Using soft power to hardsell spirituality

My article Using soft power to hardsell spirituality appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer.

Here is the link...

Prime Minister Modi has been promoting a new term, ‘spiritual neighbourhood’. He used it during his trips to Sri Lanka and more recently to Mongolia to link up with Buddhism. It makes for good diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invented a new concept in diplomacy, ‘spiritual neighbourhood’. Addressing the Great Hural, the Mongolian Parliament, the Prime Minister affirmed, “I bring the greetings of your 1.25 billion spiritual neighbours. There is no higher form of a relationship; no bonds more sacred than this.”
Mr Modi added, “As in the life of a human being, in the life of a nation, too, few things are as precious as the gift of friendship.” He reminded his Mongolian hosts that “around two thousand years ago, monks from India crossed difficult terrain and long distance to spread the message of Lord Buddha in this enchanting land”.
After a successful visit to China, the Prime Minister could not mention that the spiritual bridge linking India and Mongolia was Tibet. During the 13th century, the Tibetan Lamas from Sakya converted the belligerent Mongol Khans to the pacifist doctrine of Gautama Buddha. Before changing the lives of the steppe men, the Dharma had travelled from the plains of Nalanda to the Roof of the World.
For centuries, Tibet was close to Mongolia (in 1913, both nations, then independent, signed a Treaty of Friendship). In 1932, a year before his death, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama prophetically warned the Tibetans in his testament: “Remember the fate that befell the Mongolian nation when Communists overran the country and where the Head Lama’s reincarnation was forbidden, where property was totally confiscated and where monasteries and religion were completely wiped out. These things have happened, are happening and will happen in the land which is the Centre of Buddhism (i.e. Tibet).”
We know what befell Tibet in 1950. It is a pity that the Prime Minister could not mention the case the Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, the head Lama of Mongolia who, in 1959 took refuge in India, where he spent most of his life revitalising the Jonang Buddhist tradition, prevalent in Mongolia. During the last years of his life, he returned to his native country, where he was reinstalled as ‘The Protector of Beings of the North and Leader of all the Buddhist Schools’; he eventually died in Ulaanbaatar in 2012.
The concept of ‘spiritual neighbours’ is exceedingly important for India’s soft power diplomacy. China might be far advanced as far as infrastructure or economy is concerned, but India is the only nation which can take the lead in spiritual matters. Buddhism and yoga are indeed good ambassadors of India’s sacred traditions, which have sustained for thousands of years.
It does not mean that China is not active, even in this field. Here too Beijing wants to be the leader. On October 27, 2014, The Buddhist Channel, a global news platform which provides news on Buddhism, reported that “China lays claims to leadership of the Buddhist World”. New agency Xinhua elaborated: “Hundreds of the world’s Buddhists gathered at an ancient temple in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province to open the World Fellowship of Buddhists’ 27th general conference. …more than 600 representatives from 30 nations and regions were in attendance.”
When it is convenient, communist China believes in the Buddha (and even in the re-incarnation of Buddhist masters). In 1957, on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha’s birth, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, a hardcore communist, brought to India relics of the Great Monk; this pleased Jawaharlal Nehru immensely.
The highlight of the Shaanxi conference (incidentally, it is where Mr Modi met President Xi Jinping, when he recently landed in China) was the speech of the Chinese-selected Panchen Lama, Gyalsten Norbu, who urged Buddhists worldwide to jointly strive for deepened exchange and cooperation. Norbu told the international gathering, “Buddhism has already integrated into the Chinese culture and it is recognised by the Chinese government. For over thousand years Tibetan Buddhism has become the precious gem of the Chinese nation.”
Well, the ‘real’ Panchen Lama, selected by the Dalai Lama 20 years ago, still languishes under house arrest somewhere in China. This is the other side of the coin: While Beijing promotes Buddhism for political reasons outside China, it is banned (or policed) for sections of society, like with the Tibetans. One can understand that, at a time the membership of the communist party is shrinking, hundred million Buddhists could be subversive for the regime in China. Can Buddha be more popular than Karl Marx?
The March trip of Mr Modi to Colombo should also be seen in the context of ‘spiritual neighbours’. While visiting Sri Lanka’s ancient capital Anuradhapura and offering prayers at the sacred Mahabodhi tree, the Prime Minister had noted, “Sri Lanka is where Buddhism has truly flourished.” During his official visit to Japan, the Prime Minister had reminded his hosts, “Buddhism from India has inspired Japan for over a millennium.”
All this is significant at a time when China is trying hard to take the leadership of the Buddhism movement in Asia; with Beijing having a lot of money to invest in ‘soft’ diplomacy, many are tempted. Remember, in November 2012, it was reported that Mr Pushpa Kamal Dahal, ‘Prachanda’, the Nepal Maoist leader, had signed a deal with a shadowy Chinese from Hong Kong, Xiao Wunan, for developing Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace. Xiao was to put three billion dollars in the venture. Finally, it did not materialise, but it showed that money was not a problem for the Chinese.
The Dalai Lama has never been able to visit Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka or Myanmar, where tens of millions of Buddhists live — just because Beijing opposes the trips. It was comforting that soon after Mr Modi’s return from Sri Lanka, the Tibetan leader met with a delegation of Sri Lankan Theros (senior monks), to discuss Vinaya, the Buddhist monastic discipline. It is a rather rare occurrence, as the followers of the Buddha rarely ‘exchange’ their views on their respective interpretations of the Buddha’s words. On the occasion, the Dalai Lama reminded his Sri Lankan colleagues: “We are all followers of the same Buddha.”
It was refreshing that New Delhi took the initiative to host a dialogue between Theravada and Tibetan/Himalayan monks of the Nalanda tradition. A long way since November 2011, when before the Global Buddhist Congregation organised by the Ashoka Mission in New Delhi (with an attendance of some 900 monks and nuns from over 40 countries), Beijing objected to the presence of the Dalai Lama at one of the functions. After China threatened to call off the 15th round of the border talks between the Special Representatives, the then Indian Government backed out; both the Prime Minister and President were suddenly too busy to attend. As far as Buddhism and Hinduism is concerned, India should take the lead. It will be a plus in Modi sarkar’s tally.

In Bhutan

In China

In Japan

In Sri Lanka

In Nepal

Beijing to offer more 'gifts' to Tibet

More tourists for Tibet

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi Province, as the first leg of his high profile visit to China, analysts wonder if he would speak about Tibet with the Chinese leadership.
Apparently, he did not!
The ‘T’ word appears only once in the Joint Statement, when the Kailash yatra is mentioned:

The Indian side appreciated the support and cooperation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local government of Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China to Indian pilgrims for the Kailash Manasarover Yatra (Gang Renpoche [sic] and Mapam Yun Tso Pilgrimage). To further promote religious exchange between the two countries and provide facilitation for Indian pilgrims, the Chinese side would launch the route for the Yatra through Nathu La Pass in 2015.

Though it is a separate issue, it is worth noting that Beijing always says, ‘Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China’.
Delhi never speaks of ‘Tamil Nadu of the Republic of India’ or ‘West Bengal of …’. It perhaps shows that Beijing is still unsure about the legal ground of its ‘presence’ in Tibet.
But apart from this reference, nothing on 'T'.
The Brahmaputra is not even mentioned, except to say:

The Indian side expressed appreciation to China for providing flood-season hydrological data and the assistance in emergency management. The two sides will further strengthen cooperation through the Expert-Level Mechanism on the provision of flood-season hydrological data and emergency management, and exchange views on other issues of mutual interest.

The names of the Yarlung Tsangpo/Siang/Brahmaputra and the Sutlej are not cited. Does it means that Delhi has got some assurance from Beijing that China will not go for mega-dams on the trans-boundary rivers? It is possible!

An unusual comment
An interesting remark during Modi’s speech at Tsinghua University: the Prime Minister said that both nations needed to ensure that their relationships with other countries did not become a concern for each other: “If we are able to deepen mutual trust and confidence, we will also be able to reinforce each other's efforts of connecting Asia with itself and the rest of the world."
The South China Morning Post quotes an analyst saying: “Modi's comment was somewhat unusual as diplomatic visitors to Beijing normally called for further consolidation of bilateral ties.”
Fang Tien-sze, a South Asia study expert and a Taiwanese former diplomat in India explains: “By asking the mainland to reconsider its approach in dealing with India, Modi meant to say there is a need for Beijing to work hard with New Delhi to really find a way to resolve their border disputes if the two sides are to closely cooperate to form the Asian Century."
It is true that Beijing needs to 'work hard' to fill up the trust deficit.

A gift for Tibet?
In the meantime, Beijing is thinking of ‘what kind of gift to give to Tibet its 50th anniversary?’ China Tibet Online elaborates:

The Year 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and it is reported that the Sixth Conference on the Work of Tibet may also be convened this year. Since the central government has always presented gifts to Tibet on major celebrations, we may wonder what kind of gift it will send to Tibet this year.

Will it be the genuine autonomy demanded by the Dalai Lama?
Don't be so hopeful!
The Chinese ‘Tibetan’ website reminds us that in March 2015,

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang mentioned in the Government Work Report that China is a unified and multi-ethnic country, and it is important to uphold and improve the system of the regional ethnic autonomy. It is also important to provide more support to the development of ethnic minority areas, to protect and develop ethnic cultures and characteristic towns in order to promote exchanges among various ethnic groups.

It recalls Year 2011 which marked the 60th anniversary of the so-called peaceful liberation of Tibet (Beijing does not say that it resulted in more than 1 million casualties). At that time, a delegation from Beijing, “presented the Tibetan people with essential life products, including stainless steel pressure cookers, handheld solar-powered torches, and portable solar-powered televisions.”
The website justifies the generous ‘gifts’ thus: “Although people living in developed areas might not consider these items, for those living on the high plateau, especially rural residents in remote areas, the gifts are very practical and useful.”
It was indeed useful, especially if the Tibetans were last without pressure cookers in the Middle Kingdom.

A new gift for Tibet
I have already mentioned China's next gift to Tibet on this blog, the Roof of the World will made an integral part of the New Silk Road. 
Is it better than a stainless pressure cooker for the common man on the high plateau? Not certain!
China Tibet Online asserts: "The ‘One belt, One road’ strategy is seen as an opportunity to accelerate Tibet’s development. Gifts from the central government to Tibet also include policy support in public finance and banking.”
A Xinhua article in March had quoted Xiao Gang, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, who proposed some "policies that would support an equity shares market, a bond market, and a futures contract market in the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as efforts that would broaden financing channels for businesses, support funding for small-scale businesses, which will play a role in supporting the development of a futures contract market in Tibet.”
It further commented that to promote the development of a capital market, Tibet needs to improve its own economic capacity.
Shang Fulin, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission had proposed a solution to ‘improve’ Tibet’s economic capacity: “In order to improve the banking institution in Tibet and provide credit resources, China must focus on developing Tibet’s local tourism and culture, Tibetan medicine and pharmacology, and characteristic industries such as agriculture and animal husbandry.”
Instead of 15 million Han tourists, Tibet will then become a full-fledged tourist resort; the largest amusement park in the world.
The article says that China must further expand the ‘Horseback Bank’, the ‘Tent Bank’, and mobile servicing vehicles "according to the particular characteristics of Tibet."
In other words, Beijing will bring ‘development' to the countryside, to the farmers and nomads (and bring tourists along).
The conclusion of the apparently well-informed website is that these gifts will be beneficial “for accelerating Tibet’s leapfrog development and for promoting the building of a moderately prosperous society in Tibet.”
It even cites statistics from the TAR’s Taxation Bureau: in 2014 Tibet’s GDP reached 92 billion yuan, (15 billion US dollars), an increase of 10.8 percent over the previous year.
As Tibet prepares to ‘celebrate’ the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the so-called Autonomous Region, Xinhua admits: “Tibet is the country’s only region with vast concentrated poverty areas.”
What was the point of ‘liberating Tibet, if it so?
It reminds me of the words of the 10th Panchen Lama who, a few hours before his mysterious death in 1989, asked “what was the point of liberating Tibet 30 years ago, if Tibet remains so poor.”
Two points are clear: China will increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Roof of the World (and for the purpose will tremendous increase the construction of ‘dual-use’ infrastructure in Tibet) and then Tibet will become an integral part of the ‘One Road, One Belt’ project, so dear to President Xi Jinping.
Can all this be considered as ‘gifts’ to the Tibetan people?
To settle the border issue with India, Beijing will probably wait for Tibet to be ‘stabilized’?
Tibetans will crawling under ‘gifts’, but will they be satisfied?
After all, the 'stabilization' depends of the happiness of the 'masses', isn't it?

Mr Modi, be wary of the Chinese!

Chinese and Russian navies leaving for joint drills in the Mediterranean Sea

My article on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China, entitled Mr Modi, be wary of the Chinese! appeared in Rediff.com

Here is the link...

'Chinese leaders rarely receive their foreign guests in cities other than Beijing. Such respect for India!' 
'Does it mean that Modi could replicate "the warmth and unconventional way" by sending Indian troops into Tibet, as Xi did in Chumur (Ladakh) when he arrived in India? Of course, Indians are far too polite to do so,' says Claude Arpi.

‘Hello China’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Chinese as his first message on the Chinese microblog Weibo: “Looking forward to interacting with Chinese friends through Weibo.”
Will a few tweets help Modi, the third-most followed world leader on Twitter to tackle the issues facing the Sino-Indian relations? The answer is ‘no”.
Immediately after Modi’s ‘hello’, a Chinese Weibo shot back: “The southern part of Tibet belongs to China, and Kashmir belongs to Pakistan. Mr PM please return the lands of other countries first before we start talking about how to get along well”
The relations between Delhi and Beijing are too complicated for a few slogans to make the difference, while at every level, the balance of power tilts in favour of China.
In fact, all bilateral issues, whether it is the border dispute, the trade imbalance, the stapled visas for Kashmiris and Arunachalis, the opening of new consulates, the Tibet issue; none of these problems can be solved easily due to the economic imbalance, as well the difference in border infrastructure and military power.
But there is an imbalance of ‘vision’ too.
A few weeks ago, a PIB communique announced that the Prime Minister “will visit Xian, Beijing and Shanghai from May 14 – 16, 2015.” That was the ‘normal’ pattern for the Prime Minister’s visit; the problem is that China is not a normal country.
The Middle Kingdom dreams of dominating Asia and the World; India is only incidental to the Chinese Dream.
Further, India and China live in different worlds, with often-opposite mindsets and while adhocism is the hallmark of the Elephant, the Dragon thinks far, far ahead.
China watcher, Francesco Sisci recently wrote in The Asia Times: “China works with long terms plans, its way of thinking and its political organization is all geared for long term — and of course they do not have elections every two or four years to press politicians into daily routines.”
Sisci cites China’s New Silk Road, an extremely long term scheme: “China now wants to make some progress on the development of the Silk Road and it can do it with Russia and Pakistan, the safest bets.”
And Beijing acts fast, China and Russia have just conducted a joint naval drill in the Mediterranean; a move which extends greatly the Middle Kingdom’s sphere of influence. Though the Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Geng Yansheng said: “The aim of the drills is to deepen both countries' friendly and practical cooperation and increase our navies' ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats," Sina Military Network explained the rationale: “there is no doubt that joint military drills will always send a signal,” further admitting: “the target of the maritime exercise is obviously the US, which China feels has been interfering in China's expansion activities in the East and South China seas by strengthening ties with Japan and the Philippines.” It also mentions the economic sanctions against the Russian Federation for annexing Crimea from Ukraine.
It is clear that China will first defend its interests.
Now the question comes: how should India deal with China?
There are no simple answers, though it would be useful if the Prime Minister team starts thinking ahead (a few years to start with) and find schemes on which India’s friends and partners can rely.
In this perspective, the recently-held Varuna Indo-French naval exercises, which saw the Indian and French Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) interact in the most sophisticated naval training so far, were interesting. It is vital for Delhi to engage with ‘friendly’ navies and learn from those who have the required experience, ships and armament and there are very few!
This too will not stop China’s rise.

China wants to dominate the World
While several American ‘experts’ have started talking of the ‘cracking up’ of the Middle Kingdom, Beijing does not bother much and continues with its initiative to build a ‘parallel’ new world order, centered on China and Asia.
WantChinaTimes, a Taiwanese publication mentions “new political, economic and security systems that China is setting up around the world in an attempt to realign the established international order dominated by the United States.”
During the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), the Asian ‘Davos’, President Xi Jinping went on about his favorite topic, the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative. Xi asserted that the scheme would ultimately benefit 'all nations'.
The scheme has different rationales, though the main objectives are clearly for China to take the leadership of Asia and reenergize its economy.
The Silk Road Economic Belt will eventually link China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe, while the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, will stretch China’s influence to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in the West and to the South Pacific in the East.
The Silk Road projects would add more than 60,000 kilometres of road, including 4,070 km expressways, and improve the connectivity of the existing transportation network.
Both new ‘silk roads’ would involve 65 countries from three continents and 4.4 billion people. Xi spoke of an annual trade volume exceeding US $ 2.5 trillion in a decade: “cooperation and coordination of policies will be win-win for all involved”, he affirmed.
Another much-talked about initiative is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Beijing no longer wants to be subjected to US financial controlling or monitoring.
The Chinese initiative is already considered as a success if one looks at the number of countries and territories from five continents who have applied to join the Beijing-led Bank as founding members.
Though Japan will not be immediately joining, many Western capitals, including London have declared their intention to jump into the boat. Washington, completely taken on the wrong foot, seemed to have lost a battle. In the US, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noted that the United State has ‘screwed up’ on the way it dealt with the AIIB.
Now take Xi Jinping’s trip to Islamabad. The enormity of the ‘gifts’ that Chinese President brought in his luggage as he landed in Pakistan, is flabbergasting.
The Washington Post remarked: “Xi arrived in Islamabad bearing real gifts: an eye-popping $46 billion worth of planned energy and infrastructure investment to boost Pakistan's flagging economy.”
It sounds like a Chinese Dream for Islamabad!
Beijing has decided to help Pakistan to develop a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which will eventually link up the One Belt and One Road.
In other words, the Chinese-sponsored port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea will be connected through the Karakoram Highway, to the Xinjiang province in China’s Far West and Central Asia …and later Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The ‘corridor’ will have railways, roads, optical fiber cables, dams (to produce the necessary electricity), pipelines, etc!
Observers marveled at Beijing’s kindness (and wealth), but one should not be fooled by Chinese generosity: Beijing is investing for China!
With the country facing financial difficulties at home, with a slowdown of the economic engine, the leadership has devised the double Roads scheme to rebalance its own economy and perhaps more importantly, to become the sole leader of Asia.
Where is India in this scheme? Nowhere!
Does Delhi have such a ‘Grand Project’? The answer is ‘No’.

Modi’s visit to China
It was announced (in India) that Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wanted to replicate “the warm and unconventional welcome extended to him [Xi] by Indian Prime Minister on his visit to India” by taking Modi for a trip to the ancient city of Xian, the capital of Xi's home province Shaanxi.
It will probably be enough to melt the soft hearts of the Indian delegation; the Chinese leaders rarely receive their foreign guests in cities other than Beijing. Such respect for India!
Does it mean that Modi could replicate ‘the warmth and unconventional way’ by sending Indian troops into Tibet, as Xi did in Chumur (Ladakh) when he arrived in India? Of course, Indians are far too polite to do so. Once again, the gap in mindsets is too wide.
Analyst Brahma Chellaney believes: “Indian diplomacy has long been shaped by personalities at the helm. Their propensity to act in haste and repent at leisure has been legendary, as India has ignored the sound advice of Talleyrand, Napoleon’s famous foreign minister: ‘By no means show too much zeal’.”
Without showing too much ‘zeal’, Modi could perhaps:

• Ask Xi Jinping if he knows that once upon a time, Tibetans kings ruled over China from Xi’an.
• Ask to meet the Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama and kept ‘somewhere in China’ for the past 20 years.
• Ask China to reopen the Himalayan passes which were closed in 1962, namely, Demchok (Ladakh), Mana and Niti pass (Uttarakhand) , Jelep-la (West Bengal), and a few others routes in Arunachal Pradesh like Kibithu (Anjaw district), Bumla (Tawang district), Gelling-Tuting (Upper Siang district)
• Reopen the Indian Consulate in Lhasa in exchange of a Chinese consulate in Chennai or elsewhere in India.
• What has happened of the Indian Trade Agency’s building in Yatung in the Chumbi Valley adjacent to Sikkim.
• Have a frank discussion on the Tibet issue.

It is however doubtful if the guest wants to embarrass the host.
In which case, India will have to wait for the ‘cracking up’ of the Communist Dynasty. It may take some time.

LAC not ripe for settlement

My article LAC not ripe for settlement appeared in Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle

Here is the link...


A solution probably favoured by Beijing would be to ‘exchange’ Aksai Chin against recognition of Arunachal as being a part of India... If India does agree, would the border issue be resolved? No!

Invariably, when an Indian Prime Minister goes to China or a senior Chinese leader visits India, the Indian media goes berserk speculating, “this time” the border dispute between the two Asian giants will be resolved.
Unfortunately, it is not an easy proposition.
We have recently seen that it takes time and patience to solve differences, even for a relatively minor dispute, like the one between Bangladesh and India. The Sino-Indian divergences are major.
The Chinese are not completely wrong when they say that the border imbroglio has been “inherited from history”. But, while Beijing cites British imperialism, the facts are different: there was no “border issue” between India and Tibet before 1951 simply because the Roof of the World was a peaceful independent state. Unfortunately for India, the then Prime Minister was a romantic.
In the early 1950s, having swiftly taken control of Tibet, the People’s Liberation Army progressively stopped the age-old trade and exchanges between India and the Dalai Lama’s land. China even built a road on Indian territory (without Nehru’s government noticing it); the stakes brutally changed and the border gradually became “disputed”.
By the end of the decade, despite the Panchsheel Agreement (“on trade and intercourse between Tibet Region of China and India”) signed in April 1954, the traditional “soft” border between India and Tibet (now China) became real, concrete, tangible, sensitive and eventually the object of a “border war” in 1962.
It had not always been like this. For centuries, a constant flow of Tibetan lamas had visited the great Indian viharas of Nalanda, Odantapuri and Vikramasila, while trade across the Himalayan belt prospered. After Tibet had opted for the non-violent doctrine, Buddhism, in the 7th century, it is fascinating to look at the changes in the people of Tibet who were among the most belligerent on earth.
Their powerful empire, which had spread far and wide, suddenly turned pacifist, and another kind of conquest started — the conquest of self. Tibetan Buddhism spread its “soft” influence over Central Asia and Mongolia. The Himalaya, a most formidable natural barrier, which separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan plateau, remained vibrantly porous till the arrival of the Chinese troops on the Roof of the World.
On November 7, 1959, in a letter addressed to Jawaharlal Nehru, Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai used for the first time a new terminology. He wrote that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) consisted of “the so-called McMahon Line in the East and the line up to which each side exercises actual control in the West.” The term “LAC” became a legal concept in the Sino-Indian agreements signed in 1993 and 1996, 2012 and 2013. The 1996 agreement states, “No activities of either side shall overstep the line of actual control.”
But that is not all. To complicate the issue further, another term has recently appeared in the diplomats’ jargon: “a perceptional border” because India and China have different perceptions of where their LAC lies. Moreover, China refuses to share with India the maps of its perception.
Today, the more than 4,000 km-long LAC, is divided in three sectors: the western sector (Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir), the middle sector (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh) and the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal). All have large or small disputed areas. A solution probably favoured by Beijing would be to “exchange” the Aksai Chin area in Ladakh, vital for China, as it links Tibet and Xinjiang, against Arunachal Pradesh that is claimed by Beijing.
A few years ago, Lorenz Lüthi of McGill University in Montreal wrote a well-researched paper (Sino-Indian Relations, 1954-1962) based on archival documents. He said: “In the spring of 1960 China was ready to find a compromise settlement… the PRC usually was willing to settle border disputes with neighbors through a compromise when it was internationally isolated and internally weak.”
Lüthi wrote that when Mao’s regime was in the midst of the great famine, which followed the Great Leap Forward, “internal documentation suggests that the PRC wanted to insist on its claim to Aksai Chin for strategic reasons, but Beijing probably was willing to let the territory of NEFA (today Arunachal) go”.
China is not weak anymore; it will not make any compromise. During the several rounds of detailed talks on the border issue which followed Zhou Enlai’s visit in Delhi in April 1960, no matter what evidence India produced, it was clear that the Chinese would never relinquish the Aksai Chin artery.
If India does agree and receive from Beijing in return for such a “gift” the recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as being a part of India, would the border issue be resolved? No!
Supposing that with a magic wand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convinces President Xi Jinping to agree to “settle” the border dispute, will the Himalayan passes return to the situation ante 1951, when trade and cultural exchanges flourished between Tibet and India? Again the answer is no.
Will China accept to reopen the Himalayan routes which were closed in 1962, namely Demchok (Ladakh), Shipka-la (Himachal Pradesh), Mana and Niti pass (Uttarakhand), Jelep-la (West Bengal), and others routes in Arunachal Pradesh such as Kibithu (Anjaw district), Bumla (Tawang district) Menchuka, Manigong (West Siang district) and Gelling-Tuting (Upper Siang district)? Again, no.
Will China agree to reopen an Indian consulate general in Lhasa and trade agencies in Gyantse, Yatung and Gartok (Ngari), all of which were functional till 1962? No!
Will the cultural and religious exchange between the Buddhist monasteries in Tibet and those in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh be allowed, as was the case in the past? No.
Will Beijing accept to have a frank discussion on the Tibet issue and the fate of the Tibetan refugees in India? Absolutely not.
Before a holistic settlement is found, the border agreements of January 2012 and October 2013 are probably good enough to keep the status quo and peace on the LAC (or LACs).
Why should India compromise her position for a solution that will not bring the Himalayas back as a dynamic passage between the Tibetan world and the subcontinent? Zhou Enlai cleverly said in the early 1950s, “the border issue is not ripe for settlement”. Mr Modi should say the same when he visits China later this week.

Will Mr. Xiao buy Milan AC?

Mr. Xiao and Silvio Berlusconi

Do you know the connection between the Dalai Lama, Silvio Berlusconi, the French Naval Chief, Cannes Film Festival, the Milam AC football club, the Maoist leader Prachanda and the bottom of the oceans?

Simple, Dr. Watson, it is simply Mr. Xiao.

In January, I mentioned on this blog this shadowy figure associated with a few foreign ventures of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The BBC News’ Shanghai correspondent had just reported about ‘China's super-rich communist Buddhists’, in which there was a footage of an audience given by the Dalai Lama to Xiao Wunan.
But who is Mr. Xiao?
Officially, he is the Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (APECF), an organization based in Hong Kong, generally linked to the CPC.

Mr. Xiao, the Buddhist
I personally heard the name of Mr. Xiao for the first time when in November 2012, the Indian media reported that ‘Prachanda gets China NGO help for Lumbini’
The Indian Express said: “Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda signed the much trumpeted $3 billion Lumbini development project with Asia Pacific Exchange Cooperation Foundation, a Chinese outfit, claiming it will elevate Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, to a world-class city attracting tourists and pilgrims from across the world.”
A Chinese Communist outfit investing in a Buddhist project!
Quite an unbelievable news!
The Indian newspaper continued: “The agreement was signed by Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of APECF and Prachanda in his capacity as the Chairman of the high-powered steering committee appointed by the Government of Nepal. But members of the non-Maoist political parties in the committee challenged his right to sign the project without keeping the body informed.”
Minendra Rizal, former Minister for Culture and a Nepali Congress leader complained: "The issue was not discussed in the committee, and it has not authorised Prachanda to sign it in the manner he did.”
The controversy snowballed and a few weeks later, Prachanda one of the nine APECF’s Vice-Chairs backtracked “following protest from Nepali authorities, especially the way the government was bypassed in the deal.”
Later, the then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai appointed a high-level steering committee with Prachanda as its Chairman to explore Lumbini's development.
A Maoist looking after Buddhist affairs, isn’t funny?
Already in July 2011, The China Daily had announced a plan to raise US $ 3 billion to turn Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace in Nepal into a Mecca for Buddhists: “a Hong Kong-based transnational foundation signed a memorandum with a United Nations agency that promotes industrialization in developing countries. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization will rely on its Beijing-based investment and technology promotion office for China to offer technical support for the project in Lumbini, Nepal.”
But, the alarm bells had started ringing in Delhi; it is logical considering that Lumbini is located a few kilometers away from the Indian border and 3 billion dollars is rather a large amount.
Mr. Xiao, apparently very keen to promote Buddhism, had claimed he had discussed the project with the UN authorities, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who was supportive.
It did not smell too good.
The Economist had also reported that China was planning to invest $3 billion in Lumbini: “After Prachanda, the leader of Nepal’s Maoists, stepped down as prime minister in 2009, he several times met representatives of APECF. In July Chinese media reported that the Hong-Kong-based foundation—which is widely thought to have China’s backing—had signed an agreement with UNIDO, the UN’s industrial-development organisation, to invest $3 billion in Lumbini.” Later the Nepalese government refused to entertain the deal. “If this was an exercise in Chinese ‘soft power; it was a disaster’, The Economist commented.
Despite the 'uproar', Xiao Wunan was for a week in Nepal.
The APECF website says: "From August 14th to 22nd [2012], the Executive Vice Chairman of APECF Mr. Xiao Wunan, the Deputy Secretary General Ms. Gong Tingyu and Ms. Ge Chen, etc and representatives from China Railway 21st Bureau and China Potevio Group visited this area mentioned above, and had extensive exchanges with all parties in the aspect of bilateral and multilateral religious and cultural exchange and the further implementation of Lumbini Recovery Plan, and obtained fruitful results."
The Lumbini project is certainly not shelved as: "During the visit in Nepal, APECF delegation visited Mr. Parmanand Jha, the Vice President of Nepal, Mr. Prachanda, the President of Lumbini Development National Directive Committee, Mr. Posta Bahadur Bogati, the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mr. Hridesh Tripathi, the Minister for Physical Planning, and Mr. Kamal Thapa, the Minister for Telecommunications."
It seems that Mr Xiao wanted also to help Nalanda!

In 2012 in Dharamsala

Mr. Xiao and the Dalai Lama
Around the same time, the China expert Jayadeva Ranade wrote in the DNA: “In a recent apparent bid to ease these tensions, Chinese authorities quietly sent an emissary and contacted Tibetan leaders in Dharamsala. Thinly cloaked as a venture of APECF, a Chinese government-sponsored NGO manned by Chinese Communist Party cadres, the initiative seeks to revive plans to consolidate and expand China’s presence in Nepal and ingress India and its border regions, ostensibly by encouraging Buddhist tourism in Lumbini in Nepal. At least one executive director of APECF has links to China’s military establishment.”
Ranade mentions Mr Xiao’s visit to Dharamsala: “Xiao Wunan, a senior CCP cadre and executive vice-president of APECF visited India and was received in Dharamsala on August 16 by the Dalai Lama, Lobsang Sangay, then ‘Kalon Tripa’ (prime minister) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Ugyen Thinley Dorjee, who is formally approved by the Dalai Lama and Beijing as the XVIIth Gyalwa Karmapa, or head of the Karma Kargyu sect. Xiao Wunan was accompanied by Gong Tingyu, a Deputy Secretary General of APECF and Simon Kei Shek Ming, reportedly a journalist of the Hong Kong magazine Yazhou Zhoukan.”
Ranade speculates: “During his meeting with the Dalai Lama, Xiao Wunan probably carried a personal message from a senior Chinese leader, possibly Xi Jinping. He could have informed the Dalai Lama that he was welcome to spend his last days in Beijing provided he gave up ‘anti-China’ activities and expressed support for the Communist regime.”
Apparently, the encounter between Mr. Xiao with the Karmapa did not go too well and the young Lama walked away. Mr. Xiao had probably ‘offered’ something to the Karmapa.
At that time, I wrote on this blog: “According to the website of the APECF, a delegation from this Hong Kong based organization ‘visited India and Nepal upon invitation’. The website gave some details: "During the visit in India, APECF delegation went to Dharamsala and visited the 17th Karmapa, both parties had a pleasant talk about the issue of bilateral religious and cultural exchange."
Well, it was not too pleasant for the Karmapa.
I then noted: “The APECF webmaster has forgotten to mention that Xiao Wunan also met with the Dalai Lama and Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected Tibetan leader.”
Why to mention Karmapa only?
The Chinese leadership probably wanted to keep the encounter with the Tibetan leaders as informal and low-key as possible.
During the next few days, none of the Tibetan websites reported the event which is an important one.
I then was not aware of some other facets of Mr. Xiao's character and skills.
Who is really Xiao? Who are his sponsors in Beijing? Why is Xiao suddenly back on the Buddhist stage? How did Xiao Wunan get the footage of his audience with the Dalai Lama?
Why has he decided to make it public to the BBC in January 2015?
Why has he not ‘released’ footages of his interviews with the Karmapa and Lobsang Sangye, the Tibetan Prime Minister? 
It is difficult to answer these questions.
By the way, when he met the Dalai Lama, Xiao Wunan was accompanied by Simon Kei Shek Ming (alias Ji Shiming), a Hong Kong journalist who later interviewed Prof. Jin Wei of the Central Communist Party School. The latter suggested that Beijing should invite the Dalai Lama to visit Hong Kong.
Was Mr. Xiao is an emissary of the Party? A messenger of Xi Jiping? Whatever it may be, there is no doubt that his visits abroad are related with the fact that Beijing tries to project a 'soft' image of a Middle Kingdom and aim at becoming the leader of the Buddhist world.

From where does the cash come from?
At the time the ‘Lumbini’ project was launched, a Chinese publication affirmed: “As part of the project, the APECF has promised to bring roads, communication equipment, water and electricity to Lumbini, a poverty-stricken United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site that attracts about half a million visitors a year.”
Isn't it amazing?
The China Daily affirmed that the APECF’s board is composed amongst others of Steven Clark Rockefeller Jr.; Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress; Leon H. Charney, a real estate tycoon and former US presidential adviser; Prachanda, leader of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist); and Paras, the former Nepali crown prince known for his excesses.
In 2011, Xiao Wunan had explained that the Lumbini project will help "transcend religion, ideology and race" and rejuvenate the culture and spirit of Buddhism. …Buddhist dignitaries from around the world, including those from the Mahayana, Hinayana and Tibetan schools of Buddhism, have expressed enthusiasm about the plans.”
This does not explain from where the billions come from.
But there is little doubt that Beijing, with the help of Xiao Wunan, is keen to see China taking the lead in the world Buddhist movement.
It is worth a few billion dollars.

Mr Xiao in France
But that is not all about Mr. Xiao.
In October 2014, Xiao Wunan was in France.
A Chinese publication reported: “A dinner to celebrate the Sino-French ‘SeaOrbiter’ was hosted by the Institut de France - the Jacques Rougerie Foundation and co-sponsored by the APECF. It was held in French navy headquarter on the evening of October 16. Admiral Bernard Rogel, chief of staff of the French Navy, Mr. Jacques Rougerie, initiator of the 'SeaOrbiter' project and Chairman of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation, Mr. Xiao Wunan, Executive Chairman of APECF, Mr. Li Shaoping, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in France, and other distinguished guests attended the dinner. In March this year, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to France, the Institut de France - the Jacques Rougerie Foundation and APECF signed a memorandum of understanding on the SeaOrbiter–China Project in Paris. They plan to build the world's first 'SeaOrbiter' in the South China Sea.”
SeaOrbiter has become a Sino-French project!!
In a speech in August, the eclectic Mr. Xiao had explained that China's State Council (Cabinet) “officially listed the SeaOrbiter as one of ten major scientific and technological projects and praised this cooperation from a national strategic perspective. ...China hopes this project will turn it into a maritime power and assume more responsibility exploring our oceans.”
Why is China so interested in the bottoms of the seas?
It is simple, Dr. Watson. This knowledge is required by the ever-increasing fleet of submarines of the Chinese People’s Liberation Navy (PLAN).
Collaboration with SeaOrbiter could greatly reinforce the PLAN’s knowledge of South China and East China Seas (the relatively ‘noisy’ Chinese submarines need to have good maps of the reliefs at the bottom of the seas).
A few billon invested in such ‘scientific’ project could bring high returns for the PLAN.

Xiao Wunan is indeed very versatile
A month earlier, he visited Tel Aviv at the invitation of Israel's Labor Party. The APECF website says: “During the visit, they exchanged ideas with Israel's Labor Party, the Prime Minister's Office, think tanks, the national bank and other institutions and achieved fruitful results.
He met Isaac Herzog, Chairman of Israel's Labor Party who gave him an autobiography of his father (the former president of Israel).
Mr. Xiao has a particularity: he likes to be photographed with important persons. One can understand, as he probably has to report to Beijing about the huge amounts of money he lavishly spends when he moves around.
Later, he was spotted in the United States.

Who are Mr .Xiao's sponsors?
Some rumours have linked an APECF's Vice-Chairman with Zhou Yongkang, the demoted former member of the Politburo's Standing Committee. Is Mr Xiao's money coming from in oil, gas, media, hospitality and communications?
It is doubtful because Zhou will be soon judged for corruption and Mr. Xiao is still going strong. But it is worth watching as he has apparently a free hand to distribute millions of dollars.

Mr Xiao and Cannes Festival
Mr. Xiao is not only interested in Buddhism and the bottom of the seas, he is also a film buff.
According to The China Daily, China plans to create an ambitious $1bn Cannes-style film festival in the eastern coastal province of Zheijiang.
An article in the daily says that the Chinese authorities are working with their Cannes counterparts on planning a film-themed tourist centre three hours from Shanghai.
The China Daily affirms: “Chinese authorities are teaming with counterparts in the French city, which has hosted the event since 1946, to bring a similar festival to the county of Anji. The aim is to build a Gallic-themed ‘film city’ and tourist centre in one of China's most scenic regions, which is known for its bamboo forests and is a pilot region for green building.
And who appears on the red carpet of the Chinese Cannes?
Yes, guessed right: Mr Xiao of course!
“Xiao Wunan, of the APECF, told The China Daily that the program was aimed at establishing a milestone for film in the world's most populous nation," writes the Chinese daily.
Mr. Xiao explains: “This film festival should also maintain strong Chinese features. We hope this program can push China's film industry to a higher level.”
The Chinese newspaper give the rationale of the project: “Anji was only connected to the Chinese national network of highways between 2000 and 2002, and it remains one of the country's less-developed regions. However, it now takes fewer than three hours to reach Shanghai by car and the area has increasingly attracted investment from China and abroad.”
One can already guess that the carpet of the Anji Film Festival will be red.

Mr. Xiao and ASEAN
You may think that Mr. Xiao deals only in Oceanography and Spirituality or occasionally Cinema, but you are wrong, he is also involved in politics.
In November 2014, Xinhua covered the meeting between the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and those of China who gathered in Myanmar for their annual meeting, “to usher a new era in their dynamic cooperation for mutual benefit.”
Xinhua said that China and the 10-member ASEAN labeled the past 10 years a ‘golden decade’ for their relationship, but the next 10 years will be ‘diamond decade’.
After 21 Asian countries, including nine ASEAN nations, established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the infrastructure freak Mr. Xiao told Xinhua: “The ASEAN countries want to use China's investment to improve their infrastructure, which will certainly consolidate the economic bond between the two sides."
The official news agency reported that Mr. Xiao believed that “an improved infrastructure system, such as high-speed railway, electricity and telecom networks, will further boost the transfer of technology, export of goods and movement of skilled labor in the region.”
The APECF Buddhist Vice-President philosophically stated: “Differences are inevitable in the China-ASEAN relations, but both sides will see their economic cooperation develop in a deeper and more pragmatic way."
Mr. Xiao clearly understands politics and economics.

Mr. Xiao, the football fan
But Mr. Xiao is also a sportsman.
Xinhua reported: “An APECF delegation led by executive vice chairman Xiao Wunan met former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at the International University for Liberty on March 9, 2015. They had comprehensive and in-depth discussions and reached consensus on the areas of cooperation including education, media, sports and health. They signed an MOU.”
Xinhua explains that Berlusconi is one the three most influential people in the world (sic) along with Mr. Vladimir Putin and Mr. Barack Obama: “Mr. Berlusconi has worldwide influence and a legendary life experience, making great advances in the areas of business, media, sports, etc. He was ranked No. 1 in Italy's Fortune List for years, founding and leading many world class media groups, leading and managing the AC Milan football club to become the most successful and influential football club in history.”
But the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China did not tell us the entire truth: Mr. Xiao is trying to buy the Milan AC Football club from Mr. Berlusconi.
An Italian website linked with the illustrious club (forum.acmilan-online) asserted that Richard Lee, a wealthy Hong Kong businessman known for importing luxury sports cars was heading a Chinese consortium bidding to take over Italian soccer giants AC Milan: “Lee was rumored to be in the San Siro to look for partnerships in Asia at that time. He came back three months later with some of the most powerful Chinese business men and also has the government of China invested in this consortium.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport had earlier reported that Richard Lee Man-fai has been in negotiations with club owner Silvio Berlusconi “as head of a group with close links to the Beijing government.”
Then Mr. Xiao enters the football field.
The Italian website said: “The APECF are rumored to be one of the major players in this consortium and they are partly owned by the government. President of China, Xi Jinping, seems to have given his personal backing for this deal and wants it to happen.”
Forum.acmilan-online explains the move: “The Chinese see Milan as an opportunity to improve the standard of football in China. They have always had larger than life ambitions and President Xi's latest ambition is not different - he wants China to host the World Cup and win it. If you went thirty years back and heard China say we want to become an important player in the economy of the world, we would've laughed at them and guess who's laughing thirty years later? Yep. They see Milan as a perfect opportunity to have a presence in Europe and China has been investing heavily in Italy in recent years, so this large investment in Italy wouldn't be a one-off or the first of it's kind. Milan for them is not just a football club that'll be treated like a fun project, no not at all. They see this deal as a very important step for the culture of the Chinese people, they have said that this deal is a lot more than just football.”
Will Mr. Xiao be more successful than with Lumbini and Dharamsala?
Only the future will tell us.
In the meantime, India should watch the eclectic CPC’s ‘United Front Work’ official, simply because he has a lot of money, and whether it is in Delhi, Lumbini, Dharamsala, Paris or Roma, money could be a temptation.

PLA Digest - March 2015

A bit late, here is the PLA Digest for March 2015

Chinese army investigates more generals
Source: Xinhua; (DoP): March 2, 2015
The Chinese military authority released a list of 14 generals who have been investigated or convicted in the recent days.
Guo Zhenggang, deputy political commissar of the Zhejiang provincial military command, was put under investigation by the military procuratorate in February for suspected ‘serious legal violations and criminal offenses’.
Zhu Heping, head of the Joint Logistics Department of the Chengdu Military Area Command (MAC) was put under investigation in August 2014 for suspected ‘serious disciplinary violations’ and was transferred to the military judicial organ in January.
Wang Aiguo, former head of the Joint Logistics Department of the Shenyang Military Area Command; Huang Xianjun, former head of the political department of Shanxi provincial military command; Duan Tianjie, deputy head of the political department of the National Defense University; Yuan Shijun, former commander of Hubei provincial military command; and Huang Xing, former head of the research guidance department of the Academy of Military Sciences, have all been put under investigation for suspected ‘serious disciplinary violations’ and their cases have been transferred to the military judicial organ.

China investigates second top officer for graft
Source: Reuters, (DoP): March 2, 2015
China is investigating a second former top military officer on suspicion of corruption, two independent sources told Reuters, as President Xi Jinping widens his campaign against deep-rooted graft in the country. Guo Boxiong, 72, was a vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) until he stepped down in 2012. Another former vice chairman, Xu Caihou, was put under investigation last year for corruption. Before their retirement, the men had been two of China's top military officers who served together under Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao. Xi was also a vice chairman with Guo and Xu from 2010-2012, before he became head of the party and military commission chief.

PLA confirms graft investigations into 14 officials
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 3, 2015
Speculation grows over fate of former CMC vice-chairman as the military confirms his son is among the senior figures being investigated.
The PLA has announced official investigations into 14 senior military officials, including the son of Guo Boxiong, a former vice-chairman of the powerful CMC.
Guo Zhenggang, the newly promoted deputy political commissar of the Zhejiang Provincial Military Command, was being investigated on suspicion of ‘serious violations of law’ - a euphemism for graft - The PLA Daily newspaper said on its microblog.

Peng Guangqian

Western ideology, market economy to blame for military corruption, says PLA official
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 3, 2015
A Chinese military official, in a scathing commentary, has blamed ‘Western ideology and the market economy’ for ensnaring officials and corrupting their values amid a ramped-up anti-graft drive in the nation’s military.
The opinion article penned by commentator and military cadre Peng Guangqian was published today in The Global Times, a newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily.
“In the face of the tide of market economy and Western ideology’s delusions, some of our military officials have failed to stand the test,” said Peng, a civilian military cadre of PLA who holds the rank equivalent to major general.

Baidu chief wants Chinese military to back artificial intelligence project
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 3, 2015
Robin Li Yanhong, the founder and chief executive of online search giant Baidu, is looking to the nation's military to support efforts which may make the mainland the world leader in developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
One of the country's wealthiest people, Li proposed in his capacity as a delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) that the mainland establish the ‘China Brain’ project.


Second group of PLA officers probed
Source: China Daily, (DoP) March 3, 2015
China's anti-corruption campaign took another step forward in the PLA as a second group of 14 formerly high and well-connected officers were placed under investigation, according to an announcement by the military.
Investigation of the first group of military officers, in 2014, was announced in January and involved 16 individuals.
The latest move follows the call of President Xi Jinping, who also heads the CMC, to ‘cleanse the influence’ of Xu Caihou, a former three-star general and vice-chairman of the commission. He held the highest rank of the officers to face investigation in 2014.

Chinese military holds presentations on 'Chinese dream'
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 4, 2015
The PLA held presentations that showcased activities featuring the relations of the Chinese dream, a strong army and the dreams of servicemen.
More than 2 million members of the PLA and armed forces joined activities in 2014, which included 9,000 speech contests, according to a statement from the General Political Department of the PLA.
Representatives of soldiers and officers, and 13 military units which stood out in the activities, delivered presentations in the form of stories and speeches on the pursuit of dreams.

Major General Xing Yunming

Chinese military intelligence chief Xing Yunming held in graft inquiry
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 4, 2015
PLA graft-busters detain the former head of the overseas espionage agency, Major General Xing Yunming who has been arrested by military graft-busters. The chief of a Chinese military intelligence agency is under investigation for alleged corruption, just before the Lunar New Year, according to two independent sources.
Major General Xing Yunming, the former liaison office head of the PLA's General Political Department, was taken away by the army's anti-graft watchdog on February 17.
He was in charge of overseas espionage and is better known to the West as the vice-chairman of the government-backed China Association for International Friendly Contact.

Shanghai police train with 'bendable guns' that can shoot around corners
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 5, 2015
Photos released by Shanghai police show the city's SWAT team training with ‘bendable guns’ which allow the operator to see and shoot around corners.
The weapons have previously been rolled out to a number of other Chinese police forces, including in Beijing, Guangzhou and Xinjiang, where six ‘militants’ were shot dead by police in January amid increasing unrest in the majority Uyghur semi-autonomous region.

China's CJ-10 cruise missile is officially renamed DF-10
Source: WantChinaTimes (Taiwan), (DoP): March 5, 2015
The Second Artillery Corps, China's strategic missile force, recently changed the name of its Changjiang-10 or CJ-10 land-based cruise missile to the Dongfeng-10 or DF-10, the Sina Military Network based in Beijing reported on Mar. 4.
With an attack range of between 1,500 to 2,500 km, the DF-10 is designed particularly to strike at US carrier battle groups in the Western Pacific. The official Chinese media claimed that a single warhead carried by a DF-10 missile can sink a 10,000-ton vessel. The missile captured the attention of military experts around the world after its first public appearance in the military parade held in 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Confusion Over Pakistan-Chinese JF-17 Fighter's Engine Selection
Source DefenceNews.com, (DoP): March 5, 2015
There seems to be confusion over the engine choice of the Chinese-Pakistan jointly manufactured JF-17 fighter aircraft.
A report in Want China Times quoting a Moscow based publication states that the JF-17 Thunder aircraft is likely to be equipped with Snecma’s M88-2 engine. M88-2 currently powers Rafale twin-engine fighter designed by Dassault for the French Air Force.
However earlier reports by a Pakistani newspaper, Express Tribune reported that Pakistan will be importing engines from Russia directly following an NOC from China. Currently, the fighter is equipped with Russian origin engines.
“Pakistan was importing engines via China earlier. China has recently issued a no objection certificate (NOC) to Pakistan. Both the nations were earlier producing the fighter as a joint venture,” The Express Tribune Daily reported on 14 February.

China's military leaders pledge to uphold ‘Four Comprehensives’
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 6, 2015
China's military leaders vowed to fully implement the strategic layout of ‘Four Comprehensives’ put forward by President Xi Jinping and build strong armed forces at the ongoing national legislative session.
Joining panel discussions with military deputies to the National People's Congress, senior commanders pledged that the armed forces will work according to the strategy of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law and strictly governing the Party.
CMC’s Vice Chairman Fan Changlong said: “The armed forces will upgrade combat training, push forward the reform and discipline all soldiers and servicemen.”

Senior PLA military strategist ‘leaked state secrets, helped rebels in Myanmar’
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 6, 2015
A senior PLA strategist will face a military court on fraud charges that sources say are a cover for the officer's alleged leak of state secrets to armed rebels in Myanmar.
Major General Huang Xing, the former head of the research guidance department at the Chinese Academy of Military Science, was detained for ‘serious disciplinary violations’ earlier this year, a phrase often used by the Communist Party to refer to alleged corruption.
He was among the 14 generals The PLA Daily announced on Monday had been detained over the last two months for alleged graft or related crimes.

Incomplete Transformation: PLA Joint Training and Warfighting Capabilities
Source: China Brief of the Jamestown Foundation, (DoP): March 6, 2015
Western assessments of the PLA’s capabilities and ongoing transformation often fail to analyze two critical areas of concern to the PLA development of new operational methods (operational art and tactics) and required improvements in joint training. While the PLA is transitioning from coordinated to integrated joint operations, it recognizes inadequacies in joint training inhibiting the process that require reforms, including improved joint tactical training, updated joint courses and better instructors at military educational institutes, rigorous training evaluation, integration of operational plan requirements into training, new standardized joint training regulations, among others.

News Analysis: China's defense budget increase poses no threat to other states: experts
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 8, 2015
China unveiled a 10.1% rise in its national defense budget in 2015, but Egyptian political and military experts say that the increase does not pose any threat to other countries.
Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab al-Saket, a former Arab League ambassador to China told Xinhua that China's peaceful development policy requires military protection, especially amid the growing tensions and terrorist activities in many parts of the world, noting that China is among the big countries with the lowest annual military budget increase in the world.
The announcement of the Chinese new military budget came right ahead of the Third Session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), confirming what NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying told reporters a day earlier.
"It is just a 10% growth in China's military budget, which is a normal and reasonable increase compared with the American, the European and the NATO military spending, etc," said the ex-diplomat, also member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs.

Developing Battlefields for Future Warfare in Different Spaces
Source: Study Times, (DoP): March 9, 2015
The Study Times published an article discussing how to develop the capability to build and enhance the battlefields for future warfare that may take place in different spaces.
Outer Space: Send more military satellites to occupy the diminishing number of space orbit tracks and spectrums, develop outer space battle and support exercises, and, in particular, develop a multi-approach space surveillance system for space threat warnings.
The Internet: In addition to developing infrastructure, there is a need to develop the Internet surveillance capability, create a global Internet map, establish attacking positions for global network warfare, and develop strategic preparations for large-scale network warfare.
The North and South Poles: Increase research activities in the polar areas and gradually build the polar bases’ infrastructure.
Deep-Sea Space: Build deep-sea exploration equipment and deep-sea research centers; create a deep-sea military and establish surveillance bases; deploy deep-sea weapons; improve the capability of deep-sea communication, supply, repair, and rescue.
Underground Space: Improve the protective camouflage system and also improve the underground construction capabilities.

Liaoning aircraft carrier

China Is Building Its Second Aircraft Carrier
Source: People’s Daily, (DoP): March 9, 2015
The People’s Daily recently reported that some senior Army generals confirmed that a fully China-made aircraft carrier is about to be completed soon. The new aircraft carrier will be much more advanced than the current aircraft carrier named Liaoning, which was only partially made in China.
Navy General Ding Haizhong stated that the Chinese Navy will get into exercises with the new ship as soon as it is delivered. The catapult technology used onboard the new carrier is considered very competitive even with the U.S. aircraft carriers.
Navy Admiral Liu Xiaojiang said the construction process is very sophisticated, so it may not be delivered in 2015. When asked how many aircraft carriers the Chinese Navy needs, Liu Xiaojiang expressed his opinion, saying, ‘the more, the better’. Some experts speculated that the total number planned was six carriers. Liu emphasized that staffing the aircraft carriers with enough qualified pilots is very challenging.

J-20s

Two J-20 prototypes seen on test flights in Chengdu
Source: WantChinaTimes (Taiwan), (DoP): March 10, 2015
Two prototypes of China's J-20 stealth fighter were photographed carrying out test flights in Chengdu recently, reports the Shanghai-based Guancha Syndicate.
The prototypes, 2013, 2015, are said to be installed with new avionics developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. Its chief designer Pu Xiaobo said the system he created has an open framework that builds on an unified optical interconnect module. The system has comprehensive features covering navigation, detection, identification, attack, management and pilots' health management. It also integrates flight management systems, electronics and aviation electronics, which will ensure the fighter jet can carry out a mission safely and the systems are able to share their resources with each other

Chinese military delegation starts 3-European nations visit
Source: China Military Online, (DoP): March 10, 2015
A 6-member PLA delegation left Beijing for an official visit to the Czech Republic, Romania and the Republic of Poland at the invitation of the militaries of these three countries.
The delegation is headed by Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of general staff of the PLA.
Thier entourage includes Lieut. General Peng Yong, commander of the PLA Xinjiang Military Command and Lieut. General Huang Guoxian, deputy commander of the PLA Nanjing Military Area Command (MAC) and commander of the air force of the Nanjing MAC.
[Note: General Peng Yong is commanding the sector opposite the Indian troops in Ladakh]

Roads in Tibet

All frontier defense units in Tibet to be reached by highways
Source: China Military Online, (DoP): March 10, 2105
The highways leading to six frontier defense units in Tibet has been under construction, according to relevant departments of the PLA’s Chengdu MAC. The six frontier defense troop units are the last ones in the Tibet Military Command which haven't no access to the highways.
Many frontier defense companies and sentry posts in Tibet are stationed in forests, valleys or in snowy mountains, it is very difficult and costly to build highways in
During 15 years from the 9th Five-Year Plan Period to the 11th Five-Year Plan Period, the Chinese government and the military continuously increased investment in the construction of frontier defense installations, as a result, the number of frontier defense units in Tibet without traffic has decreased to 6 from 19.
The construction of the six highways which started successively in 2014 is scheduled to be completed this year.

PLA delegates support ongoing anti-graft efforts
Source: Global Times, (DoP): March 10, 2015
Military representatives attending the ongoing annual legislative (NPC) and political advisory (CPPCC) sessions have expressed their support and confidence in the sweeping crackdown against corruption within the armed forces.
Shortly before the nation's two sessions started, a list of 14 senior military officers was announced on March 3, all of them placed under investigation over corruption charges.

Corrupt PLA cadres treating performance troupes like 'harems'
Source: WantChinaTimes (Taiwan), (DoP): March 11, 2015
Weak-willed cadres of the PLA are treating performance troupes like their own personal ‘harems’, says Communist history writer Cai Xiaoxin.
In an exclusive interview with Sichuan-based Honesty Outlook magazine, Cai, the son of revolutionary Communist major-general Cai Zhangyuan, said one of the areas in need of desperate reform is the PLA's performance troupes, who are tasked with boosting the morale of soldiers through singing and performances.
Cai said he believes the troupes serve an important purpose, but members require strong discipline and sacrifice to perform given the constant traveling, often to remote areas, and the need to maintain secrecy so as to not give away details about the stationing of military personnel.
However, the troupes have been prone corruption scandals, with some cadres abusing their power in the selection process to pick performers for personal reasons as opposed to the best interests of the PLA, Cai said.

China's Xi calls for closer civil-military integration to boost army combativeness
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 12, 2015
Chinese President Xi Jinping called to strengthen China's national defense and the combativeness of its armed forces, by greater civil-military integration.
Xi made the remarks while joining a plenary meeting of the PLA delegation at the ongoing legislative session. The armed forces should fully implement the strategic layout of ‘Four Comprehensives’ and the development strategy of civil-military integration in order to break new grounds in the PLA's capability building, Xi said.

General Gu Junshan

Disgraced former PLA officer purchased his way to the top
Source: WantChinaTimes (Taiwan), (DoP) March 13, 2015
Details of the corrupt deeds of China's disgraced ex-military heavyweights have gradually been revealed as authorities proceed with their investigation. The latest evidence shows that Gu Junshan, former deputy director of the PLA's General Logistics Department, had paid his way up.
Gu's promotion came unusually fast after he started working for the logistics department in late 2000s. He was promoted five ranks within eight years until he scored the post of lieutenant-general in July 2011. He has earned more than 30 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion) through graft and was supported by Xu Caihou, former CMC’s vice chairman.
Gu even shared with Xu his mistress Tang Can, a former artist dubbed the ‘PLA's top mistress’ who is now reportedly being jailed for several indictments including sexual bribery.

Breaking rank: military graft no longer taboo topic in China
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 14, 2015
In a departure from previous years, military corruption is being discussed at the parliamentary sessions in Beijing, with several PLA delegates conducting high-profile media interviews describing examples of misconduct in striking detail.
Avoiding the topic completely would have been a challenge given the widening scope of the crackdown, which has claimed dozens of leading officers in recent months. On March 2, three days before the sessions opened, the defence ministry named 14 generals who were either under investigation or had been convicted of graft.

Xu was expelled from the Communist Party in June.
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 16, 2015
The drive to stamp out corruption is in fact a bid by the Communist Party under Xi to reassert control over the military. This arises from Xi's experience as a vice-chairman of the CMC, under his predecessor Hu Jintao, by all accounts a weak chairman, when fellow vice-chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong exercised control, including over key staff appointments. As a result, corruption gathered momentum from top to bottom of the army.

Retired PLA general 'ashamed and scared' by corruption in China's military
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 16, 2015
Fighting capability compromised by the greed of many at the top, warns retired Luo Yuan, who likens problem to Qing dynasty's downfall
A hawkish retired PLA major general said he felt ‘a burning shame’ and was ‘scared’ at the number of top brass suspected of corruption.
"How come so many greedy guys get promoted to the top level? Are they qualified and capable of commanding an army to fight battles?" asked Luo Yuan in an interview with the South China Morning Post.
"The fighting capability of an army would be compromised as no soldier would fight for corrupt leaders … [they] would definitely disobey superiors who were promoted due to bribes," he added.

China Becomes the Third Largest Arms Exporter
Source: BBC Chinese, (DoP): March 16, 2015
BBC Chinese recently reported the results of research data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). According to SIPRI, between 2010 and 2014, China surpassed Germany, France, and Great Britain in the international arms market to become the world's third largest arms exporter. China's current share of the world arms market is five percent. Two thirds of its exports were to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. China's customers also included 18 African countries. During the five-year period from 2010 to 2014, the Chinese arms export volume increased by 143 percent, compared to the previous five-year period. In the meantime, Germany's exports saw a decrease of 43 percent, while France decreased by 27 percent. The United States remains the largest arms exporter and Russia remains the second, holding 31 percent and 27 percent of the world market, respectively.

Former Chinese general Xu Caihou dies of cancer
Source: South China Morning Post, (DoP): March 17, 2015
Disgraced former PLA No 2 Xu Caihou died of bladder cancer. He was 71.
Xu, a former CMC’ vice-chairman, was facing prosecution for corruption after coming under investigation last year. He was the most senior PLA general to be probed for graft.
Xinhua said military prosecutors had decided to drop the charges against the general, but would continue to process his alleged illicit financial gains in accordance with the law.

Troops in special operation training
Source: China Military Online, (DoP): March 17, 2015
A PLA battalion stationed in the Tibet Autonomous Region maneuvered to a comprehensive training base in southwest China's Yunnan Province to conduct training on special operations subjects on March 15, 2015.

FBI investigates claims of possible Chinese military link to cyber attacks
Source: Reuters, (DoP): March 19, 2015
British sources said that hackers accessed network of Register.com, which manages more than 2.5 million domain names and offers web management services.
The FBI is looking into whether the Chinese military was involved in a cyber attack on Register.com, a unit of internet services company Web.com, a British newspaper reported.
The Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the inquiry, said the hackers had apparently had access to Register.com’s network for about a year.
However, the newspaper reported that the attack did not disrupt or result in theft of client data.

As China Prospers, the Military Recruiter’s Job Gets Harder
Source: New York Times, (DoP): March 20, 2015
Who could possibly bemoan rising prosperity, greater economic freedom, a declining birthrate and increasing university enrollment?
Perhaps a Chinese military recruiter. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a career in the PLA is becoming less attractive for talented young people, even as the country’s armed forces are increasingly in need of educated soldiers, sailors and airmen to operate its rapidly growing arsenal of advanced weapons.
Working against the military is the country’s one-child policy, now well into its third decade, which has led to a generation of only children in China’s cities who have a variety of career choices other than a rigorous soldier’s life.

China's self-made single crystal blade ready for aviation use
Source: WantChinaTimes (Taiwan), (DoP) March 23, 2015
China has made a significant breakthrough on the development of the blades used in aircraft engines. The technology can be applied to other new models for military use, reports the Chinese-language Guancha Syndicate.
According to China Aviation News, Southern China Aviation Industry Aviation Industry Group, affiliated with China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), announced the results of the advanced single crystal blade development on March 18.
A blade to an aviation engine is like a major organ to the human body. As aircraft models evolved, the development of blades has gradually shifted to a single crystal blade, which in China was previously purchased from overseas.
The first prototype production passed examinations and the yield rate was 40% higher than those outsourced from overseas, the report said.

PLA to relax cellphone regulations
Source: China Daily, (DoP): March 23, 2015
The PLA will loosen its tight controls on the use of cellphones by service members, the PLA General Staff Headquarters.
Issues pertaining to cellphone use by personnel of the PLA have attracted a lot of attention and are a difficult problem in service members' management, the statement said in announcing the revisions.
"Along with the evolution of information technology, service members' demand for information has grown," the statement said. "Responding to this situation, we will make some changes to the current stipulations on the use of cellphones to meet service members' reasonable needs."
In addition, rules governing PLA members' use of the Internet and uniform code for civilian personnel will also be adjusted. The revisions are part of the PLA's ongoing efforts to update three regulations that govern service members' conduct and discipline. The updated versions will take effect next year.

Lanzhou MAC conducts intensive training for chiefs of staff at six levels
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 24, 2015
The Lanzhou MAC of the PLA launched an intensive training for its chiefs of staff at six levels in a comprehensive training base at the foot of the Helan Mountains in mid March of 2015.
Nearly 200 chiefs of staff from troops at different levels from the MAC to divisions, brigades and regiments participated in the training.
During the three-day intensive training, the training and examination subjects were fully arranged for all participants from 8 am to 9 pm every day, except the lunch breaks.
Classified into two levels, namely, campaign and tactical levels, the training contents also included examination contents to test chiefs of staff's planning and command capabilities.
The intensive training aimed to upgrade the capability and quality of all chiefs of staff of the Lanzhou MAC and improve the overall construction for the command headquarters under the MAC. This is the largest intensive training for chiefs of staff in scale organized by the Lanzhou MAC.

PLA builds military 'Taobao'
Source: Chinadaily.com.cn, (DoP): March 26, 2015
The Chinese PLA is building a military-version of Taobao, China's largest online shopping website, in an effort to cut costs and improve efficiency in procurement.
The military online shopping mall will come online in the second half of this year, said The PLA Daily. The general logistics department and its Beijing subordinate units will use the service first before the rest of the army.
The service, which is modeled after commercial shopping websites, is based on the information networks of the PLA.
The service will be open to bidding from potential suppliers to provide diversified items. Officers and soldiers can buy computers, office equipment, and other daily goods on the shopping website after it is put into use, said the report.

PLA bribery probe to continue
Source: China Daily, (DoP): March 27, 2015
Investigations into suspects who had connections with Xu Caihou - the former No 2 military official who died of cancer this mont while facing a corruption probe - will continue to the end, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said.
The remarks from ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dispel suspicions that the death of Xu might hinder investigation into the sprawling wrongdoings centered around him and others.

SAF cavalrymen patrol on horseback
Source: China Military Online, (DoP): March 27, 2015
Due to the limitation of special geographical conditions, officers and soldiers of a cavalry company of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) of the PLA have to carry out guard and patrol missions by a traditional way of riding horses, an ancient patrol way in the Iron Age. This cavalry company is honored as the ‘Plateau Cavalry’.

Chinese Navy Commander meets Pakistani counterpart
Source: China Military Online, (DoP): March 26, 2015
Admiral Wu Shengli, commander of the Navy of the Chinese PLA (PLAN), met with Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, chief of naval staff of Pakistan, in Beijing on March 25.
Wu Shengli said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. The navies of China and Pakistan have been always maintaining close contacts and keeping pragmatic cooperation in fields including exchange of visits, joint exercises, personnel training and anti-terrorism, said Wu, adding that since 2007, the PLAN has participated in the ‘Peace’ series multinational joint maritime exercises sponsored by the Pakistani navy for four times.
He hoped that the two navies can strengthen exchange and cooperation in fields including anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, disposal of dangerous goods, search and rescue, and humanitarian rescue and disaster reduction, so as to upgrade the joint operation capabilities of the two navies to the maximum extent.
As for the personnel training, the PLAN Commander expected the two navies to hold more exchange activities between naval colleges and young officers such as dispatching midshipmen to each other's naval colleges for on-campus training and having exchange of visits paid by young officers during the navigation.

General  Fan Changlong and Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah

China vows anti-terror cooperation with Pakistan
Source: China Daily, (DoP) March 27, 2015
China is willing to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in anti-terrorism, maritime security and military technology.
The pledge was made by CMC’s Vice Chairman Fan Changlong during his meeting with the Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan Muhammad Zakaullah in Beijing.
China has supported Pakistan on its state construction and army building, said Fan, adding that China hopes to enhance coordination and cooperation with Pakistan on regional security affairs.
China will work with Pakistan to push forward the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor within the framework of China's ‘Belt and Road’ initiatives and build a community of shared destiny, said Fan.

Communist Propaganda of The Day: Can't tell them apart
Source: The China Post (Taiwan), March 30, 2015
The Taiwanese Army Command Headquarters said that it has ordered the immediate removal of a controversial Army recruitment poster and is conducting internal discussions to determine the proper punishment for personnel responsible for creating the poster.
According to the Chinese-language Apple Daily, a reader revealed a controversial poster and claimed that the poster was found during a family reunion day at the 206th Army Infantry Brigade located in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County.
Reportedly, the poster in question is a recruitment poster for the Republic of China Army (R.O.C.A.) seeking to draft full-time soldiers. However, the Apple Daily reader reportedly noticed that the servicemen on the poster were PLA (PLA) soldiers from mainland China, and not from Taiwan.

Chinese army urged to implement ‘Four Comprehensives’
Source: Xinhua, (DoP): March 30, 2015
A Chinese military leader has urged the army to learn and implement the strategic layout of the ‘Four Comprehensives’ put forward by President Xi Jinping and improve ideological and political work.
During an inspection trip to the PLA troops in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, CMC’s Vice Chairman Xu Qiliang said learning and implementing the ‘Four Comprehensives’ is a major political task for the army.
Xu also urged the army to study CMC’s Chairman Xi Jinping's speeches on national defence and military building and to resolutely follow the central leadership and Xi.

these places with adverse terrain conditions . Without highways, it is a headache for the frontier defense troops to hold maneuvers, replenish materials and have a vacation leave.

To read The PLA Digest - February 2015, click here...