Red Star Rising
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RED STAR RISING restrictions, the first major update to poli- cies on Internet news since 2000, are by CDR Jim Fanell intended to limit the news and other infor- mation available to Internet users by For those reg- another area of economic change, the sharply restricting the scope of content per- ular readers of Plenum stated the next Five-Year plan will mitted on web sites. The Party views the NIPmail it will not change its heavy reliance on foreign unrestricted access to the web as a trend come as a surprise investment to secure its national economy. toward liberalization. Search engines like to learn NIP lead- PRC government statistics show foreign Sina.com and Sohu.com, reportedly used ership has decided to establish a new col- trade accounts for over 70 percent of the by millions of Chinese each day, must stop umn covering the People’s Republic of Chinese economy. Finally, Party leadership posting their own commentary articles and China (PRC) in the pages of the NIP announced they will place more emphasis instead make available only opinion pieces Quarterly. For some time now, there has on science and technology, education and generated by government-controlled news- been a growing flurry of e-mail in the NIP health care in policy and investment. This papers and news agencies, the new regula- regarding a variety of topics surrounding Central Committee Five-year Plan will be tions stipulate. The new regulation also the emergence of China as a world power. up for final approval at the Fourth Session requires private individuals or groups to It is the purpose of this column to help of the 10th National People’s Congress to register with the state Propaganda bring the latest pieces of open source infor- be held next March. Department as “news organizations” mation about changes in the PRC’s mili- In related activity, the PRC issued its tary, economy, diplomatic and cultural before they can operate e-mail distribution first ever White Paper on Democracy. arena to the readers of NIP. Unlike lists (ouch, I’d be in serious trouble) that Chinese government officials vowed to Vultures Row this column will not offer spread news or commentary, which internet actively push forward the reforms of its much humor; instead, “Red Star Rising” experts say is one of the most significant political system, although acknowledging will attempt to bring NIP readership into an changes. Now, an estimated 100 million tremendous achievements to date. The atmosphere of the crusty, old, FDNF Sailor Chinese have access to the Internet. White Paper, consisting of 12 parts, states who is just woke up for that first cup of For the second time in two years China has always adhered to the basic java and a copy of the “South China China has launched and recovered a principle of the Marxist theory of democ- Morning Post” where thoughts always manned space vehicle, the Shenzhou VI. racy, combined with the reality of China, focused on what was happening with the On 17 October, two Chinese Taikonauts and borrowing from “the useful achieve- Dragon. So, sit back, prop your feet up on made a successful return to earth after ments of the political civilization of the desk, grab that cup of joe and enjoy the nearly five days in space orbit. This event trip through the Middle Kingdom. mankind, to include Western democracy. ignited a burst of nationalist sentiment Assimilating democratic elements of Chi- In mid October the 16th Central Com- across China and is being used by Party na’s traditional culture and institutional mittee of the Communist Party of China leaders as one of the symbols of the coun- civilization” has been referred to as (CPC) concluded its fifth plenary session. try’s economic and scientific power after “Socialism with Chinese Characteris- The highlight of this plenum was the Cen- 20 plus years of reforms. Technicians tics”. Just what are these characteristics? tral Committee’s approval for the 11th broke into applause as Fei Junlong, 40, The following three were described in this Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), the roadmap and Nie Haisheng, 41, were shown, on White Paper: (1) China’s democracy is a for the country’s development in the next official television, climbing from the people’s democracy under the leadership five years. Premier Wen Jiabao made an Shenzhou VI’s round reentry module, of the CPC; (2) China’s democracy is a explanation on the proposal, which contains which strangely resembles a 1960’s era many “revolutionary changes”, according democracy in which the overwhelming Jacque Cousteau diving bell. This flight to analysts in Beijing. The new plan is majority of the people act as masters of marked an important step forward in the divided into ten parts with an emphasis on state affairs; and (3) China’s democracy PRC’s long-term ambitions for space moving “From “Getting Rich First” to is a democracy guaranteed by the peo- exploration. China, only the third nation “Common Prosperity” to bridge the grow- ple’s democratic dictatorship. The to conduct a manned spaceflight, has ing gap between the rich and the poor, and Paper does admit that “despite the tremen- already announced plans to send up to avoid polarization of the society. Admit- dous achievements scored in building a another pair of taikonauts in 2007 and ting its blind pursuit of “economic growth” socialist political democracy, the CPC and have them walk in space. Further goals led to “blind investment, damage to the the Chinese people are clearly aware of the include setting up an orbiting space lab- environment and false statistics” indicates many problems yet to be overcome”. oratory and putting a man on the moon China’s leaders are going to pursue “a fair, Reporting from September indicates by 2017. The Chinese did announce they balanced and sustainable economic growth China has tightened its restrictions for had spent $110 million on the Shenzhou pattern” in the next Five-Year cycle. In news media on the Internet. China’s new VI mission, demonstrating the PRC’s 20 commit- press said the exercise was conducted for People’s Liberation Army Air Force ment to pro- “the fight against terrorism, separatism (PLAAF) and will support the formation moting and extremism”; however, many military of a new air assault army. Even with national experts, including this author, believe the these 30 additional Il-76s, PLAAF airlift pride. drills looked more like a dress rehearsal resources are insufficient to support an air- A cou- for an invasion of Taiwan. The exercise borne army of three or four divisions, so ple of inter- began in the Russian Far East city of follow-on orders are likely. China has also esting side Vladivostok, where Phase One was con- modified at least one of its existing Il-76s notes surrounding this event: The word ducted by senior commanders conduct- to serve as an airborne early warning Shenzhou - is variously translated as ing strategic planning and scenario deci- and control platform. Acquisition of the “Divine Craft” or “Divine Mechanism”, sion making. Phase Two moved Il-78s is a major departure for the PLAAF, but is also a pun on a literary name for towards the Shandong Peninsula and was which currently relies on about 10 aging B- China with the same pronunciation (literal- focused on delivery and disbursement 6s, and represents a significant expansion ly “Divine Land” which means “China”). of troops, adjustment of the war plan, of China’s power projection capabilities It appears the Chinese had particular inter- and organizing for combined operations. as its existing tanker capacity is unable to est in their lofty taikonauts “habits in the Phase Three, the actual simulated com- accommodate advanced fighters. The Il- head”. Xinhua, the official Party Paper, bat phase, involved three evolutions: 78s will be able to support China’s Su- ran an article regarding the effects of flatu- offshore blockade, amphibious assault 30MKK and other probe-equipped combat lence in space. Reportedly “astronauts can and forcible separation. Although the aircraft, such as the F-8D. This acquisition be blown away by his or her intestinal gas, press reporting was vague, China used has also increased speculation that China is which can also pollute the air inside space ten PLAN ships and submarines going to expand its strategic bomber force capsules”. Frankly, this is the kind of open (SOVREMENNEY DDG, LUYANG I with purchases of Russian Tu- and transparent reporting that will help DDG, LUHU DD, and SONG SSK) and 22M3/BACKFIRE or Tu-95/BEARs. clear the air between our two nations. more than 20 PLANAF aircraft (Su-27, In other related military news, rela- In regional relations, China took the Z-9, IL-76 and B-6) took part in develop- tions between the U.S. and China got hot lead during the fourth meeting of Shanghai ing a naval blockade, while Russia con- this summer when on 14 July, China’s Cooperation Organization (SCO) Prime tributed the UDALOY S DDG Marshall National Defense University Major Ministers meeting, which focused on anti- Shaposhnikov and the SOVREMENNEY General Zhu Chenghu stated to an inter- terrorism and deepening cooperation DDG BURNY, plus KA-27 helicopters, national press audience that “China is pre- among members in politics, economy and Su-24, Su-27, A-50, and Tu-22M and pared to use nuclear weapons against culture. This six-member Central Asian Tu-95 long-range bombers. The culmi- the US if it is attacked by Washington group (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, nation of the exercise was a massive during a confrontation over Taiwan…If Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan), amphibious assault, where Chinese and the Americans draw their missiles and which was started in 2001, met in Moscow Russian troops conducted opposed land- position-guided ammunition on to the tar- in mid-October and took a step closer to ings on the beaches of China’s Shandong get zone on China’s territory, I think we forming a Eurasian military confederacy to Peninsula.