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| Tuesday, 21 September 2004 |
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China's Hu inherits awesome military machine BEIJING, Monday (AFP) President Hu Jintao's appointment as head of China's military puts him in charge of an awesome nuclear-capable country that the United States says is improving its offensive capabilities. Hu inherited the role of chairman of the Central Military Commission - arguably China' most powerful position - when former president Jiang Zemin, 78, resigned Sunday. It puts him in charge of the 2.5 million strong People's Liberation Army and a powerful nuclear deterrent. The commission also includes military stalwarts Guo Boxiong, Cao Gangchuan, Xu Caihou as vice chairmen, and seven other members. According to military analysts, China is slowly modernizing its strategic nuclear forces, but still has the least advanced nuclear arsenal of the declared nuclear-weapon states. China currently has the capability to strike US cities with a force of approximately 20 long-range Dong Feng-5 missiles, each armed with a single 4- to 5-megaton warhead, they say. It also has some 80 to 100 other missiles that could strike targets in Eurasia. China's air strike ability is also significant. In its annual report to Congress on Chinese military power, the United States this year said China had nearly 3,400 aircraft, and its share of fourth-generation planes, mainly Su-27 and Su-30 fighter-bombers purchased from Russian, was increasing steadily, Military-based websites say China has some 14,000 tanks, 14,500 artillery pieces and 453 military helicopters, along with 63 submarines, 18 destroyers and 35 frigates. The annual report to Congress said Beijing was adding annually 75 short-range missiles across from Taiwan and was acquiring or developing weapons and tactics aimed at countering technologically superior US forces. In one of his last orders before stepping down Jiang last month urged the further modernisation of China's weapons arsenal. "Building up military equipment is an urgent task of military combat preparations and is an important strategic task for the country's peace and stability," he was quoted as saying by the People's Daily last month. China boosted its 2004 military spending by 11.6 percent this year to 25 billion dollars as part if its efforts to modernize and outfit its military with high-tech weaponry. |
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