Two reports released on Monday, the 13th of September, reveal a new aspect of Chinese military, which is now stated to have assumed a major role in security and foreign policy issues of the country.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) calls the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) a “re-emerging player” in shaping foreign policy of China.  The report, based on 71 interviews with Chinese insiders, indicates that the power of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined and that it is not necessarily the most important actor in shaping foreign policy of the country. “….Foreign Minister’s power base within the Communist Party has continuously declined”, the report quoted overwhelming majority of respondents as saying.

“The PLA no longer shies away from antagonising neighbours and the USA by displaying its power and it still holds sway particularly with respect of India, Japan, North Korea, Pakistan and the USA,” the Stockholm Institute says in its report.

Another report released by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) puts focus on a hitherto neglected area of Chinese policies. It relates to arms imports. The CRS says China became the second biggest importer of foreign arms in 2009, next only to Saudi Arabia. 

The CRS tracts arms imports by all developing nations and puts out an annual report.  Its analysis is based on the value of the arms that are actually delivered, and do not include weapon systems that are being manufactured within the country with foreign technology. 

China, which received weapons worth $ 1.1 billion in 2008, moved up the list from No. 7 position to No. 2 in 2009 with imports worth $ 1.5 billion.  Saudi Arabia is ahead of China with arms imports totalling $ 2.7 billion.  India topped the list in the year 2008 but has come down to No. 5 behind South Korea and Egypt.

A projection made by China Economic Information Network is alarming to say the least. The report said while the GDP growth may gradually decline in the next 50 years, the defence spending would reach US $ 738 billion by the year 2050. Put differently, China would overtake the US as world’s No. 1 military spender. 

Chinese defence expenditure will reach US$ 207 billion by 2020 and will touch $ 337 billion by 2030.  All this shows China’s single-minded focus on enhancing its military might helped by massive accumulation of foreign exchange reserves.

Statements coming from top Chinese leaders and defence analysts clearly indicate the intent to use the military might to realise its foreign policy interests both at the regional and global theatres.  This is in contrast to the fanfare over marginal decline in the annual increase of the defence spending when the budget was presented to National Peoples’ Congress (NPC) in March 2010.  The official spokesman claimed that the defence budget represented only 7.5% increase over the last year’s spending, which 14.2% was compared to the year before.  The defence spending has witnessed double digit growth for more than a decade since the year 1989. 

There are few takers to these assertions of a deliberate cut down in the increase in the military spending to less than 10%.  China watchers feel that Chinese defence spending is always shrouded in secrecy and much of the expenditure is camouflaged under heads of various other Ministries.  Building of border roads for military use is never taken under the head of military spending but was included under civilian heads.  Similarly, much of the R&D relating to military technology has also not been included in defence budget

The following statements of the top Chinese leaders clearly showed military intentions of the country

On the eve of the 83rd anniversary of the founding of the PLA on August 1, Defence Minister Liang Guanglie said “China will continue to build up PLA’s capability to carry out diversified military tasks, particularly for winning regional wars under informationised circumstances”.  The online PLA daily, www.chinamil.com, quoted him saying, ‘Chinese Armed Forces would continue to augment their capabilities and military readiness to safeguard sovereignty, security and development of the nation’.

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, while submitting his report to National Peoples Congress, in March stated that China will concentrate on making the Army better able to win “informationised” local wars and will enhance its ability to respond to multiple security threats and accomplish a diverse array of military tasks.

To boost “Informationised warfare” capabilities, the PLA has recently established a cyber base under the General Staff Department.  The first of its kind, the base is aimed to serve as PLA’s cyber command and will complement its information warfare units.  It gives the PLA the capability to intrude computer systems anywhere in the world.

According to a Pentagon report in August on `Military and Security Developments involving the Peoples Republic of China 2010’, a large number of computer systems across the world, which included US Govt. and also Indian systems, were intruded by the Chinese in the year 2009.

China has grand plans of acquiring aircraft carriers by end of 2011 to accord its Navy the `blue water capability’ to reach out to global theatres like the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Eden, and Malacca Straits, to secure its lines of transport and communications.  It has created new submarine and missile bases by increasing budgetary allocations of such deployments. China has moved new advanced longer range CSS-5 missiles into Tibet, close to the border with India.

Admittedly, China is too far behind to challenge American supremacy in military power and technology, But smaller countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and other South East Asian countries are `jerked’ to hasten new military acquisitions and reinforce old alliances, while seeking new security partnerships with emerging powers like India.  The recent manoeuvres in South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea portend to what is in store.