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Chinese military chief vows nuclear, conventional build-up
Beijing (AFP) Feb 2, 2009 China will accelerate the build-up of its nuclear and conventional arsenal to form a credible deterrent, the general in charge of the country's strategic missile force said. "We will accelerate the building of our nuclear and conventional combat strength," said Jing Zhiyuan, the commander of the Second Artillery Corp, in an article he co-wrote for the authoritative journal Qiushi published on Sunday. "We will strengthen the build-up of combat systems and improve the training of high-quality personnel," said the article. China will also develop "a nuclear and conventional missile force corresponding to the needs of winning a war" in conditions changed by modern information technology, it said. The Second Artillery Corps is an independent branch of the armed forces directly under the control of the powerful Central Military Commission. It is armed with hundreds of strategic and tactical missiles. "The Second Artillery is the core of our nation's strategic deterrence. It is the main support pillar and backup force of our national security and development," the article said. The corps' jobs include "deterring other countries from using nuclear weapons against China, and for conducting nuclear counter-attacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles," China said in a recent policy paper. Quishi is a journal for the ruling Communist Party to publish policies and theories. The United States has long expressed concern over China's military build-up, and accused the Chinese government of not being transparent about its defence spending. China has said its military budget for 2008 was 417.8 billion yuan (61 billion dollars), a rise of 17.6 percent from the previous year. Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
World powers to hold first Iran meeting of Obama presidency
Berlin (AFP) Jan 30, 2009Senior diplomats from six world powers trying to convince Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions will meet next week in Germany for their first meeting since US President Barack Obama took office, a German official said Friday. |
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