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The PLA and China′s Threat Perceptions*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

Extract

Because this volume focuses on the People′s Liberation Army (PLA), only those threat perceptions directly relevant to the presence of Chinese military force are addressed in this article. The problems of ideological unity, legitimacy of the regime, and other political or economic threats to the People′s Republic are excluded insofar as they do not call on the PLA. Nor are general foreign policy stratagems for dealing with Moscow, Tokyo, New Delhi and Washington under review, let alone regions beyond China′s capacity to project military power.

Type
The External Environment
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 1996

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References

1. For a recent approach to the broader subjects see Hu, Weixing, ”China′s security agenda after the Cold War,” Pacific Review, Vol. 8, No. 1 (1995), pp. 117136.Google Scholar

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3. On PLA factionalism, see Swaine, Michael D., The Military and Political Succession in China: Leadership, Institutions and Belief (Santa Monica: RAND, 1992), p. 270Google Scholar; reviewed critically by You Ji, The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs, No. 32 (July 1994), pp. 175–78. For the impact of these factors on the Chinese Air Force see Allen, Kenneth W., Krumel, Glenn and Pollack, Jonathan D., China′s Air Force Enters the 21st Century (Santa Monica: RAND, 1995).Google Scholar

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6. This study examined Jiefangjun bao from January 1993 to March 1995.1 am grateful to Professor Yong Deng, Jiang Leying and Professor Bruce Elleman for their assistance.

7. In one instance interviews confirmed a Zhengming (Contending) report on a unique 1993 security conference; see David Shambaugh ”The insecurity of security: the PLA′s evolving doctrine and threat perceptions towards 2000,” Journal of Northeast Asian Studies, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Spring 1994), pp. 3–25. Private assessments of different Hong Kong publications by veteran local reporters show little agreement on their degree of reliability. 8. The author interviewed military and civilian security analysts in Beijing, 5–12 July 1995.

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17. Lieutenant-Commander Yang Zhiqun, ”Officer′s forum - brown water, blue waterthoughts on naval theory,” Jianchuan zhishi (Naval and Merchant Ships), No. 2 (8 February 1994), in JPRS-CAR 94–031, 13 May 1994, pp. 32–34.

18. Renmin ribao, 20 February 1994, in FBIS-CHI, 10 March 1994, pp. 69–70.

19. ”The blue water is close to us: the law of the sea and the navy′s function, record of an interview and discussion,” Renmin ribao, 8 January 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 6 April 1995, pp. 14–17.

20. For fuller treatment of this theme see Allen S. Whiting, ”Chinese nationalism and foreign policy after Deng,” The China Quarterly, No. 142 (June 1995), pp. 295–316.

21. Mao Zhenfa and Lin Zhipei, ”The strategic status of modern border defence,” Guofang (National Defence), No. 7 (15 July 1995), in FBIS-CHI, 3 October 1995, pp. 25–28.

22. For comprehensive background see Choon-ho Park, East Asia and the Law of the Sea (Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 1983); Eric Hyer, ”Dangerous shoals: an introduction to the South China Sea dispute,” American Asian Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Winter 1994), pp. 1001–16.Google Scholar

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26. In 1981,1 was informed by a specialist in the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ”we do not claim all the water in the South China Sea, only all the islands, reefs and shoals.”

27. Lin Mu, ”The aviation dream of the Chinese people,” Shidian, No. 7 (8 July 1994), in FBIS-CHI, 24 August 1994, pp. 35–38. In 1995 one article claimed ”drilling for oil and gas on more than 220 points in the South China Sea, most of which are distributed in the waters of the Nanshas ]Spratlys^.” Zheng Hongfan and Yin Pinduan, ”I love you, Nansha,” Renmin ribao, 3 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 24 July 1995, pp. 37–38.

28. Antara in Indonesian, 21 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 24 July 1995, p. 75.

29. Far Eastern Economic Review, 19 August 1995, p. 16.

30. Xinhua Domestic Service, 14 February 1994, in FBIS-CHI, 28 February 1994, p. 43.

31. Zheng Hongfan and Yin Pinduan, ”I love you, Nansha.”

32. An Jinglin and Xiong Zengyan, ”The pillboxes are linked with the motherland,” Beijing Central People′s Radio Network, 6 June 1994, in FBIS-CHI, 21 June 1994, pp. 9–10.Google Scholar

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34. For reported naval views see Eastern Express, 20 April 1995 coverage of Wide Angle, 20 April 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 20 April 1995, pp. 99–100. Argument by naval officers that an aircraft carrier is necessary to take the Spratlys appeared in Lin Mu, ”The aviation dream”; also in Xiandai jianchuan (Modern Ships) as reported by Kyodo in English, 27 January 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 27 January 1995, pp. 24–25. For a critical assessment of PLA power projection weaknesses see Michael G. Gallagher, ”China′s illusory threat to the South China Sea,” International Security, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Summer 1994), pp. 169–194.

35. Zhen Hongfan and Yin Pinduan, ”I love you, Nansha.”

36. Cao Baojian and Ding Feng, ”Years of efforts by a South Sea fleet naval base result in integrating the procurement, supply and transportation of materials to Nansha into a system,” Jiefangjun bao, 17 March 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 23 March 1995, pp. 33–34.

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42. The McNamara delegation learned this in May 1994, McNamara et al., Sino-American Military Relations, p. 16.

43. Jencks, Harlan W., ”The PRC′s military and security policy in the post-Cold War era,” Issues and Studies, Vol. 30, No. 11 (November 1994), p. 94Google Scholar; for the original thesis, see Boorman, Scott, The Protracted Game: A Wei-ch i Interpretation of Maoist Revolutionary Strategy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1969).Google Scholar

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45. For a full exposition of these claims with detailed maps see Park, East Asia and the Law of the Sea.

46. Whiting, Calculus, pp. 240–41.

47. Interviews by American scholars in Beijing during July 1995 experienced unusually hard-line attacks on U.S. policy, as reported by John W. Lewis and David Shambaugh, The New York Times, 1 August 1995, p. 2; the author′s interviews were similar.

48. Wei, Xin, ”Another wrong ‘card’,” Beijing Review,10–16 July 1995, p. 18.Google Scholar

49. Dawei, Chen, ‘To make amends for the damage done to its relations with China, the United States must give up its Cold War mode of thinking,’ Beijing Zhongguo xinwen she, 23 June 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 29 June 1995, pp. 34; for similar language see Xinhua in English, 28 July 1995, citing Zhou Jie, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, in FBIS-CHI, 28 July 1995, p. 5.Google Scholar

50. Xinhua in English, 18 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 18 July 1995, p. 28; also Xinhua in English, 26 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 27 July 1995, p. 18.

51. Ming bao, 27 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 27 July 1995, p. 18; also South China Morning Post, 1 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 7 July 1995, p. 26.

52. Lianhe bao, 19 July 1995 and 20 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 20 July 1995, pp. 16–18; South China Morning Post, 7 July 1995 and 17 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 7 July 1995,26–27 and 17 July 1995, pp. 43–44.

53. Fan, Yi, ”Chinese Communists prepare public opinion for attacking Taiwan with force,” Zhengming, No. 208 (1 February 1995), in FBIS-CHI, 14 April 1995, pp. 220–24. Papers included ”Military means, choice to achieve cross-straits reunification,” and ”Military means, only way to resolve reunification issue.”Google Scholar

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56. McNamara et al., Sino-American Military Relations, pp. 20–21.

57. Based on comparison of American interviews in 1994–95.

58. Jun, Niu, ”Perspective of U.S. policy toward China,” Guangrning ribao,14 September 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 26 September 1995, pp. 46 offered a nuanced differentiation of Congressional and Executive aspects.Google Scholar

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60. Shambaugh, ”The insecurity of security.” His interviews have reconfirmed this on successive visits since the mid-1980s.

61. This was confirmed by staff and faculty at the National Defence University to the j McNamara delegation, Sino-American Relations, p. 16. i

62. Lan-hai, Tsung, ”CPC decides on its international archenemy,” Zhengming, No. 195 i (1 January 1994), in FBIS-CHI, 25 January 1994, pp. 46. Shambaugh, ”The insecurity of, security,” reports, ”this meeting, its conclusions, and the authenticity of the Zhengming report have been confirmed to me by participants.”Google Scholar

63. The reference is made by Shambaugh, ”The insecurity of security.” In July 1995;. interviews with security analysts included the assertion, ”if the U.S. sees China as its enemy,;we will respond in kind.”

64. One military official told the McNamara delegation that in his dictionary ”expansion” is a synonym of ”enlargement,” an avowed White House policy goal, suggesting the U.S. is expansionist.

65. Memorandum, Office of Senior Specialists, Congressional Research Service, 15 August 1994.

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69. Shambaugh, ”The insecurity of security.”

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73. Xinhua in English, 4 July 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 5 July 1995, p. 17, summarizes ”the first… systematic collection of documentary materials” on Japanese atrocities, including ”bombing of Tianjin and massacres in Baoding and Shijiazhuang” published in August 1995.

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76. For Japanese concern see Ikuo Kayahara, chief of Asian Region Research Office, National Institute for Defence Studies, Thorough analysis of the Chinese military power,” Chuo koron, February 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 1 February 1995, pp. 15–21.

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80. Tsung Lan-hai, ”CPC decides on its international archenemy.”

81. Xiangdi, Shu, ”Russia′s Asia policy,” Xiandai guoji guanxi, No. 12 (20 December 1994), in FBIS-CHI, 3 May 1995, pp. 47Google Scholar. For a provocative view, see Nguyen, Hung P., ”Russia and China: the genesis of an Eastern Rapallo,” Asian Survey, Vol. 33, No. 3 (March 1993), pp. 285301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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85. Editorial, ”We should safeguard world peace and promote mutual development - greeting President Jiang Zemin′s successful trip to Moscow,” Renmin ribao, 10 May 1995, Xinhua Domestic Service, 9 May 1995, in FBIS-CHI, 10 May 1995, pp. 11–12.

86. Remark by top Chinese PLA official to an American delegation.

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92. This paragraph draws on Shichor, ”Separatism.”

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99. Defeng Zhou and Weimin Chen, ”Seriously study how to win small wars,” Jiefangjun bao,1 January 1993, p. 3.

100. In addition to the relevant papers in this volume, for analysis of the PLA in Chinese politics see Willy Wo-Lap Lam, China After Deng Xiaoping: The Power Struggle Since Tiananmen (Hong Kong: PA Professional Consultants, 1995), ch. 4.

101. Whiting, Allen S., The Chinese Calculus of Deterrence: India and Vietnam (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1975).Google Scholar