Category: military

(Xinhua)10:32, May 30, 2019

WASHINGTON, May 29 (Xinhua) — Turkey would face U.S. sanctions if it completes the delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, U.S. State Department warned on Wednesday.

Were willing to engage with the Turkish Government but our position remains the same that Turkey will face very real and very negative consequences if it completes the delivery of the S-400, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said at a pressing briefing.

The consequences include suspension of procurement, industrial participation in the F-35 fighter jets program, and potential sanctions because of the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), she noted.

These are very serious, these are very real, and I think our position remains quite consistent on that, she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump on the same day spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on phone about the S-400 issue, the White House said in an earlier statement.

Turkish Presidencys Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter that during the phone call, Erdogan reiterated Turkeys offer to set up a joint working group to address U.S. concerns about Ankaras purchase of the S-400 air defense system.

The White House statement, however, made no mention of Erdogans working group proposal.

Washington and Ankara have been sparring for months over the latters purchase of the Russian-made S-400.

The United States argued that Russian missiles on Turkish territory could gain valuable intelligence on the technical systems of the U.S.-made stealth F-35 jets.

Turkey has insisted that it is not going to give up its 2.5-billion-U.S. dollar contract with Russia.

U.S. media CNBC reported last week that Washington had given Ankara just over two weeks to give up its S-400 deal with Russia or risk severe penalties and lose the possibility of buying U.S. F-35.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Monday dismissed reports that the United States had issued an ultimatum, adding the S-400 would arrive in following months.

(Global Times)10:49, May 30, 2019

The island of Taiwan is spending billions of dollars to upgrade fighter jets purchased from the US, yet they are still no match for the Chinese mainlands J-11s, mainland experts said, as the island conducted its first highway takeoff and landing drill with the F-16V at the annual Han Kuang military exercises on Tuesday.

The J-11 is not even the mainlands best fighter jet, analysts noted.

A US-made F-16V led other jets in taking off and landing on a highway in Changhua county in western Taiwan Tuesday morning as a highlight of the five-day Han Kuang live-fire exercises that started on Monday, Taipei-based The China Post reported on Wednesday.

Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen said the drill was challenging and demonstrated the defense capability and trustworthiness of Taiwans military, the report said.

However, Fu Qianshao, a mainland air defense expert, told the Global Times that although highway emergency takeoffs and landings could be helpful in combat, the drill is more of a temporary training rather than a regular operation.

It would be an exaggeration to consider such contingency training as a combat capability boost, Fu said.

The drill also marked the exercise debut of the first F-16 upgraded to the V configuration, featuring advanced radar and other combat capabilities, the Associated Press reported.

Taiwans air force is spending about $4.21 billion to upgrade 144 F-16A/Bs to the F-16V, and is trying to purchase new ones from the US, the AP report said.

The F-16V is a 3.5-generation (or 4.5 generation, according to another widely used classification) jet built by the US, and while its fire control and weapons systems are improved, their contributions to the overall combat capability are limited, Fu said.

Compared to the Chinese mainlands 3.5-generation lightweight fighter jets, the J-10B and J-10C, the F-16V holds no significant advantage, Fu said, noting it is no match to the mainlands J-11 heavy fighter jet series.

China has already commissioned its fourth-generation stealth fighter jet, the J-20, which is far more advanced than any third-generation ones and comparable to the US most advanced fighter jet, the F-22, military observers said.

(Xinhua)09:11, May 31, 2019

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — The Southern Theater Command of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and the border defense forces of Lao Peoples Army will hold the first joint anti-terrorism drill between the two armies in June, the Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday.

The drill is part of the China-Laos border defense friendly exchange activities to be held along the border of the two countries on June 5 and 6, the ministrys spokesperson Wu Qian said at a press conference.

(Xinhua)09:13, May 31, 2019

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — China and the United States should build a coordinated, cooperative and stable relationship and work hard to make military-to-military ties a stabilizer for the China-U.S. relationship, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

China has been resolute in fighting against provocations by the U.S. in fields including trade, Wu said, adding that the Chinese army has unwavering resolve in safeguarding the security of national sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensuring the Chinese people enjoy happy lives.

Wu said the relationship between the two armies is generally stable and the two sides have been engaging in normal exchanges and communication.

(Global Times)09:57, May 31, 2019

Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian introduces the torch for the 7th Military World Games, which is scheduled to be held in Wuhan, Central Chinas Hubei Province in October, at a routine press conference on Thursday. Photo: website of the ministry

Foreign media accusation of Chinese fishing boats firing laser beams at Australian helicopters in the South China Sea is not consistent with the facts, said Wu Qian, spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

The Australian side should reflect before accusing others, Wu said at a routine press conference.

Chinese fishermen have the right to operate in Chinese territorial waters and to sail through open seas, Wu noted.

Wus remarks came after Australian media reports on Wednesday claimed that Chinese fishing vessels shot laser beams at Australian navy helicopter pilots when they were conducting exercises in the South China Sea, forcing them to land as a precaution.

However, the reports did not provide evidence of the alleged attack. Australian news website abc.net.au reported that it has not yet been confirmed if the vessels were Chinese-flagged.

A Chinese military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times that Chinas fishing vessels are not advanced enough to have laser beams.

Another anonymous military expert told the Global Times that a laser beam would require vast amounts of electricity to power, and it is impossible for a fishing boat to provide such power.

Even if something was shot at the helicopters, it was probably only flashlights, as the aircraft flew too low and too close to ships, the anonymous expert said.

(Xinhua)10:24, June 01, 2019

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks here with U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan prior to the opening of the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday, and the atmosphere was positive and constructive, said Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Chinese defense ministry.

This was the Chinese ministers first talks with Shanahan as U.S. acting defense secretary, and the two discussed Sino-U.S. military relationship, the Korean Peninsula issue and other affairs of joint concern in a frank and friendly manner, and they have reached some consensus, Wu said.

Both sides agreed that its very important to maintain a stable Sino-U.S. military relationship, Wu said. The two militaries should implement the consensus reached between the two heads of states, deepen exchanges and cooperation, contain divergence and risks, so as to make the relationship the stabilizer of bilateral relations, he elaborated.

On Taiwan-related issues, the Chinese minister pointed out that the United States has recently taken a series of negative actions, and the Chinese side strongly objects them. On the matter of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the U.S. side should never underestimate the resolve, determination and capability of the Chinese military, Wu quoted the minister as saying.

Both sides agreed to jointly push forward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and safeguard the peace and stability of the region, he added.

Wei and Shanahan are here to attend the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, also called the Asia Security Summit, and they will each deliver a speech at the plenary sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

(Xinhua)09:33, June 02, 2019

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) — China firmly objected to the U.S. sides remarks on Taiwan and the South China Sea while welcoming the U.S. statement of continuing to develop and stabilize the bilateral military relationship, a senior Chinese military official said here Saturday.

U.S. acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has made some false remarks on the issues related to Taiwan and the South China Sea in his keynote speech at the ongoing 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, and we resolutely reject that, said Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of Chinas Central Military Commission.

Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times. The one-China principle constitutes the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations, and is also a universal consensus of the international community, Shao said.

However, the U.S. side once again said at the Shangri-La Dialogue that it will offer necessary support to Taiwan according to the so-called Taiwan Relations Act.

The series of negative acts and comments recently made by the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between the two countries, jeopardized Chinas sovereignty and security, and damaged regional peace and stability, Shao said.

He reiterated that China must and will certainly realize unification. If someone desires to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will steadfastly safeguard the unity of the motherland at all costs.

Commenting on Shanahans remarks of accusing China of sabotaging freedom of navigation and pushing forward the militarization of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, Shao said that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands and reefs and their neighboring waters in the South China Sea, based on sufficient historical and legal facts.

For a long time, the normal navigation and overflight activities in the South China Sea region by various countries have always been smooth and uninterrupted. The freedom of navigation and overflight has never been an issue, he said.

The United States has been dispatching warships and aircraft to the nearby airspace and waters of the South China Sea islands and reefs, and implementing frequent close-up reconnaissance and targeted military drills. These acts are harmful to regional peace and stability, Shao said.

We deploy necessary defense facilities according to the security situation faced by the islands and reefs of the South China Sea. This is the absolute right of a sovereign country, and the necessary response to provocative actions, he said.

Shao said under the joint efforts of China and other countries along the South China Sea, mutual trust among regional countries has been notably strengthened, and the overall situation of the South China Sea is stable and improving.

Countries in the region have absolute willingness, wisdom and capability to contain differences, jointly promote peace, and build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, the senior Chinese official said.

As regards Shanahans remarks on the U.S. wish to develop a stable relationship between the U.S. and Chinese militaries, Shao said China welcomed that.

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who leads the Chinese delegation at the dialogue, held positive and constructive talks with Shanahan here on Friday, with both sides agreeing that a stable Sino-U.S. military relationship is very important, Shao said.

The two militaries will firmly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of states, deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, contain divergence and risks, so as to make the bilateral military relationship a stabilizer of bilateral ties, he added.

(Xinhua)09:45, June 02, 2019

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) — China firmly rejects the false remarks on Taiwan-related issues made by U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the ongoing 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, Chinese Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming said here on Saturday.

China welcomes the U.S. wish to develop a stable relationship between the militaries of the two countries, but we resolutely reject some false remarks on Taiwan made by Shanahan when addressing a plenary session at the dialogue, said Shao, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of Chinas Central Military Commission.

Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times, Shao noted, saying that the one-China principle constitutes the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations, and is also a universal consensus of the international community.

However, the U.S. side once again claimed at the Shangri-La Dialogue that it will offer necessary support to Taiwan according to the so-called Taiwan Relations Act.

The series of negative acts and comments recently made by the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between the two countries, jeopardized Chinas sovereignty and security, and damaged regional peace and stability, Shao said.

He emphasized that China must and will certainly realize its unification, and if anyone intends to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland at all costs.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.

(Xinhua)09:45, June 02, 2019

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) — China on Saturday made a three-point proposal on enhancing defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region at the Shangri-La Dialogue being held here.

Addressing a special session on New Model of defense cooperation during the dialogue, Major General Ci Guowei, chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation of Chinas Ministry of National Defense, said China is fully aware that its peaceful development is closely linked with the future of the Asia-Pacific.

We advocate active bilateral and multilateral security dialogue and cooperation, and strive to facilitate regional cooperation in both economy and security, Ci said.

China adopts a holistic approach to security governance that addresses both symptoms and root causes. Chinas proposals on the Asia-Pacific security architecture are meant to complete and improve the existing mechanisms rather than overturn them and start all over again, he said.

To this end, China proposes three points in enhancing defense cooperation in the region, he said.

First, to promote positive interaction between major countries for defense cooperation. Only when major-country relations remain generally stable can the Asia-Pacific enjoy relative tranquility, Ci said, adding healthy interaction between major countries requires their joint efforts towards the same goal.

Noting that while the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is running at a high level, the state to state and military and military relations between China the United States remain generally stable despite twists and difficulties, Ci said.

China has always adhered to the principles of non conflict, non confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation in China-U.S. relations, he said.

Second, to build an open and inclusive architecture for defense cooperation. Military blocs left over from the cold war were the choices of only a small number of countries and do not represent the preference of the majority of regional and international communities, Ci said.

China advocates that all newly-proposed initiatives should be in favor of greater transparency and inclusiveness with wide participation, and fit in the era of integrated global economy, political pluralism and shared security, he said, adding none should undermine the interests of others or develop into exclusive military blocs, he said.

Third, to enhance practical cooperation in non-traditional security. Compared with traditional security issues, non-traditional security is an area where countries have reached more consensus and carried out more joint engagement, Ci said.

Therefore, we should proceed from the lower-hanging fruits and continue our cooperation with non-traditional security as the priority for greater mutual trust.

China will proceed in the right direction by continuing to pursue its own security in the bigger context of maintaining security for all in the region and promoting cooperation with innovated security concept so as to contribute to a bright future of the Asia-Pacific region, Ci said.

Defense ministers from Canada, Australia, Japan, among others, also presented their views on enhancing defense cooperation in the region.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.

(Xinhua)09:46, June 02, 2019

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) — A Chinese defense official on Saturday at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue called for reducing and avoiding close military activities at sea that are viewed by the other side as unfriendly or even hostile.

This is the most direct and effective way to avoid conflict at sea, said Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese Defense Ministry.

Zhou said that most of the existing rules are arrangements for accidental encounters, but tactical arrangements work best when both sides have a strategic consensus that they do not engage in conflict and do not confront each other.

As the worlds largest trading and exporting country, China attaches great importance to maritime security, and its initiative to jointly build the 21st century Maritime Silk Road is aimed at promoting maritime connectivity and practical cooperation in various fields, as well as promoting common security through economic development, said Zhou.

Zhou added that due to the smooth progress of negotiations on the code of conduct in the South China Sea between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the situation in the region has calmed down significantly.

However, some countries outside the South China Sea have obviously violated their commitments of not taking a position on the South China Sea issue, and have openly increased their involvement in the South China Sea, thus significantly increasing instability in the South China Sea, said the Chinese official.

China is committed to working with other countries to safeguard maritime security, said Zhou, adding that Chinas consultations, dialogues and cooperation with other countries have played a positive role in promoting maritime security and avoiding maritime incidents and conflicts.

He also called for cooperation between China and the United States to seek common ground while shelving differences on the principles of freedom of navigation.

One side should not impose its own unilateral interpretation on the other side, and even send military vessels or aircrafts to conduct dangerous military activities in the other sides territorial waters and exclusive economic zone on the pretext of freedom of navigation, he said.

The 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as the Asia Security Summit, opened Friday with participants discussing the security situation and its challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. The dialogue has been held by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government annually since 2002.