On China's White Paper on National Defense 2013

China on April 16, 2013 issued a White Paper on national defense entitled “The Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces.” The document is the eighth in series since the Chinese government issued a White Paper on defense in 1998. The entire text of the document has 15, 271 Chinese characters consisting of five sections namely:  new Situation, new challenges and new missions;  building and development of China's Armed Forces; defending national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity; supporting national economic and social development; and safeguarding world peace and regional stability. Besides, there is a preface and some concluding remarks and appendices.

At the outset, the White Paper reiterates China’s resolve to pursue independent foreign policy; need for comprehensive, cooperative and common security; and denounces any form of hegemony and expansionism. It also maintains that the modernization of its defense forces commensurate with China's international standing, security needs and development interests.

The White Paper builds on the existing features of the earlier white papers, and has perfected and enriched the framework and basic contents of the subject matter. For the first time, it has added a theme to the white paper that makes its different from the papers issued during yesteryear. Under the first section, pointing its fingers at the US, it says that there are signs of increasing hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism while referring to the US rebalancing its Asia Pacific strategy, and names Japan for making trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands. It reiterates its military strategy of winning local wars under the conditions of informationization, and the diversification of PLA’s military tasks in the areas such as safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity; supporting China’s peaceful development; intensifying military preparedness; formulating the concept of comprehensive security and effectively conducting military operations other than war (MOOTW); deepening security cooperation and fulfilling international obligations; and following the well established international laws.

The second section talks about the strategic administration of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and the actual strength of the PLA. It elaborates the composition of China’s armed forces and briefly touches upon its constituents i.e. the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF) and the militia. For the first time, it revealed the code numbers of the PLA Army combined corps, as well as the strength of the PLA. It says that the PLA Army mobile operational units include 18 combined corps, plus additional independent combined operational divisions (brigades), and have a total strength of 850,000. The PLA Navy (PLAN) has a total strength of 235,000 officers and men, while the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) has a total strength of 398,000. The total defense budget for this year has been pegged at 114 billion US dollars and 123 billion USD has been earmarked for public security. Surprisingly, the white paper remains silent on the number PAPF that performs the functions of paramilitary forces and public security, as well as the PLA Second Artillery Force (PLASAF) in charge  China’s strategic weapons and missiles.  China perhaps would like to tell the world that its armed forces are modest in size, that China is transparent about its forces, and that the PLA is much more confident and capable than ever before.

Third section is dedicated to defending national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, which it says includes safeguarding a borderline of 22,000 km and a coastline of more than 18,000 km. China has signed border cooperation agreements with seven neighboring countries, and established mechanisms with 12 countries for border defense talks and meetings. The white paper says that based on different tasks, the PLA assume different levels of readiness (Level III, Level II and Level I), from the lowest degree of alertness to the highest, carries out scenario-based exercises and drills, and is intensifying blue water training of its naval forces. It states that since 2007, the PLAN has conducted training in the distant sea waters of the Western Pacific involving over 90 ships in nearly 20 batches. From April to September 2012, the training vessel Zhenghe completed global-voyage training, paying port calls to 14 countries and regions.

Section four of the White paper deals with PLA’s role in China’s economic and social development. It reveals that since 2011, the PLA and PAPF have contributed more than 15 million work days and over 1.2 million motor vehicles and machines, and have been involved in more than 350 major province-level projects that include building airports, highways, railways and water conservancy facilities. The hydraulic unit of PAPF has undertaken the construction of 115 projects concerning water conservancy, hydropower, railways and gas pipelines in Nuozhadu (Yunnan), Jinping (Sichuan) and Pangduo (Tibet). PAPF’s transportation units have undertaken the construction of 172 projects, including highways in the Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the double-deck viaduct bridge over the Luotang River in Gansu Province and the Galungla Tunnel along the Medog Highway in the Tibet Autonomous Region, with a total length of 3,250 km. As far as conservation is concerned, it says the PLA and PAPF have planted over 14 million trees over the last two years.

The final section talks about China’s contribution towards world peace and regional stability, as it says that China has been actively participating in the UN peace keeping missions since 1990, international disaster relief and humanitarian aid since 2002, has been safeguarding the security of international SLOCs, and carrying out joint military exercises and training with foreign armed forces since 2002.

As far as India is concerned, it figures at four places in all five sections. The reference is made in the context of joint military exercises and training; the defense and security consultations with neighboring countries, and escort schedules and convoy deployment. In final analysis the series of White Papers on defense demonstrates China’s economic as well as military self assurance. It is also an attempt to enhance the level of transparency as regards military spending, its defense policy and goals, and hence to showcase China as a responsible stakeholder in the global system.