Analysts say Hu statement could signal important policy shift
Minnie Chan in Beijing 13 March 2009
The People’s Liberation Army is set to play a more active role in helping China combat the deepening global economic crisis after President Hu Jintao made a rare call for the military to “contribute to the nation’s economic development”.
Mr. Hu made the comment in a keynote speech at a plenary meeting of PLA deputies to the National People’s Congress on Wednesday. Mr. Hu said the PLA should “contribute to economic development and social stability”, Xinhua reported.
This could signal an important policy shift because it was the first time in many years that a top state leader had directly asked the military to help in economic affairs.
The PLA was extensively involved in economic affairs until the late 1990s, but former president Jiang Zemin then demanded the army shed its business offshoots and focus on becoming a modern, professional fighting force.
Military experts said Mr. Hu’s speech showed that the central government believed the military’s short-term strategic objective should be revised in response to fast-changing external and internal conditions.
Beijing now believed the likelihood of China entering into a war with a foreign power was remote and its relationship with Taiwan had improved so much that an armed conflict looked unlikely in the near future.
Ni Lexiong, an international relations professor at the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, said China’s main security threats now came from rising social tension, the economic slowdown and natural disasters.
Professor Ni said maintaining social stability would be crucial for the nation to ride out a year of sensitive anniversaries and economic turmoil.
“The global financial crisis has caused millions of migrant workers to lose their jobs and made it hard for fresh graduates to get one,” he said. “All these problems will increase social tension and increase the risk of social unrest.
“To keep things under control, the PLA, particularly the armed police force, must play a key role,” he said.
Fang Min, director of Shanghai’s National Defence Institute, said the army would be involved in more non-military missions in the near future - such as infrastructure building, disaster-relief work and maintaining internal security.
He said Beijing was confident such non-military missions would not hinder the PLA’s modernisation drive. They could even benefit the army in the long run.
“Our army has gathered many valuable experiences from the Sichuan earthquake,” he said.
“For instance, we have come to realise how we lacked qualified pilots and helicopters [during the rescue missions].”
But Lin Shengzhong, a delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said it would be impossible for the military to have the same level of involvement in economic affairs as before.
“The armed police today still perform an important role in the exploration and management of some valuable resources - such as gold mines,” he said. “But apart from these, they have largely moved out of the business world.
“I think it’s impossible for the armed police to return to the day-to-day operation of mining and other economic activities because they do not have the necessary equipment and expertise.
“I think they will mainly focus on providing security.”
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President orders PLA to step into economic breach
Analysts say Hu statement could signal important policy shift
Minnie Chan in Beijing
13 March 2009
The People’s Liberation Army is set to play a more active role in helping China combat the deepening global economic crisis after President Hu Jintao made a rare call for the military to “contribute to the nation’s economic development”.
Mr. Hu made the comment in a keynote speech at a plenary meeting of PLA deputies to the National People’s Congress on Wednesday. Mr. Hu said the PLA should “contribute to economic development and social stability”, Xinhua reported.
This could signal an important policy shift because it was the first time in many years that a top state leader had directly asked the military to help in economic affairs.
The PLA was extensively involved in economic affairs until the late 1990s, but former president Jiang Zemin then demanded the army shed its business offshoots and focus on becoming a modern, professional fighting force.
Military experts said Mr. Hu’s speech showed that the central government believed the military’s short-term strategic objective should be revised in response to fast-changing external and internal conditions.
Beijing now believed the likelihood of China entering into a war with a foreign power was remote and its relationship with Taiwan had improved so much that an armed conflict looked unlikely in the near future.
Ni Lexiong, an international relations professor at the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, said China’s main security threats now came from rising social tension, the economic slowdown and natural disasters.
Professor Ni said maintaining social stability would be crucial for the nation to ride out a year of sensitive anniversaries and economic turmoil.
“The global financial crisis has caused millions of migrant workers to lose their jobs and made it hard for fresh graduates to get one,” he said. “All these problems will increase social tension and increase the risk of social unrest.
“To keep things under control, the PLA, particularly the armed police force, must play a key role,” he said.
Fang Min, director of Shanghai’s National Defence Institute, said the army would be involved in more non-military missions in the near future - such as infrastructure building, disaster-relief work and maintaining internal security.
He said Beijing was confident such non-military missions would not hinder the PLA’s modernisation drive. They could even benefit the army in the long run.
“Our army has gathered many valuable experiences from the Sichuan earthquake,” he said.
“For instance, we have come to realise how we lacked qualified pilots and helicopters [during the rescue missions].”
But Lin Shengzhong, a delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said it would be impossible for the military to have the same level of involvement in economic affairs as before.
“The armed police today still perform an important role in the exploration and management of some valuable resources - such as gold mines,” he said. “But apart from these, they have largely moved out of the business world.
“I think it’s impossible for the armed police to return to the day-to-day operation of mining and other economic activities because they do not have the necessary equipment and expertise.
“I think they will mainly focus on providing security.”
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