China announces plan to develop high-tech weapons



China's war machine increases to grow, both in size and in technical sophistication

by Staff Writers



Beijing (AFP) May 25, 2006



China on Thursday announced a plan to develop its own high-tech "new-generation" weapons, reflecting a growing recognition that it must become self-reliant instead of depending on foreign purchases.

The plan calls for stepping up innovations in high and new technology weaponry over the coming 15 years to reinforce a high-tech and information-based army, Xinhua news agency said.

Some of the technology would also be used for civilian purposes, it said.

The focus would be on weapons for the space industry, aviation, ship and marine engineering, nuclear energy and fuel, and information technology, the plan said.

China would also upgrade its defense industry with digital technology, according to Xinhua. Specifics were not given.

The plan was passed by the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense at a meeting Thursday.

Analysts said they were not surprised, noting that China has been making efforts to improve its research and development capability, particularly in the defense industry.

"All of this is part of a self-reliance strategy that any country, particularly any major power, views as important," said Robert Karniol, Asia-Pacific editor of Jane's Defense Weekly in Bangkok.

"If you're dependent on foreign sourcing for your military equipment or for spare parts to keep your military running, then you're held hostage."

An annual US Defense Department report said Russia was the source of 95 percent of China's 13 billion dollars in foreign weapons purchases from 2000 through 2005.

China has been trying to diversify sourcing, targeting Israel and European countries, but efforts have been blocked by Washington.

Israel, which supplied China with HARPY unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, has begun to strengthen controls over its military exports, the US report said.

The European Union has also shelved discussions on lifting the arms embargo imposed after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

According to China's plan, special projects would be carried out on large aircraft, pressurized water reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, nuclear power stations, manned space missions and lunar probe programs.

China has a successful space program, but its ability to produce high-tech weapons is not strong, Karniol said.

China, for example, produces aircraft engines, but not ones good enough to power advanced fighter aircraft, he said. China also wants an aircraft carrier.

The US report said China will work on modernizing its ageing nuclear weapons, land- and sea-based defenses and emerging precision weapons.

It said China was investing in medium-range missiles, high-tech communications and guidance systems "to strike surface ships on the high seas or their onshore support infrastructure."

China was also increasingly hoping to establish joint ventures with Russia, instead of buying straight off the shelf.

It expressed interest in jointly developing a new-generation fighter jet with Russia, but Moscow has voiced concerns over the protection of intellectual property rights.

Source: Agence France-Presse