SCIO briefing on PLA construction and development

Speakers:

Senior Colonel Lu Yu, deputy director-general of the Legislative Affairs Office, the General Office of the Central Military Commission (CMC);

Major General Zhou Shangping, deputy director-general of the Operations Bureau, the Joint Staff Department of the CMC;

Senior Colonel Zhang Chengwen, deputy chief of the General Office, the Political Work Department of the CMC;

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director-general of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense and its current spokesperson

Chairperson:

Hu Kaihong, spokesperson of the State Council Information Office

Date:

July 24, 2017

Hu Kaihong:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to today's press conference. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA, having gone through 90 years of glory, will celebrate on August 1. Today, we are delighted to invite Senior Colonel Lu Yu, deputy director-general of the Legislative Affairs Office of the General Office of the Central Military Commission (CMC); Major General Zhou Shangping, deputy director-general of the Operations Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC; Senior Colonel Zhang Chengwen, deputy chief of the General Office of the Political Work Department of the CMC; and Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director-general of Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense and its current spokesperson, to introduce various aspects of the construction and development of the PLA. They will also answer some of your questions. Now, let's welcome Senior Colonel Wu Qian to give his briefing.

Wu Qian:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, good morning.

The PLA has gone through 90 years of glory and great endeavor. During those 90 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the PLA has made an indelible historical contribution to the great liberation of the Chinese people, to China's socialist construction and reform, safeguarding State sovereignty, security and the interests of national development, and to the cause of world peace and progress of humanity. The PLA is known in the world as a mighty, civilized force for peace.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the PLA has resolutely abided by the decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), earnestly studied and implemented the content of President Xi Jinping's important speeches, in particular his important exposition on national defense and army building. In pursuing the Party's vision of a strong army under the new situation, we are making great efforts to enhance the PLA's political awareness, intensify the study and application of the Party's innovative theories, and cultivate a new generation of revolutionary service personnel who are faithful, competent and courageous with outstanding moral integrity. We are making efforts to enhance the consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, uphold the leadership core, and keep in alignment. We are also making efforts to creatively improve our political work. In this way, we can ensure that the PLA's development is always moving in the right direction politically. Focusing on combat readiness and effectiveness, and guided by the military strategy under the new situation, we have established a fine fighting capability standard, expanded and intensified preparations for any military struggle, improved, in particular, the joint operational command, and modified military training to be more realistic and practical. We have comprehensively built a modern logistics capability, capitalized on science and technology to boost military development, implemented the strategy of civil-military integration, cultivated high-caliber people able to undertake the responsibilities of building a fine army, and steadily improved our war-fighting capability. We are comprehensively carrying out reforms to advance army building, concentrating on addressing institutional impediments, structural constraints and policy-related problems, setting up the framework of the new military system, optimizing the size and constitution of the PLA, and working towards major breakthroughs in important fields and key aspects. We have thoroughly advanced the rule of law in the PLA, unswervingly upheld discipline and fought corruption, facilitated the "three fundamental transformations" of the means of military administration, nurtured greater faith in and awareness of the rule of law among all service personnel, and improved the military legal system with Chinese characteristics, so as to press ahead defense and military development governed by the rule of law. The PLA continues to actively expand exchanges with foreign military forces, and has participated in a range of international peacekeeping, blue-water escort and humanitarian relief operations, thus showing a positive image and strong commitment of a military force from a major country. As our national defense and army building makes historical progress and takes on a new look, the PLA is striding further down the path of army building with Chinese characteristics.

Looking back, the Party has been leading the people's army through the years of magnificent revolution, construction and development. The many remarkable feats are immortalized in history, and its brilliant achievements renowned around the world. Looking into the future, the people's army, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, will make great strides in building a prosperous country and a strong army. PLA men and women, committed to socialism with Chinese characteristics, and following the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, will thoroughly study and implement the contents of President Xi's important speeches, especially the important exposition on national defense and army building, and endeavor to realize the goal of building a world-class army. We will waste no time in advancing national defense and military modernization, resolutely safeguard State sovereignty, security and development interests, staunchly support the realization of the "two centenary goals" and the Chinese dream of great national renewal, and look forward to the 19th CPC National Congress with high spirit and morale.

Hu Kaihong:

Thank you. Now, the floor is open to questions. Please identify the media you represent before raising a question.

CCTV:

It is generally known that the PLA has received overall political training since the military political work conference in Gutian three years ago. Could you brief on the efforts made in strengthen the army's ideological and political development since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)? Thank you.

Zhang Chengwen:

I will answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping has, with his strategic outlook for the cause of military consolidation and national rejuvenation, envisioned the progress of military forces under political guidelines for the new course. The military work conference in Gutianat the end of 2014, in particular, marked the refreshing of political strategies for building the army in changing situations and ushered in a new scenario for the Party to lead the armies with consolidated thoughts and strong political awareness.

Recognize the important role of political work in the army building stressed by President Xi, the PLA is endeavoring to build a world-class army by bearing in mind the construction of invincible military forces, complying by the essence of the conference in Gutian, upholding the power of the central authority, the leading core, and the mechanism with which the responsibilities of the army are assumed by the military chief, safeguarding the CPC's absolute command of the troops and deepening our knowledge with President Xi's important speeches and strategies of state governance. We'll give full play to competent military officers and will never slacken the efforts to deepen the fight against corruption in the army so that a new generation of PLA can be grown with the loyalty and faithfulness required for a well-disciplined and highly-responsible army.

The past few years have witnessed fundamental changes in military development, following improved political settings, a revamped image of the PLA and surging morale and confidence that have increased the devotion to the army. So to speak, it is in the five years after the 18th CPC National Congress that the political environment has been cleaned, military construction has turned positive and the political work in the army has regained esteem with an improved image. It is also the five-year stint where the PLA has been disciplined and outfitted for a renewed image that has justified its spearhead role. The past five years also manifested President Xi's underlined political strategies for the future course of the PLA.

Phoenix TV:

We know the armed forces are now engaged in deepening reform. However, some people hold that the time of reform is also a vulnerable time. How can we maintain combat readiness, especially in the time of the adjustment of the layout of our combat troops, and will the combat readiness be affected during the period?

Zhou Shangping:

I would like to answer the question. It is known that maintaining constant combat readiness is a basic requirement of any armed force in order to ensure its fighting capabilities to achieve victory. The main aim of this reform is enhancing the preparedness for war and capabilities in war, by straightening out command relationships, optimizing the organizational structure and enriching the overall level of the combat forces. According to the decisions and instructions of President Xi Jinping and the Central Military Commission (CMC), the CMC works out an implementation plan that is capable of adjusting the combat troops step by step and introduces a series of measures for improving combat readiness, maintaining sufficient troops on duty, organizing spot tests of combat readiness and strengthening sea and air patrols, far-sea training and trans-regional joint maneuvers.

The armed forces are maintaining constant combat readiness that means ensuring the troops are ready to assemble at the first call and are capable of fighting and winning. We are capable of dealing with a diverse range of security threats, resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests. Thank you.

CRI:

The PLA now is stressing the promotion of rule of law and enforcing strict discipline. My question is, what transformation will it bring to PLA's traditional administrative methods, and how will the transformation be achieved? Thanks.

Lu Yu:

I will take this question. President Xi stressed that in further promoting the running of the armed forces with strict discipline and in accordance with the rule of law, we should change the administrative means according to rule of law and realize the "three fundamental transformations",which refer toa working mode shift from purely relying on administrative order to administration according to rule of law; from working based on habits and experience to working based on regulations, laws and system; and from sudden, campaign-like work to dealing with business according to rules and regulations. The entire PLA will unswervingly implement President Xi's instructions, speeding up the transformation of means of leading and directing, making great efforts to advance institutional innovation, institutional leadership and guidance, and institutional regulation, so as to promote realization of the "three fundamental transformations." The three main aspects are:

First, enhancing the leadership command system in accordance with the rule of law. On the basis of the principle of that decision-making power, executive power and supervisory power can interact and be coordinated, the PLA designed and set up various institutions in a scientific way, allocated powers in a reasonable manner, concentratedefforts on strengthening centralized and unified leadership of the Central Military Commission, re-defined the fundamental functions of the military commission organs, promoted the legalization of the administrative mode and operation mechanism, and realizeda significant transformation of the means of military administration.

Second, insisting on propelling all work in accordance with the thought and means of rule of law. Officers at all levels should adapt themselves to the new system, reinforce and enhance their conceptions and willpower to guide and implement the work according to the law, persist in resolving problems and conflicts emerging during the process of army building and reformaccording to the law, create a denser environment for the rule of law where everyone does things and solves problems within the law.

Third, we must promote the formation of a good working mechanism according to law. On the basis of standardization,procedure and meticulous management, the PLA needs to enhance its rules of procedure for decision-making and guidance as well as using its rights and powers to handle affairs. The good situation where the Party committees make decisions based on law, organs issue instructions based on law, the army acts in missions based on law, and soldiers and officers carry out their duties based on law is now taking shape.

CNN:

Last weekend, Chinese warships appeared in waters off Queensland of Eastern Australia, which was perceived as being an action monitoring an ongoing joint military exercises between Australia and the United States. Local officials described this as an unfriendly and provocative move. Prior to this, we also noticed that Chinese naval vessels crossed the English Channel to conduct military exercises with their Russian counterparts. In addition, when the United States was testing the "THAAD" anti-missile system, a Chinese warship appeared in waters off Alaska. What is the motivation of China behind this series of high-profile actions? What kind of signal is China sending to the international community? Is this a new normal for the international community to accept in the process that China builds its "Blue-Water" navy? Thank you.

Wu Qian:

Let me start by saying that I do not think there is any high-profile action regarding the Chinese military. As I have mentioned just now, the PLA is actively expanding its military communications network, and widely participating in international peacekeeping, open sea escort, humanitarian aid and disaster assistance, which embodies the image and responsibilities of the military arm of a major country.

I would also like to stress that in non-territorial waters, Chinese warships, just like warships of other countries, have the right to freedom of navigation. Thank you.