (WSC). This is the ninth document of this kind, which details the strategic views of the Chinese leadership on the main issues of security and the construction of the Armed Forces. The first white paper on defense and national security issues was published in 1998. Since then, it has been regularly published every two years. As the Chinese authorities say, the PRC publishes the White Paper in order to enable the leadership of various countries of the world to get a completely clear idea of China’s strategic concepts in the military sphere, allay their fears about military threats allegedly from the PRC, and strengthen mutual trust with these countries. . The strategy outlines the main provisions of the military doctrine of the PRC to protect its territory and plans for the development of the Armed Forces. The book, whose volume is 9 thousand characters, consists of a preface and six sections. This document provides a general assessment of the military-political situation in the world, and also formulates the main provisions of China’s military policy and directions for the modernization of the Armed Forces. The preface to the strategy states that Beijing intends to firmly follow the path of peaceful development and implement the concept of “active defense”. This concept, as the authors of the document emphasize, means that China does not intend to attack any country, but reserves the unconditional right to retaliate in the event of aggression. The strategy also notes that Beijing is in no way committed to hegemony and expansion.
SITUATION IN THE WORLD AND SAFETY OF PEKIN
The strategy notes that nowadays the tendencies of the transition to a multipolar world, to economic globalization and the growth of informatization of society are intensifying. The countries of the world are increasingly uniting and acquiring more and more similar goals and objectives. The preservation of peace, internal development, mutually beneficial cooperation and the strengthening of partnerships are becoming the main trends of the current situation on the planet.
However, there are currently significant changes in the international situation. The balance of world forces is changing qualitatively, the institutions of global governance are developing, the strategic situation in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) is acquiring a new character, and the competitive environment in the field of economics, science, technology and military construction is significantly transforming.
In the foreseeable future, Chinese experts say, the probability of a world war is extremely low. However, the aspirations of individual countries to hegemony, to pursue a policy from a position of strength and to intervene in other countries create certain threats to the preservation of a stable situation in the world. There are growing tendencies towards the redistribution of power in various regions, as well as to the violation of the legitimate rights and interests of various peoples. The intensification of terrorism, the emergence of religious contradictions and territorial disputes lead to the emergence of new hot spots on the constantly changing map of the planet. Continuing armed clashes, constant conflicts and frequent crises remain the usual norm for some regions. Therefore, the potential and very real threat of a large-scale war continues.
China’s international status and influence in the international arena continues to grow. The standard of living of the Chinese people is rising and the social climate is stabilizing. China continues to increase its status as a large developing state, its influence on the world arena is growing. But the PRC, as a large developing country, still has to deal with numerous and complex threats to national security, as well as with the growth of external challenges and threats hampering its normal development. Both those and other problems are closely related to each other. Therefore, Beijing has to solve an extremely difficult task of preserving the national identification of the country's population, its territorial integrity and the protection of national interests.
Chinese experts believe that as the Asia-Pacific region is increasingly becoming one of the main centers of the global economy and is becoming increasingly important as an important region that largely determines the stability of the situation in the world, Washington is doing everything possible to increase its influence and implement a strategy of "rebalancing." The United States is constantly expanding its military presence in this part of the world, as well as strengthening existing and trying to create new military alliances.
Japan, in turn, is striving to unmount the system of relations that developed in the APR after World War II. Tokyo is making all possible efforts in this direction, actively changing its military policy and modernizing the Armed Forces, paying increasing attention to regional states.
The VSK says that many countries bordering the PRC in the waters of the South China Sea (SCM) are trying to expand their military presence in the "illegally occupied" Chinese islands, which is a violation of the territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights of the PRC. A number of countries take part in conflicts in the SCM area and conduct maritime and aviation intelligence operations. According to the authors of VSK, the process of fighting for the observance of China's legal rights in the sea will continue for many years to come.
They also note that disputes over land continue to continue. The situation on the Korean Peninsula and in other regions of Northeast Asia remains uncertain and unstable. There has been an increase in the activity of regional terrorism, separatism and extremism, which significantly threaten the stability of the situation in various internal areas of the PRC, where the situation is normal today.
The issues of reunification with Taiwan remain acute. However, the separatist forces and their activities to ensure the independence of Formosa significantly impede the restoration of historical justice.
The extremely problematic issue is the threat of secession of East Turkestan and Tibet from the PRC. In these territories, the separatist movements continue to gain momentum. Terrorist threats are growing in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Anti-Chinese forces are actively developing plans to implement a color revolution here.
Today, the compilers of the VSK, claim that a world revolution is occurring in military affairs. The armaments and military equipment of many armies are becoming more accurate and long-range, their visibility is significantly reduced, the technological complexity of offensive increases. weapons and technical systems, as well as unmanned air and sea apparatuses are actively developing. Space and cyberspace are becoming new areas of strategic confrontation between the opposing sides. The transition from traditional forms of warfare to asymmetric warfare and information warfare is accelerating. The leading countries of the world are actively adjusting defense strategies, revising military policy and modernizing their armed forces. All this significantly changes the forms and methods of implementing international military policy and carries with it serious challenges to China’s national security.
NEW GOALS AND TASKS OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
In the modern situation, as never before in the history of China, the problems of ensuring national security are becoming more and more complex, multidimensional, long-term, and require considerable time to resolve them. Therefore, today it is necessary to have a holistic view of national security, to balance the internal and external problems of ensuring it, of a traditional and non-traditional nature, and also to comprehensively solve all the problems of protecting the country and maintaining stability in the world.
VSK has identified four “critical areas of security”, including maritime and outer space, the Internet and the nuclear field.
Maritime security is one of the main areas in which China’s focus will be focused in the future. Since China’s long-term goal is to protect its maritime rights and interests, over time, the PRC Navy should move from “coastal protection only” to mixed security in coastal areas and maritime areas. The air force must ensure not only the defense of the country's airspace, but also be ready to conduct offensive operations. The mobility of the missile and artillery units of the PLA troops should be increased. In addition, it is planned to develop the capabilities of troops to deliver accurate strikes against medium and long range targets.
As noted in the document, in the conditions of changing the forms and methods of conducting combat and dynamic changes in the situation in the field of national security, the main goal of the development of the Chinese Armed Forces will be to create conditions for achieving victory in local information wars. To this end, the number of information troops will be increased in the PLA as soon as possible, which should ensure effective opposition to the enemy in the virtual space and victory in information wars. In this case, the FAC involves the expansion of the list of tasks that will be faced by the Chinese army.
In accordance with the requirements of the new strategy of the Armed Forces of China, the following fundamental tasks should be solved:
- resolving a wide range of emergency situations, counteracting numerous military threats, as well as effectively protecting the security of national land, sea and air spaces;
- effective protection of the territorial integrity of the PRC;
- protection of the national interests of the PRC in new zones of influence and outside the country;
- ensuring strategic deterrence and retaliatory nuclear strikes;
- participation in regional and international joint operations to maintain peace on earth and stability in problem areas;
- conducting operations to counter the penetration of hostile armed formations into the national territory, fighting against separatism and terrorism, and maintaining political and social stability in the country;
- participation in operations to eliminate natural disasters, protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, perform security functions and create the necessary conditions for stable economic and social development of the PRC.
RELATIONS WITH ENEMIES AND FRIENDS
The White Paper notes that the PRC will in every way develop and strengthen external military ties with various countries, and above all with Russia, to deepen cooperation and cooperation between the armed forces of China and the Russian Federation in the framework of bilateral relations, comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. Beijing intends to ensure the consistent creation of comprehensive, multifunctional and sustainable structures of interstate cooperation, and also to promote the further development of relations between the two countries in the military sphere.
Regarding further cooperation between the PRC and the United States in the military sphere, the White Paper points to the need to form military relations of a new type, which should correspond to new forms of political and economic ties between the two countries, promote dialogue and cooperation in the field of defense; improvement of mechanisms for mutual notification of large military maneuvers, increasing confidence-building measures and standards for ensuring mutual security during meetings of airborne units in maritime waters and airspace, as well as enhancing mutual trust, eliminating collision risks and effectively managing crisis situations.
The FAC also indicates that the buildup of the US military presence in the APR, as well as the revision of the military doctrine of Japan, are of deep concern to Beijing. The strategy states that “this development is causing growing concern in the countries of the region.”
China intends to further develop and strengthen in every way its military ties with neighboring countries, increase the level of cooperation with European countries in the military sphere, and develop traditional friendly military ties with African, Latin American and South Pacific countries. Beijing is planning to take measures to deepen cooperation in the field of defense and security within the framework of the SCO. He will continue to participate in the expanded Meeting of ASEAN member defense ministers and dialogue partners (“SMOA plus”), in the ASEAN Regional Security Forum, in the Shangri-La Dialogue Conference, in the Jakarta International Defense Dialogue and in other multilateral structures designed to discuss problematic issues and implement cooperation activities in the field of ensuring the stability of the international situation. In addition, the PRC leadership plans to continue to regularly hold the Xiangshan forum and other multilateral activities aimed at creating a new security and cooperation structure that will ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the APR.
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