The USS Lassen sailed into the Spratley archipelago on Tuesday last week, a disputed set of islands that have drawn claims of ownership from a number of Southeast Asian countries as well as China.

State-owned newspaper Global Times wrote in an op-ed saying: “In face of the U.S. harassment, Beijing should deal with Washington tactfully and prepare for the worst. This can convince the White House that China, despite its unwillingness, is not afraid to fight a war with the U.S. in the region, and is determined to safeguard its national interests and dignity.”

The Global Times also declared that “no country, the U.S. included, is able to obstruct Beijing’s island reclamation in the region.”

A Chinese-version of the Global Times op-ed went further by saying of the USA: “It can’t finish the situation in Iraq or Afghanistan; it dares only to make noise against Russia; it has failed to achieve anything in Syria; and it can’t really take down Pyongyang. China really hasn’t provoked it, but the US truly is only a ‘paper tiger’.”

Official state news agency Xinhua criticized  “the lame-duck Obama administration” for trying to reassure its Asian allies “at a time when its so-called Asia Rebalance policy falters”, and warned that China “will take whatever means at whatever cost to safeguard its sovereign interests”.

The People’s Daily Online warned the USA by saying, “China never fears troubles, but the U.S. should never create troubles. If the U.S. plays with fire in South China Sea, the consequences will be very serious,” adding that “Troublemakers are bound to be condemned.”

Beijing has summoned the US Ambassador to protest, but they’ll get an even more formal opportunity to do so. On November 2, head of the US Pacific Command Harry B. Harris Jr will visit Beijing in order to discuss the situation in the South China Seas.

China has turned a number of reefs into islands in the Spratley archipelago system through a massive dredging project in 2013. Although China claims this is mainly for “civilian purposes”, Washington is claiming the facilities – including a two-mile long airstrip – are to reinforce its claim to a shipping zone in the area.

As the BBC reports, the 12-mile nautical zone can not be claimed for submerged features that were raised using artificial means.

In addition to the Spratley Islands, the Paracel Islands and the Scarborough Shoal are being contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

Media aside, China’s political and military leaders have emphasized a need for peace, even when referring to the turmoil in the South China Sea.

China’s Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Fan Changlong reassured the public last week by saying China “will never recklessly resort to the use of force,” even on issues regarding sovereignty. Having also said China “has done its utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts”, Fan’s words followed the construction of two lighthouses opposed by the USA and the Philippines who argue these land reclamation projects can be used for military purposes.

And during the September 3 military parade commemoration of the end of World War II, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “In the interest of peace, China will remain committed to peaceful development. We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion.”

On the same day, five Chinese warships were seen in the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska. According to Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis, it marked the first time the United States had seen Chinese navy ships in the Bering Sea.

The post Global Times: China “Not Afraid” of War appeared first on The Nanfang.

Fan went on to explain that China would continue to resolve disputes through friendly consultation, saying the country “has done its utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts”.

The comments come following the construction of two lighthouses in the South China Sea. Construction of the lighthouses has been hotly contested by the Philippines and United States, who argue such land reclamation projects could be used by the Chinese government as military bases.

The Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef constructions, both of which house Chinese garrisons, “will not affect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” said Fan, who added that the Chinese lighthouses “have already begun to provide navigation services to all nations.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said China will continue to build other facilities in the area. “Countries alongside the South China Sea and vessels sailing through the waters will receive better service,” said Liu.

As reported in China Daily, other Chinese experts have weighed in on how China could better develop relationships with its regional rivals.

Yan Xuetong, Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University, suggested that “cooperation could even be started when trust is absent” in some parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

“Don’t make the absence of trust an excuse for non-co-operation … We could embark on preventive co-operation first,” he said, referring to a prior agreement to avoid conflicts or accidents from developing between them.

On September 3, China commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II with a military parade featuring tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and vehicles. At the time, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “In the interest of peace, China will remain committed to peaceful development. We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion.”

On the same day, five Chinese warships were seen in the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska. According to Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis, it marked the first time the United States had seen Chinese navy ships in the Bering Sea.

At 2.3 million soldiers, China’s army is the largest in the world but perhaps not for long. During the September 3 parade, President Xi announced plans to reduce the army by some 300,000 soldiers.

The post Relax, The PLA Says China Will Not “Recklessly” Use Force In The South China Sea appeared first on The Nanfang.

On Friday morning, the PLA Daily sent out the following post on Weibo that included nine pictures (seen in the gallery above):

(translated) Test your eyes and have a look at these unnaturally effective camouflage
Camouflage is achieved by using paint, dyes and other materials to blend in with a cover or with background surroundings. Modern camouflage attire isn’t just limited to (civilians) wearing it, but also for use during warfare. Have a look and test your eyes; in the following pictures, can you find the people in them?

But that’s when we started to get suspicious. First, commentators in the PLA Daily pointed out each of these camouflaged people are conspicuously featured as the main subject of each photograph, almost as if they want to be seen.

On further inspection, there are other strange details: the “soldiers” use guns without scopes as well as non-traditional weapons like compound bows. They are also using animal calls or antlers as if to attract animal prey, and they are often seen with baseball hats with the same logo on it. If things don’t add up, it’s because these pictures are actually hunters in America wearing camouflaged products made by US-based sporting goods retailer Realtree.

Here’s how the People’s Daily Online published the story:

And here’s a screengrab from the Realtree hunting website promoting its Realtree Xtra Green Camouflage products:

To be fair, the PLA Daily did not explicitly say that the camouflaged people in the photographs are PLA soldiers. However, they didn’t say they were from Realtree either, and the paper isn’t known for showcasing equipment and technology that doesn’t belong to the PLA.

The People’s Daily Online reported the photos depict “combat uniforms featuring camouflage patterns”. Similarly, 21CN said these are “camouflage warfare outfits” while iFeng called them “Real warfare camouflage”. Both Sohu Military and AK Military News said these are “Camouflaged outfits of PLA soldiers”, captioning the photos with “The outfits of the PLA are enough to make people gasp in astonishment.” Likewise, the following Weibo users are under the impression that the person depicted is a Chinese soldier, writing, “Camouflage outfits of the PLA soldiers will test your sight: looks exactly like a tree, but holds a gun”

Only one out of the nine photos included in the original PLA Daily post does not appear to be affiliated with Realtree — it’s the last one (in the gallery) in which a person is seen crawling among a pile of rocks.

The post PLA Publishes Photos of “Chinese Soldiers” That Are Actually From a US Hunting Magazine appeared first on The Nanfang.

Some of the statutes are on the steps of Cheung Sha Wan Plaza near Li Chi Kok MTR Station, but Hong Kongers mostly walk past without giving them much thought. However, some mainlanders are incensed that a symbol of China’s military might is saluting people of Hong Hong.

As translated by the Hong Kong Free Press, here some of the leading comments:

“This is blasphemy against the military,” the top comment on China’s Sina News rails. “[This] must be removed,” followed the close second, “it’s disrespectful to the People’s Liberation Army. This business’s acts must be severely condemned.”

“Hong Kong,” the third-top comment grumbled, “nothing good has ever come out of that **** place.”

While not everyone feels this is something to get upset over, at least one netizen suggests that the source of the anger of mainlanders has to do with a lack of privilege. One person wrote, “This should not allowed… Here on the mainland, do you see anyone dare do something like this?”

And before we forget, these preparations are made for the National Day holidays. Even though mainland visitors are way down since the parallel trading protests from earlier this year, this is always the time of year when scores of mainland shoppers cross the border in order to take advantage of huge sales around Hong Kong.

The post Mainlanders Incensed at “Blasphemy” of PLA Statues Saluting Hong Kongers appeared first on The Nanfang.

On September 19, Beijing will hold air raid drills in ten suburban districts and counties in order to “improve abilities to handle attacks”, China Daily reports.

The Beijing Civil Defense Bureau said the air raid drills will include the evacuation of local residents, as well as the protection of key infrastructure targets in Fangshan, Tongzhou, and Daxing Districts among other locations.

Air raid drills have been held regularly in China over the last decade and a half.

Last year, drills were held in Mentougou, Fangshan and Yanqing Districts in the outskirts of Beijing.  In April 2013, during political tension with neighboring North Korea, China held an air raid drill in the northeastern city of Huichen, warning that its nuclear weapons were “on standby”. Around the same time, North Korean paratroopers conducted a drill of their own, landing at the edge of North Korean territory, just across from the Chinese city of Dandong.

In January 2013, the People’s Liberation Army air force rehearsed a drill, dropping live bombs on a mock enemy port.

In September 2011, over 1,600 soldiers participated in an air raid drill in Zunyi, Guizhou that involved soldiers shooting at mock enemy planes.

And finally, in 2000, Shanghai held air raid drills in the city’s Jiading District. It was the first time the city had held air raids since 1950.

Air raid tunnels and shelters built underneath Beijing have recently made the news as an ongoing three-year campaign seeks to evict city residents living in these locations. A vast underground network built during tensions in the 60s with the former Soviet Union, an estimated million people known as the “rat tribe”, were thought to be living in the former air raid shelters before the crackdown began.

The post Beijing Prepares for Potential War With Air Raid Drills This Saturday appeared first on The Nanfang.

The report says military leaders are wasting the efforts of their troops by having them perform menial tasks unrelated to their role, and mentions soldiers who are ordered to sweep and tidy up their barracks all day, or memorize long passages and then take impossibly difficult tests in which one wrong character is scored as a wrong answer. As well, the report says there is a continuing sense of redundancy as recruits both old and new are ordered to perform basic training on an annual basis.

Here’s an excerpt:

To waste the spirit of your officers and soldiers is to have a detrimental effect upon their effectiveness to fight. To only be concerned with civil concerns and not military ones is to cause disharmony and disorder. Why do some military leaders love to use power to accomplish nothing? One reason is that the concept of leading has fallen behind, thinking that ‘something will happen out of idleness’. They prefer their troops do work of no value because they can’t bear them not working. The other reason is image. They’d rather do something fake than lose out by going through the motions. Another reason is improper planning, with one hand not knowing what the other is doing, thus dragging the enlisted men into the mire.

Those that want to be victorious must love their troops. These military leaders must cherish the fruit of their soldiers’ labor. Really loving your soldiers is to appreciate the price that they pay. Winning your soldiers’ trust is the way to their hearts. Otherwise, if you don’t cherish them or empathize with their plight, this is to waste their blood, sweat and tears, and will take a toll on their fighting strength.

The report does not say how military commanders can properly cherish their troops without any wars to fight.

The post PLA Report Says Soldiers Wasting Time Sweeping the Floor with No Wars to Fight appeared first on The Nanfang.

Pot-bellied military officers and soldiers in China have woken up today to some disheartening news: China decided that a military officer’s weight will directly be linked to his or her career prospects. In other words if you’re overweight, there’s no chance of being promoted.

The new regulation is part of a five-year plan from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to improve soldiers’ overall physical fitness.  By 2020, the PLA wants 95 percent of its soldiers to be able to pass the expected weight standard, but didn’t say what that is.

It didn’t take people in China long to target the PLA’s most famous tubby general: the grandson of Chairman Mao Zedong, Mao Xinyu. Within minutes, comments targeting the younger Mao spread rapidly. “This is obviously aimed Mao Xinyu!” one person said. Or: “This is bullying the grandson.” Another added, “What did Mao Xinyu do to piss you guys off to introduce the new rule?” And one more: “There goes major general Mao’s career. No hopes of getting any promotions any more.”

Still, others wonder if bear-like president and chairman of the central military committee Xi Jinping would be able make the cut. One Weibo user wrote, “Not sure if Xi Dada can actually pass”.

The good thing is the regulation never specified what qualifies as the standard weight. But we figure whatever Xi Jinping weighs will be the cutoff point.

The post The PLA’s New Rule: No More Promotions for Fat Officers appeared first on The Nanfang.

Chinese Internet bars have a reputation as a negative influence on young people, including contributing to Internet addiction, which is now considered a clinical illness in China. But how bad can they be if the nation’s military is building internet bars to accommodate its soldiers?

The Jinan armoured brigade has constructed its own Internet bar to meet the demand of its troops. The base has dedicated three buildings to the internet, the largest of which is two stories and has 80 computers available.

Judging by the photos, many of the soldiers are big fans of the popular video game franchise, League of Legends.

Should the soldiers find themselves on the road, not to worry. According to the report, the military has modified one of its transport buses into an Internet bar, complete with tables and networked laptop computers.

Photos: Beijing University New Media, cnbeta

The post Chinese Military Building Internet Bars for Restless Soldiers appeared first on The Nanfang.

If you think five-star treatment might make soldiers soft, that certainly doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, photographs from Beijing Youth Daily show the soldiers living a spartan and humble existence despite the major upgrade in accommodation.

The soldiers brought their own bedding, wash basins and face cloths all while maintaining a meticulously spotless room, making a maid’s work rather easy. Their equipment is sorted out on shelves: helmets, riot shields, truncheons, and more.

Apparently they are even passing on disposable items in the room, which has won the support of netizens around the country. More pictures below:

Photos: Beijing Youth Daily

The post Photos: Chinese Soldiers at APEC Humbled by 5-Star Treatment appeared first on The Nanfang.

A Liaoning high school student committed suicide after being disciplined by a military instructor during mandatory school training, reports 21CN. Wang Jingwei took her own life in the early hours of August 19, jumping out of her sixth floor window in yet another disturbing act committed under the auspices of mandatory military training for middle, high school and university students.

A recent investigation of the Fuxin Board of Education determined that the school’s faculty and military instructors were blameless in the incident, contrary to the accusations made by Wang’s family.

After being sent home at the request of her teacher, He, Jingwei told her family about being chastised by her instructor and threatened with expulsion:

The teacher said my posture wasn’t any good. I said that I was doing my best, but the teacher said that I was selfish, and ungrateful. The teacher threatened to expel me.

The teacher allegedly told Jingwei, “If you were a boy, I’d expel you immediately,” and “I don’t want to see you anymore” before sending her home.

Ten students, including Jingwei, were allegedly singled out for special training because of improper behaviour. Given that the military instructor did not have a specific recollection of Jingwei, her family suspect that a contributing factor in her suicide was being taken to his office for a private talk.

In response to the allegations, the education board determined that the teacher and the instructor did not insult or punish Jingwei, and that their conversation was nothing out of the ordinary. Moreover, the instructor claims he never threatened Jingwei with expulsion. 

This is not the first time mandatory military training for students has ended in controversy. Earlier this month, a massive brawl broke out following an incident between high school students and military instructors sent to the school. The official report on the incident has sent high school freshmen and their parents to the streets of Longhua in protest. The report made no mention of the inebriation of the military instructors, placing the blame solely on a teacher at the school.

While military training for students is controversial, there are no plans to cancel the practice anytime soon. In fact, on August 28, the Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed the importance and legality of the training to the long-term security of China.

Related:

• Ugly Incident: Hunan Students and Chinese Military In Violent High School Clash
• Internet Addiction Treatment Involves Military-Style Training, Leaves One Dead

Photo: 21CN, People’s Daily

The post High School Student Commits Suicide Following Mandatory Military Training appeared first on The Nanfang.