Secret Chinese Designed Assault Rifle Shown For The First Time
Apple Daily
By Staff Reporters
April 1, 2009

A previously unknown assault rifle that was secretly developed in China was revealed by a human rights group closely associated with FLG in Hong Kong today, after two prototype of the highly secretive assault rifles were smuggled out of China and shown to western reporters for the first time.

The newly designed assault rifle, in development for the last 20 years, was in a new class of caliber, with bullet of 6.8x42mm, 6.1 gram(94 grain) projectile weight, straight brass case with boxer primer. It's an extended development of existing 5.8x42mm casing design, with neck-up and straight wall version of the more well known projectile.

The two assault rifles shown to the reporters, known to have some surprising performance, like 66,000 psi pressure (455 MPa), 980m/s muzzle velocity, and a previously unknown tungsten alloy sub-caliber penetratior that the maker claims to be able to penetrate all existing hard plates at combat range, with max effective range of 1000 meters.

The 6.8mm caliber bullet isn't new, it first appeared back in 1890s when developed in China with German assistance. But it took US firms like Winchester and Remington that took the idea as their own and mass produced rifles for that caliber without paying any royalties to China. Some PLA engineers referring Western rifles as knock offs of the better design in China for so long, the real history of the 6.8mm bullets and rifles would have lost in history if not for the re-emerging of this new assault rifle in China.

The secret assault rifle was originally slated to be revealed in the October 1st military parade in Beijing, celebrating 60th years of PRC, now plans might be changed.

The expected demand for this new assault rifles worldwide also had made PLA Logistic Department buying up copper and copper ores in world market for the last few years as it gearing up production of the new ammo to meet expected demand. As result of this secret round of hording and demand, world wide copper and copper ores had skyrocketed to unseen prices for metals and raw materials, and may have cause this current worldwide recession, according to some market specialists and investment bankers on Wall Street in New York City. It is already known for those sentenced for death penalty in China have to pay double of the normal market price of copper bullet that will end their life, from price of just 10 RMB 3 years ago.

End.

Just in Time for G20

Dalai Lama to provide $7.5 bln to boost IMF- Sarkozy
2 hrs 30 mins ago

Strasburg, April 1 (AFP) - The Dalai Lama has agreed to contribute $7.5 billion to boosting the resources available to the International Monetary Fund, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday.

"Our world wide fund organizers have worked hard to make this contribution to the IMF. We never let our friends down in their moment of need," Mr. Richard Gere, actor and representative of His Holiness told Agence France-Presse.

Asked if the amount would be any higher, such as $10 billion, he replied: "No. I think this is quite an amazing amount and is quite enough. We have done a terrific job today."

The Dalai Lama is the head of the Tibetan self-determination movement and became an honorary citizen of Paris last year. President Sarkozy today invited the exiled Tibetan leader to address the upcoming G20 Summit.

Breaking News. North Korea Satellite Landed In Beijing.
Beijing Daily News
By Yu Ren Jie
April 1, 2009

The expected launch of North Korea satellite had a major malfuction, and landed in Beijing, near a air defense missile base. The rocket should have flew toward East toward United States, but it flew West and the payload landed in Beijing instead.

Local police and PLA units had sealed off the area in question. The failed satellite, look like a missile, had crashed and dug a big hole that now leaking gases. When reaching North Korea generals for comments, none was able to be reach, all were detained and might be shot by the Dear Leader for the major mistake.

Ten minutes later, North Korea news agency released a quick statement, stating that North Korea missile was so advance that it sense all those US and Japan ships waiting to intercept it, so the missile decided to go West instead. No mention of why it landed in Beijing, but PLA and PLAAF officials had placed the military on high alert, just in case North Korea decided to do something stupid.

End.

A follow up on the "China, Taiwan Military Officials to Meet" report I posted yesterday

You can find another news release here.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4014627&c=ASI&s=TOP


I must admit, the cross strait relation is developing much faster than most people expected.

China discovered huge oil reserve in Taiwan Strait
China Times
By Staff Writers
April 1, 2009

According to researchers on both side of Taiwan Strait, they had discovered Taiwan Strait used to be a desert, and after years of drilling and research, they found there's at least one trillion barrels of oil under Taiwan Strait, if not more. Confirm rumors that this new discovery had been granted P90/1P designation as proven reserve by US oil companies that are eager to jump into the black gold rush in the Taiwan Strait.

State own oil companies on both side of Taiwan Strait had been drilling test rigs for the last 40 years, but most discovery were small oil wells and natural gas, nothing like the newly found oil field with reserve of at least one trillion barrels.

Neither governments had been commenting on the new old field discovery, but they have not rule out a joint venture to manage the new oil field.

On the related news, OPEC suddenly offered both China and Taiwan a seat on the OPEC. The one trillion barrel reserve would equal to all OPEC member's oil reserve put together.

End.

=========

Biggest oil reserved discovered in Taiwan Strait, US military attempt to invade Taiwan to take away the new oil field for all Chinese people
Xinhua
by Staff reporters
April 1, 2009

Breaking news of largest oil reserve was discovered in the Taiwan Strait had triggered a secret war between Imperial United States military and PLA. According to various sources, a naval and air war had been fought for the last 2 weeks, when the news leaked out a huge oil field reserve of at least one trillion barrels had been discovered in Taiwan Strait.

US had sent 4 aircraft carrier groups and various fighters based in Guam and Okinawa to attempt to wipe out Taiwan's air defense, thus paving the way for US Marines to land on Taiwan. But the PLA military was ready to defense Taiwan when the initial attack was detected, and the PLA forces, mostly Navy and Air Force units, able to defeat the invading forces, by using several new secret weapons that after 2 weeks of battles, managed to sink 3 out of 4 aircraft carriers, USS Nimitz, USS Reagan, and USS Truman. The Taiwan government, thankful of the motherland came to its rescue, had decided to become a SAR, and the former president of Taiwan, Ma Ing Cho, had swore in as the new Taiwan SAR regional administrator.

US officials denied such battles or war had happen, but there's no more comments on that matter. PLA officials also said they hope the war will not effect the future relationship with United States, since it's just a handful of people in US government and military that are trying to undermine the strong relationships between China and US, by hurting the feeling of Chinese people.

In related announcements from Beijing, the visit to Hong Kong by USS Nimitz battlegroup will be still be held from April 10 to 17, then follow by USS Reagan and USS Truman in May. These visits will not be effected by the small disagreements between China and United States.

End.

Chinese UFO sighting increases, turned out to be J-13 fighter.
Xinhua
By Staff reporters
April 1, 2009

Amid increasing UFO reports in China, PLAAF officials came forward and revealed the UFO reports were all involving PLAAF's newest fighter, J-13.

With only one official picture revealed of J-13, you can tell why normal people would have thought it's a UFO.

"No matter which direction you look at J-13, it looks like a flying saucer," PLAAF Lt. Col. General Yu Lien said. A first in the world, J-13 was designed as both aerospace and space fighter, which mean it can takeoff from a airbase and able to reach Earth orbit without any rockets. And with other payload modifications, J-13 can reach the Moon within a day.

It took PLAAF 20 years to start the R&D and production of the J-13 fighter, which was built by Chengdu aerospace corp..

US and Western world respond to unveiling of J-13 was totally shock and speechless, no comments was able to obtain from any western nations.

In related news, PLAAF threaten not to buy more AL-31FN engines from Russia for J-10, and hint might switch to US suppliers.

End

An update on the PLAN's second task force

Again, they are sending their latest toys, while DDG 167 is an old hand, FFG 570 is a new Type054A class that was commissioned only two years ago.

Chinese navy to send new escort ships to Somali waters
www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-31 21:27:27 Print

ZHANJIANG, Guangdong Province, March 31 (Xinhua) -- A second group of Chinese navy escort ships will set sail for the Gulf of Aden Thursday to replace a flotilla sent earlier to guard against pirates.

The new task force will comprise the destroyer, Shenzhen, and frigate Huangshan, as well as the supply ship, Weishanhu, which served in the first escort mission.

With two helicopters and total crew exceeding 800, including navy special forces, it is mainly tasked with ensuring the safety of Chinese vessels passing through the gulf and waters off Somalia and those of international organizations like the World Food Program shipping humanitarian goods.

The flotilla will traverse 4,600 nautical miles, passing the Xisha and Nansha Islands, the Singapore Strait, the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean before it arrives in the Gulf of Aden.

China initiated its three-ship escort task force on Dec. 26 last year after the United Nations Security Council called on countries to patrol gulf and waters off Somalia, one of the world's busiest marine routes, where surging piracy endangered intercontinental shipping.

The ships had escorted 104 vessels and rescued three foreign merchant ships from pirate attacks, Huang Jiaxiang, political commissar of the Navy's South China Sea Fleet, said in a March 11 interview.

About 20 percent of Chinese merchant ships passing through the waters off Somalia were attacked by pirates from January to November in 2008, before the task force was deployed.

A total of seven ships, either owned by China or carrying Chinese cargo and crew, were hijacked.

Tianyu No. 8, a Chinese fishing vessel with 16 Chinese (including one from Taiwan) and eight foreign sailors aboard, was captured by Somali pirates on Nov. 14 last year and released in early February.
Editor: Xiong Tong

I really don't think the Sino-ASEAN relations is a zero-sum game directed at the US as this article hinted. However, it is clear that many in ASEAN (Including the Vietnamese) do not see PRC in the same light as many of the more hawkish pundits in Washington.

Southeast Asia military delegates tour China base

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN – 3 hours ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCr5_1eeI02qsRAkkG1xmZjkHrkAD9790ML00

NANKOU, China (AP) — Top Southeast Asian military brass toured a tank base north of Beijing on Tuesday, highlighting China's growing engagement with a region that has long felt neglected by the United States.

Officers from the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations viewed a demonstration of sophisticated computer training simulators at the home of the Sixth Armored Division, then posed for photos with members of China's People's Liberation Army in front of tanks, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery.

The division, based in the town of Nankou at the foot of the Great Wall of China, is one of China's elite units, charged with conducting mobile operations and providing security for the Chinese capital.

Tuesday's visit followed two days of workshops focused on boosting cooperation in peacekeeping and humanitarian relief along with efforts to fight piracy and drug smuggling.

"We have seen a real strengthening of Chinese engagement with ASEAN. They're pretty keen on participating in all of our forums," Thai Army Brig. Gen. Chainan Jantakananuruk told The Associated Press.

The U.S., Jantakananuruk said, "needs to get more involved."

China's new engagement is a reassertion of its once considerable influence in Southeast Asia, and could challenge U.S. sway at a time when Washington is distracted by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The region often felt slighted by the Bush administration, and President Barack Obama has sought to reverse this perception of neglect. In February, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton strongly indicated U.S. intentions to step up engagement with a visit to ASEAN's Indonesia headquarters.

"The U.S. must enhance cooperation with ASEAN," said Indonesian Brig. Gen. Subekti, whose country's military has been subject to U.S. sanctions over its rule in East Timor and past human rights abuses.

"Now that Indonesia has made progress in those areas ... whether relations will get better depends on the U.S. getting more involved," said Subekti, who like many Indonesians uses just one name.

Despite such statements, Washington's clout remains and China's recent ties with Southeast Asia have not been entirely smooth. China's enormous economic power has prompted concern, while territorial disputes in the South China Sea have moved no closer to resolution.

China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines have overlapping claims to all or parts of South China Sea island groups and the waters that surround them. Along with rich fishing grounds, the South China Sea is believed to have large oil and natural gas reserves. The disputed island groups also straddle busy sea lanes that are a crucial to China's economy.

Vietnamese Brig. Gen. Nyuyen Duc Thinh said Hanoi preferred to engage Beijing directly in its territorial dispute with China, but said multilateral forums were useful for improving trust and understanding.

Despite recent exchanges of diplomatic protests among the disputants, Thinh said the danger of a conflict remained low.

"It's under control, things are stable, all sides are showing control and restraint," he said.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

What is he saying? Aussie Sailors are bunch of slackers. Not sure I understand.

Chinese naval observer's impression of Australian warship

english.chinamil.com.cn 2009-03-30

　　In the "Peace 09" multinational maritime joint military exercise organized by Pakistani Navy, Cui Yonggang, the deputy captain of the Chinese warship No. 170, stayed onboard the Australian frigate "Varamonga" from March 9 to March 12 as a Chinese naval observer. He was deeply impressed by the Australian Navy's practice of letting serviceman accumulate combat force in an easy atmosphere.

　　The first impression that the "Varamonga" left on the mind of the visitors is that the ship is full of easy atmosphere everywhere. The sailors don't need to keep tense for a long time no matter on duty or in their spare time.

　　Long-time work under high pressure is apt to make people collapse. How to alleviate the fatigue, nervousness and sensitivity? The solution of the Australian Navy is to put emphasis on work purpose and standard while giving sailors freedom of doing things other than work. In their spare time, the soldiers can listen to music and have sports activities for refreshment.

　　During the exercise, once the "Varamonga" launched live firing practice at the floating targets, he found that only operators of the main cannon system stayed at their positions and the other sailors were either at their normal rest or doing their routine work. As no first-class deployment was made, the strength of the officers and men was well maintained.

　　By Cui Yonggang

　　(Mar.30, PLA Daily) Editor: Ouyang

China aviation giant spins off defence branch: report

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090327/bs_wl_afp/chinadefenceaviation_20090327021515

by Staff Writers

Beijing (AFP) March 27, 2009

China's largest aircraft maker has spun off a 7.3 billion dollar independent defence manufacturing branch that will seek to produce top military hardware for global markets, state media said Friday.
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) established the aviation defence branch office Thursday in Beijing to separate the plane manufacturer's civilian and defence operations, Xinhua news agency said.

The new branch will take over most of AVIC's defence business and oversee 10 assembly plants and research institutes which have combined assets of 50 billion yuan (7.3 billion dollars), the report said.

"We are trying to become a world leading defence products supplier by expanding our overseas market for export," the report quoted Wang Yawei, general manager of the defence branch, as saying.

Building combat aircraft, including China's homemade third generation fighter jet the J-10, will remain a core task for the branch, it said.

Xinhua did not give a formal name for the defence branch, which will also continue to manufacture AVIC's L-15 Falcon, a supersonic training aircraft, and the FC-1 Fierce Dragon, a light-weight multipurpose fighter, for export.

In November 2008, the Chinese government formed AVIC by merging the nation's two largest airplane manufacturers in an effort to establish an aviation giant.

AVIC owns 22 listed companies in China, Xinhua said.

A follow up on the J-10B story.

I finally have a chance to review some of the news related to J-10B this weekend and saw the following:

he said the agreement between Pakistan and China for the delivery of High Tech aircraft J-10 was intact and these aircraft after improving them further would be delivered to PAF in 2014-15. He said these aircraft are being modernized in accordance with the PAF’s requirements and delivered under the title of FC-20

At first, I did not pay much attention to it, consider all Chinese birds in PAF service had minor modifications. However, by looking at the timing of the news release and the push-backed delivery date, Pakistan might have decided to wait for the improved model instead of the current production one.

Here is the full article:

PAF to start serial production of JF-17 fighter aircraft soon
'Pakistan Times' Federal Bureau
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2009/03/08/top2.htm

ISLAMABAD: With singing of an agreement between Pakistan Air Force and Chinese firm CATIC the serial production of JF-17 (Thunder) aircraft would start soon. The agreement between PAF and CATIC on the basis of “seller’s credit” was reached at a ceremony held here Saturday, whereby 42 fighter jets would be jointly produced for the use of PAF.

The agreement was signed on behalf of PAF by Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Air Marshal Khalid Chaudary and President CATIC MA Zhiping which was witnessed by Chief of the Air Staff PAF Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed and Ambassador of China to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui besides other senior officials from both the parties.

Under the agreement the lot of 42 aircraft would be co-manufactured by China and Pakistan and later these would be inducted in the PAF’s fleet.

Talking to media, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed congratulated the peoples and governments of Pakistan and China on conduction of successful tests and trails of the most modern aircraft of its class and signing of agreement for start of their serial production. He said “despite all odds we have been successful to reach the stage of starting serial production of the aircraft.”

“In the beginning we will produce 15 aircraft annually and their number will increase to 30 in a year this programme will be carried out in phases,” he said. He said first squadron of these highest quality fighter jets would be inducted in the PAF’s fleet by mid of this year as PAF has already been using 8 jointly produced aircraft for the last couple of years. This fleet would be raised in Peshawar, he added.

About the delivery of AWACS system to Pakistan, he said that agreement had already been reached with a Chinese firm which would start its delivery by 2010. On the delivery of first AWACS system Pakistan would pay 10% cost of the aircraft while the rest would be paid on easy installments basis, he said.
Answering a question, he said the agreement between Pakistan and China for the delivery of High Tech aircraft J-10 was intact and these aircraft after improving them further would be delivered to PAF in 2014-15. He said these aircraft are being modernized in accordance with the PAF’s requirements and delivered under the title of FC-20.

Here is a modified F-7FS served as a prototype for DSI testing.





Two B&W photos of J-10B prototype "01" flying.

Ivchenko-Progress to start supplying engines for L-15 aircraft to China in March
5 March, 12:01 | Interfax-Ukraine

http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/36796
The state enterprise Ivchenko-Progress (Zaporizzhia), a Ukrainian design bureau of aircraft engines, will supply to China in March a pilot run of AI-222-25F engines for the L-15 training and light attack aircraft.

"It is a modern aircraft. It has a short takeoff, can bear a large ordinance load, can be a scout, and can easily manoeuvre like an acrobatics aircraft. It is hard to hit with a missile. It ha s a great future, and I think our engine will evolve," the chief designer of the state enterprise Ivchenko-Progress, Fedir Muravchenko, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

As required by the customer, the engine allows the plane to do loops, spins, and narrow curves.

According to the chief designer, the aircraft with the said properties is interesting not only to China, but to Russia and Italy also. There have also been some requests from the Ukrainian armed forces.

The new engine was developed jointly with Russian designers authorized to carry out work of this kind.

The state enterprise Ivchenko-Progress designed the AI-222 family of turbojet engines with a take-off thrust ranging from 2200 to 4500 kgf (augmented modifications) for modern training and combat aircrafts. At the moment, the bench tests are being carried of the AI-222-25F engine with an augmented take-off thrust 4200 kgf. It is planned to develop a turbojet engine on the basis of the gas producer with a take-off thrust 3500-4150 kgf for executive aircrafts, and a turboshaft engine with a power of 7000-8000 horse power for helicopters and regional aircraft.

PLAAF 28th Attack Division.

One of the JH-7A of the PLAAF 28th Attack Division is sporting a new ECM Pod (for some reason, it reminds me of the AN/ALQ family). Clearly, they are utilizing some of the JH-7A into EW roles to support rest of the flight.

USNS Impeccable incident? What incident?

USNS Impeccable incident? What incident?

"It's an opportunity to solidify what has been a very good start in the bilateral relationship," White House deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough told reporters in a conference call, referring to the Hu meeting.

Thank you McDonough for giving me the chuckle! Normally, I don't talk about politic in my blog, but that quote above was pure gold.

Obama to discuss N.Korea with China's Hu at G20
Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:12pm EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE52R1LK20090328

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will discuss concerns about a possible North Korean missile launch with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the G20 summit next week, White House officials said on Saturday.

"It's an opportunity to solidify what has been a very good start in the bilateral relationship," White House deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough told reporters in a conference call, referring to the Hu meeting.

"We'll obviously want to take an opportunity to discuss our shared concerns about preparations in North Korea for a launch that we, as you know, would consider to be counter to U.N. Security Council resolution 1718."

The resolution, adopted in 2006, imposes arms and financial sanctions on North Korea after it conducted its first nuclear test three months after firing its longest-range Taepodong-2 ballistic missile. It also bans sale of luxury goods to the North.

Pyongyang has said it will launch a communications satellite between April 4-8. But regional powers believe the real purpose is to test a long-range missile, the Taepodong-2, which is already on its launch pad at a North Korean missile base.

White House officials said Hu and Obama also would discuss the economy during the London summit but declined to comment on whether the issue of a global reserve currency would come up.

"Their agenda is a broad agenda that will cover a number of issues -- economic, political, strategic. So I wouldn't want to prejudge what they will end up talking about," said Michael Froman, deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs.

"We obviously look forward to a positive, cooperative and constructive relationship as it relates kind of across the board on these issues," McDonough said.

He referred to Obama's comments at a news conference on Tuesday about the global currency. The president said that the U.S. dollar was "extraordinarily strong" and that there was no need for a single global currency.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Caren Bohan; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Finally a LH Brigade.

Today, both CCTV and PLA Daily carried a story on "a Xinjing MD" LH (Army Aviation) Brigade (Here) and (Here). Finally, PLA's attempt to boost LH's profile by enlarging its organizational structure from Regiment to Brigades has been confirmed. With the 3rd LH confirmed as the first, there are rumors out there pointing to the 10th LH as the next target for reorg.

3rd LH's known serial numbers tracked by Andrew K C.

1 Mil-8: 92801
2 Mil-171V: 93791, 93793
2 Mil-171: 93709, 93711
5 Mil-17V5: 93705, 93718, 93796, 93797, 93799
11 Mil-17V7: 93700, 93701, 93702, 93703, 93704, 93706, 93707, 93708, 93712, 93720, 93798
1 S70C2: 93217
1 Z-9G: 93908

Photo of 3rd LH's Commander Cheng Cuguo, who has became somewhat of a media darling lately (Here)

New J-10 variant sighted -- Janes.

Latest write up from Janes on the new J-10 variant. Odd, I call reading something similar last week.

Images of the new-variant J-10 combat aircraft, which have appeared on the Internet, clearly show a revised engine inlet and IRST system (Internet)


New J-10 variant sighted

By Ted Parsons

23 March 2009

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw090323_1_n.shtml

Chinese web pages have featured photos of a new variant of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-10 multirole fighter that appear to confirm a spate of late December 2008 web reports on this same aircraft, with some accounts noting it has already been test flown.

This single-seat variant differs from the initial single-seat J-10 model in that it appears to feature a revised engine inlet, consistent in design with the diverter-less supersonic inlet (DSI) featured on the latest version of the Chengdu FC-1 lightweight multirole fighter. Reminiscent of the DSI modification first tested on a Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 30 in 1996, this modification saves weight and improves specific engine power and stealth. It also cleans up the J-10's previous complex inlet configuration, which was reportedly prone to vibration.

China's research on DSIs dates back to the late 1990s, with Chengdu's 611 institute for aerospace design having been assisted by government-funded research at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Everybody was pirates fighting

Is me, or major Asian powers such as China, Japan and South Korea are milking the Somalia pirates issue for an opportunity to show off the flag and regional juxtaposition.

First, all three powers are sending task forces out in military missions first time since WWII to fight those "damn" pirates. (Here)(Here) and (Here). Now, China and Korea are using this pirates fight as a mean to surface some of the under-the-table military cooperations in response to the pending North Korea missile test and other regional security issues. As I noted eariler, South Korea is the first nation China asked to conduct joint amphibious operations with and that is a clear indication that they shared many security concerns (Here)

With that, sing with me now.....


Everybody was pirates fighting
Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightning
But they fought with expert timing

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200903/200903260021.html
Korean, Chinese Military to Join Hands in Fighting Pirates
Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Tae-young and China's Gen. Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, on Wednesday agreed to cooperate on fighting pirates in Somalian waters. It was the first time the two militaries decided to cooperate in international peacekeeping activities.

Kim and Chen met at the Ministry of Defense in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon. They spoke about their experience in fighting pirates and agreed to help each other in case of emergencies, a joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_354471.html

March 25, 2009
China's military chief in SKorea

General Chen Bingde (far left), chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army, met Defence Minister Lee Sang-Hee ahead of talks with his counterpart Kim Tae-Young (left). --PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL - CHINA'S military chief arrived on Wednesday for talks with senior South Korean officials amid rising tensions over North Korea's planned rocket launch.

General Chen Bingde, chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army, met Defence Minister Lee Sang-Hee ahead of talks with his counterpart Kim Tae-Young, the Joint Chiefs of Staff office said.

Seoul's call for 'a positive role and efforts by the Chinese military to help address inter-Korean tensions' was on the agenda, it said in a statement.

North Korea says it will launch a communications satellite between April 4-8.

South Korea, the United States and Japan have denounced what they see as a disguised long-range missile test. They say a launch for any purpose would breach a UN Security Council resolution passed after the North's missile and nuclear tests in 2006.

'We plan to relay to the Chinese delegation our demand that North Korea heed international warnings and halt its preparations for the launch,' an unidentified Seoul defence official told Yonhap news agency.

'China is the closest country to North Korea. Its comments carry weight, and we hope it can more actively pressure Pyongyang.'

China, a traditional ally and major aid donor for North Korea as well as a permanent UN Security Council member, has not publicly urged it to halt the launch.

The North Tuesday warned that six-party nuclear disarmament talks would collapse if new UN sanctions are imposed to punish the launch. The forum groups the United States, Japan, Russia, the two Koreas and China.

South Korea's chief envoy to the talks Wi Sung-Lac returned Wednesday from a meeting in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei on possible 'counter-measures' after any launch. Mr Wi, quoted by Yonhap, indicated there is no agreement yet on a response. -- AFP

Indeed, the response to DoD's Annual Report of Military Power of PRC has became ritualized as China already issued a standard rebuttal of "gross distortion of the facts" and urged an end to "Cold War thinking" as reported in today's BBC. However, I found the timing of the release interesting as most of the reports from previous years were delayed to make room for the political spin of the month; I still recall the firestorm that followed after the 2004 report's suggestion of a possible "WMD-lite" strike by the ROC air force against the Three Gorges Dam. (Link to the 2004 Report)

They released this year's report "on time" and says nothing about the USS Impeccable incident, very interesting.

China fury at US military report

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7965084.stm

Beijing has reacted angrily to a Pentagon report on China's military power, which claimed it was altering the military balance in Asia.

A foreign ministry spokesman called it a "gross distortion of the facts", and urged an end to "Cold War thinking".

In its annual report to Congress, the Pentagon said China was developing "disruptive" technologies for nuclear, space and cyber warfare.

It could be used to enforce claims over disputed territories, the report said.

Beijing was again criticised for a lack of transparency in reporting military spending and security policy.

"This report issued by the US side continues to play up the fallacy of China's military threat," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told journalists.
REYNOLDS' CHINA
“ Is there enough room for two military powers off the coast of China? ”

He said Beijing had complained to Washington about it, and urged the US to "drop the Cold War thinking... to prevent further damage to the relationship between the two countries and two armies".

Tensions were heightened earlier this month after a confrontation between US and Chinese ships in China's exclusive economic zone south of Hainan, during which China accused the US of spying.

Projecting power?

The Pentagon reported that China was successfully managing to expand its arsenal of sophisticated weaponry, even though Beijing's ability to sustain military power at a distance remains limited.

Chinese "armed forces continue to develop and field disruptive military technologies", including "nuclear, space, and cyber warfare".
“ Much uncertainty surrounds China's future course, particularly regarding how its expanding military power might be used ”
Pentagon report

Some of these developments help China to participate in international peacekeeping, humanitarian and counter-piracy missions, the report acknowledged.

But they could also allow China to "project power to ensure access to resources or enforce claims to disputed territories," it said.

The Pentagon analysis said China was developing weapons that would disable its enemies' space technology such as satellites, boosting its electromagnetic warfare and cyber-warfare capabilities and continuing to modernise its nuclear arsenal.

It also noted a build-up of short-range missiles opposite Taiwan, despite a significant reduction in tension between the two in recent months.

And while the report also welcomed the rise of a peaceful, stable and prosperous China, it added: "Much uncertainty surrounds China's future course, particularly regarding how its expanding military power might be used."

The report estimated China's military spending in 2008 was roughly double that of a decade ago.

Beijing insists its increased military spending is purely for defensive purposes and is still small in comparison with that of the US.

China has repeatedly said that the Pentagon's annual report on its military power unfairly portrays China as a military threat when it is committed to a "peaceful rise" as its economic power grows.

China's armed forces are undoubtedly undergoing a dramatic transformation from a poorly-equipped peasant army to an increasingly sophisticated modern military, the BBC's defence and security correspondent Rob Watson says.

But its level of training and co-ordination as well as actual war fighting capability is still in doubt, he adds.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7965084.stm

Thinking about the newly released report.....

Blasko wrote a good critique of the 2007 report in issue 47 of the Joint Force Quarterly and hopefully DoD listened to some of his advices and added improvements to this year's edition.

Click here to down load Blasko's "The 2007 Report on the Chinese Military: The Top 10 List of Missing Topics"

In the meanwhile, I am going to enjoy monitoring the coming media firestorm and the expected (and ritualized) PRC rebuttal.

Turkey, the only NATO nation with a large Chinese arsenal in its military has called to raise military cooperation, they also jointly market their rockets and some of those rockets were battle tested against PKK guerrillas in northern Iraq in late 2007. I am surprise to see all those exchanges did not rise too much of a concern in Washington and elsewhere. Maybe, just maybe, there is a benefit being a member of NATO, if Iran would get its hands on a B611, oh boy.

Turkey, China to raise military cooperation

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=170574&bolum=100

Turkish Military Academies Commander Gen. Hasan Aksay who is in China, said Turkey and China should consider conducting joint military exercises: "Our talks should not remain limited to educational activities. We should think about joint military exercises."


In addition, China's Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ge Zhenfeng said they expect to receive more military students from Turkey; since 1985, China has received 18 military delegations consisting of 200 people from Turkey. Turkey received 14 Chinese military delegations with more than 330 representatives in the same period, officials said.

Zhenfeng also said that he admires the Turkish military, "With its educational achievements and its combat capabilities, the Turkish military has made a deep impression on my mind," and added the Turkish military was exceptionally "disciplined." He also expressed his country's gratitude for Turkey's "one China" policy.

Aksay is expected to visit Shanghai today and leave China tomorrow.

25 March 2009, Wednesday
OSMAN EROL BEIJING

Photos of B611 and WS-2 long range Rockets in a Turkish military parade

Turkey, China jointly develop advanced rocket for Mideast market

WASHINGTON — China and Turkey have completed development of the B-611 rocket, a secret effort to supply artillery-based rockets to both countries as well as client states, particularly in the Middle East.
"We also have to consider a gray area, in which a couple of Chinese companies are now marketing artillery rockets that border on the edge of short-range ballistic missiles," said Richard Fischer, a leading U.S. expert on China's military. "The B-611 was developed in cooperation with Turkey, the WS-2."

The WS-2 is a Chinese rocket with a range of up to 180 kilometers. It is a variant of the Soviet-origin Frog-7. The B-611, with a range of 150 kilometers, was first displayed at China's International Aviation and Space Exhibition in 2004.

The B-611 does not violate any weapons-control regime. It has many of the properties of a guided missile and could be used by U.S. adversaries.

"The key advantage is that these are much cheaper to produce," Fischer told the American Enterprise Institute on July 11. "If you could put a terminally guided anti-ship warhead on the B-611, then you have the potential to sell [Venezuelan President] Hugo Chavez something that would give the American Navy something to think about."

Uzi Rubin, regarded as the father of Israel's missile defense program, said commercial off-the-shelf technology and components could be used to convert unguided rockets to accurate ballistic missiles. Rubin, who has written a report on the topic, cited the availability of onboard inertial and satellite navigation systems as well as software.

Turkish participation in the B-611 project has triggered concerns over non-proliferation in the Bush administration. But so far the administration has not expressed concern over the Chinese-Turkish project.

who said General Liang does not have a sense of humor

Off all the people in the world, General Liang has to tell the Japanese Defence Minister about the decision to build an AC carrier. Interesting timing too, consider JMSDF just launched a new class of "destroyer". Now, that is an interesting looking DDG.

Here is a picture of this beautiful looking JMSDF ship.



The Hyūga class destroyers are a new type of helicopter destroyer (DDH) being built for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. It is planned to replace the Haruna class destroyers currently in use. The new ships will be the largest combatant ship operated by Japan since the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy. In design it resembles an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship.

The class' code-name (16DDH) derives from the Japanese calendar, specifically the 16th year of the Heisei reign (2004), when the provisional title was given.

China tells Japan it wants aircraft carrier

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090323/wl_asia_afp/chinajapandefencenavy

BEIJING (AFP) — China will not remain the world's only major nation without an aircraft carrier indefinitely, state press Monday cited the nation's defence minister as telling his Japanese counterpart.

Liang Guanglie made the remarks to visiting Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Friday, the Oriental Morning Post said, in discussions that took place after a recent spike in tension in the South China Sea.

"Among the big nations only China does not have an aircraft carrier. China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever," the paper quoted Liang as saying, citing Japanese official sources.

"China's navy is currently rather weak, we need to develop an aircraft carrier."

Liang's comment is the highest-level recent confirmation that China aims to acquire an aircraft carrier, a sophisticated piece of military hardware that can be used to project power far beyond a nation's shores.

It comes after several similar calls in recent months by senior members of the People's Liberation Army.

"Building aircraft carriers is a symbol of an important nation. It is very necessary," the China Daily quoted Admiral Hu Yanlin as saying earlier this month.

"China has the capability to build aircraft carriers and should do so."

In December, defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping told reporters that China would "seriously" consider getting an aircraft carrier.

Defence Minister Liang was speaking after Chinese vessels confronted and nearly collided with a US naval surveillance ship in what Washington says are international waters off south China earlier this month.

The confrontation was described by US intelligence director Dennis Blair as the most serious military incident involving the two powers since a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet in April 2001.

China said the US naval ship Impeccable was carrying out illegal activities in its exclusive economic zone.

Beijing has also reacted angrily to a Philippine law passed earlier this month that laid claim to parts of the Spratlys Islands in the South China Sea which are claimed by China and other nations in the region.

China called the law "illegal and invalid," and dispatched a civilian patrol boat to the region.