China's Xi urges army to create strategy for information warfare

[Edison Chen]

(Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has said China will spur military innovation and called on the army to create a new strategy for "information warfare" as the country embarks on military reform, state media said on Saturday.

Xi heads the Central Military Commission, which controls the 2.3-million-strong armed forces, the world's largest, and is stepping up efforts to modernize forces that are projecting power across disputed waters in the East and South China Seas.

During a meeting with the ruling Chinese Communist Party's Politburo, Xi said China "must vigorously promote military innovation" but warned it will be difficult.

"When you compare military innovation to other forms of innovation, the demands are greater and there will be a higher degree of difficulty," Xi was quoted as saying.

"Faced with the severe challenges to our national security and stability and the deep-seated contradictions and problems with reform, it is even more pressing that we greatly liberate our ideas and concepts, have the courage to change our fixed mindsets of mechanized warfare and establish the ideological concept of information warfare".

Xi said the army must "strive to establish a new military doctrine, institutions, equipment systems, strategies and tactics and management modes" for information warfare.

The announcement by Xi could rattle many of China's rivals, including the United States. Officials in Washington have argued for years that cyber espionage is a top national security concern, and Beijing and Washington have confronted each other publicly about the issue.

In May, U.S. authorities charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets.

A hacking attempt on a sensitive Canadian government computer network last month was similar to attacks mounted by an elite unit of the Chinese army based in Shanghai, according to a cybersecurity expert.

China has denied those charges, saying it is also a victim of cyber attacks.

In March, China announced its biggest rise in military spending in three years, a strong signal that it is not about to back away from its growing assertiveness in Asia, especially in disputed waters.

The spending increase appears to reflect Xi's desire to build what he calls a strong, rejuvenated China, even though the country has not fought a war in decades.

Xi also recently urged military leaders to speed efforts to get the country's sole aircraft carrier combat-ready.

Aside from the carrier, China is developing a range of high-tech weaponry, from stealth fighters to systems for shooting down satellites.

China's Xi urges army to create strategy for information warfare| Reuters

 

[TaiShang]

"Faced with the severe challenges to our national security and stability and the deep- ceated contradictions and problems with reform, it is even more pressing that we greatly liberate our ideas and concepts, have the courage to change our fixed mindsets of mechanized warfare and establish the ideological concept of information warfare".

Right on, Mr. President. China cannot ignore information/especially cyber warfare when its national security is severely challenged. It is certainly a dangerous world out there. Securitization and building-up of hard power is a must to survive.

 

[Beidou2020]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

 

[terranMarine]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

That will cause a gigantic psychological hysteria to Japan if they haven't forgotten the impact of the 2 mushrooms yet.

 

[Beidou2020]

That will cause a gigantic psychological hysteria to Japan if they haven't forgotten the impact of the 2 mushrooms yet.

That's exactly the point. Massive military budget alone will act as a deterrence. It's psychological warfare as well as preparing for actual war.

China's strength is it's economic might and that strength must be used for deterrence. With a much higher military budget than any other country, it will show the enemies not to mess with China.

It will scare the living crap out of Japan, Vietnam, Philippines and India.

 

[Europa]

That will cause a gigantic psychological hysteria to Japan if they haven't forgotten the impact of the 2 mushrooms yet.

japan's defense budget for the current year is already over $ 340 billion according to the japanese ministry of defense. it is only china which is still having inadequate budget

if you don't trust me, ask @Nihonjin1051

 

[Edison Chen]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

That's almost half (45%) China's fiscal revenue in 2013.

 

[cnleio]

It depend on "BeiDou" GPS satellites chain

 

[JayMandan]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

Why not a trillion. You need more to fight NATO.

 

[TaiShang]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

President Putin hinted the other day that they would resort to nuclear option if Russian interests are put in grave danger. In a sense, he declared Russia one of the "untouchables."

Hearing that I can't help but think if China's "no first-use" policy takes away a large chunk of the "deterrence doctrine," which is at the heart of nuclear armament ever since the US dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.

I guess "no first use" does indeed assure the non-nuclear states and serves as a stabilizer, it but might as well encourage reckless and arrogant countries such as the US to mess with China. For declaring "no first use" in the face of a nuclear country is like declaring "I will not nuke you until/unless you nuke me first."

Thus, I would propose that China diversify "no first use" policy by,

a. Strictly keeping the "no first use" policy with respect to the non-nuclear states

b. Abolishing the policy with respect to the nuclear states.

 

[Genesis]

I want $700-900 billion in military spending per year.
I want no-first-use nuclear policy removed.

I like the no first use, which is also why I never fear war with India, we both have no first use. Which means our wars won't be nuclear and thus would allow us to achieve our strategic goals.

Not saying there will be one.

japan's defense budget for the current year is already over $ 340 billion according to the japanese ministry of defense. it is only china which is still having inadequate budget

if you don't trust me, ask @Nihonjin1051

very true, to use Xi's words, we are still a developing nation, very poor.

 

[Beidou2020]

President Putin hinted the other day that they would resort to nuclear option if Russian interests are put in grave danger. In a sense, he declared Russia one of the "untouchables."

Hearing that I can't help but think if China's "no first-use" policy takes away a large chunk of the "deterrence doctrine," which is at the heart of nuclear armament ever since the US dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.

I guess "no first use" does indeed assure the non-nuclear states and serves as a stabilizer, it but might as well encourage reckless and arrogant countries such as the US to mess with China. For declaring "no first use" in the face of a nuclear country is like declaring "I will not nuke you until/unless you nuke me first."

Thus, I would propose that China diversify "no first use" policy by,

a. Strictly keeping the "no first use" policy with respect to the non-nuclear states

b. Abolishing the policy with respect to the nuclear states.

I always wondered what will happen if there was a war between the US and China and the US decided to use conventional military power to destroy China's nuclear arsenal and nuclear capabilities.

What would China do then? Just sit back and allow it to happen?

japan's defense budget for the current year is already over $ 340 billion according to the japanese ministry of defense. it is only china which is still having inadequate budget

if you don't trust me, ask @Nihonjin1051

Gov't to allocate 340 billion yen in budget for Okinawa as requested | GlobalPost

 

[TaiShang]

I always wondered what will happen if there was a war between the US and China and the US decided to use conventional military power to destroy China's nuclear arsenal and nuclear capabilities.
What would China do then? Just sit back and allow it to happen?

That's exactly what the "no first use" cannot secure. If nukes cannot secure China adequately against other nuclear nations, what is the point of having them? China is strong enough to beat the hell out of non-nuclear states in a conventional (non nuclear war).

The point of having nukes, to me, to deter other nuclear powers. In that case, having a "no first use" against nuclear powers does take away all the practical purpose of building nuclear stockpiles.

 

[Beidou2020]

That's exactly what the "no first use" cannot secure. If nukes cannot secure China adequately against other nuclear nations, what is the point of having them? China is strong enough to beat the hell out of non-nuclear states in a conventional (non nuclear war).

The point of having nukes, to me, to deter other nuclear powers. In that case, having a "no first use" against nuclear powers does take away all the practical purpose of building nuclear stockpiles.

Exactly. I think the CPC needs to do what you suggested. Have no-first-use policy for non-nuclear countries and remove the no-first-use policy for nuclear countries.

China's timid policies is what makes other countries challenge China.