http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east...lumn/index.html
China seeks Russian military edgeBy Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN Senior China Analyst
Monday, May 26, 2003 Posted: 11:12 PM EDT (0312 GMT)
Hu in Moscow. Countering the U.S.'s military and global might is a key concern for Beijing.
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(CNN) -- Much more than symbolism is involved in Chinese President Hu Jintao's choice for Russia to be the first country to visit in his capacity as head of state and chief of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The stress that Hu and ex-president Jiang Zemin have recently put on modernization of weaponry has highlighted the fast-growing military ties between the two allies.
It is too early to say there is a pro-Russian tilt in the 60-year-old Hu's foreign policy.
At least for the foreseeable term, the Fourth Generation leader will continue with the tradition, set by predecessors Deng Xiaoping and Jiang, of giving top priority to relations with the United States.
However, particularly in the wake of the triumph of Washington's perceived "neo-imperialism" in Iraq, quite a number of Hu's military and diplomatic advisers are concentrating on ways to counter-balance America's global preponderance.
Hu, who arrived in Moscow on Monday, will spend a week in Russia before heading to France, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Highlights of the president's two-day stay in Europe is his attendance at the Group of Eight annual meeting in Evian, France -- and holding a brief "mini-summit" with President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the G8 conclave.
While in Moscow, Hu and counterpart Vladimir Putin will play up the two countries' special partnership of "good neighborliness and cooperation."
In a pre-departure interview with the Russia media, Hu pledged to "assiduously raise the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation to new and higher levels."
Items to be discussed between Hu and his hosts include trade, an agreement on exporting Russian oil to China -- and hi-tech and defense-related cooperation.
Particularly after the accident that killed all 70 crew on board the Ming Class submarine last month, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is determined to speed up the upgrading of its arsenal.
Defense modernization was the theme of a special CCP Politburo "study session" called last Friday, in which the top ruling body vowed to "learn from the experience of new military developments in the world."
Hu, who is also Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice-Chairman, indicated the PLA was gunning for a kuayue shi ("leap-forward style") transformation of defense hardware.
Given that military and hi-tech cooperation with the U.S. and most European countries has largely stood still since the June 4, 1989 massacre, Beijing has since the mid-1990s spent billions of dollars on Russian-made fighter jets and submarines.
It is significant that Defense Minister General Cao Gangchuan, who is in charge of arms procurement, is the only member of the CCP Politburo to have been trained in the former Soviet Union.
Closer defense ties with Moscow coincides with a thorough-going restructuring of the PLA, which is being masterminded by ex-president and CMC Chairman Jiang.
"Jiang has spent much of the past few months in his power base of Shanghai, where he is mapping out measures to streamline the forces, including substantial demobilization," said a military source in Beijing.
"The 73-year-old Jiang hopes ushering the PLA into the IT era will be his last contribution as senior Chinese leader."
The source said the 2.4 million-strong PLA is due to shed about 500,000 soldiers beginning late this year.
Moreover, the command-and-control structure will be revamped and centralized with unprecedented powers to be placed in the CMC and units under its direct control.
Countering the U.S.
Following the U.S.-led triumph in Iraq, China is looking for a quicker streamlining of its military.
It is understood that Jiang, Hu and the generals have been closely studying what China can learn from the hi-tech wizardry displayed by U.S. forces in Iraq.
Military specialists traveling with the Hu team will discuss with their hosts ways in which Russian expertise can help the PLA in areas ranging from electronics to astronautics.
In a commentary last weekend, the official Xinhua news agency dropped hints about Sino-Russian cooperation in checking perceived U.S. expansionism.
The article said the two countries should strive to build a "fair and just global order" against a backdrop of "hegemonism and power politics" on the world scene.
While in Russia, Hu will also try to breathe new life into the somewhat lethargic Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyztan.
Leaders of the SCO countries -- who are meeting in Moscow later this week -- are set to confirm the establishment of a permanent secretariat in Beijing as well as the possible admission of new members.
Mongolia, the last leg of Hu's multi-nation tour, is said to be considering joining the SCO, conceived as a counterweight to NATO as well as "U.S. hegemonism."
Diplomatic analysts said Hu would face a hard time persuading his SCO colleagues to adopt a tougher line on the U.S.
In the wake of the war in Afghanistan, countries including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have become dependent on American economic and even military aid.
Moreover, the Putin administration has reiterated the priority it is attaching to American investment and the U.S. market.
And while Moscow played a key role in opposing American military action in Iraq, its main interest is getting a bigger share of the energy pie in the war-torn country.
Indeed, while meeting Bush on the fringes of the G8 meeting, the Chinese president will have to try out a juggling act not unlike that perfected by Putin.
Hu has already demonstrated his think-big vision by agreeing to attend the G8 as an observer, which will be a first for a top Chinese leader.
Diplomatic analysts expect Hu and Bush to concentrate on issues including North Korea, Taiwan, peace in the Middle East, as well as economic and technological ties.
Cooperation in solving the knotty North Korean nuclear crisis could help cement a new Sino-U.S. partnership that is anchored on fighting global terrorism.
Indeed, Beijing's acquiescence in the Afghan and Iraq wars has been instrumental in keeping traditionally volatile bilateral ties on an even keel.
However, the analysts say given Hu's strong views on Taiwan, it is possible the Chinese leader may play the Korean card when putting pressure on Washington to at least refrain from selling sophisticated weapons to the self-ruled island.
Yet apart from the SARS outbreak, developments in China that have attracted the attention of U.S. politicians and legislators in recent weeks tend to revolve around the relentless build-up of its already formidable army.
Just last weekend, Beijing put its third navigation satellite into orbit, a hi-tech feat that has major military implications.
The Hu administration's high-profile determination to beef up the PLA arsenal -- partly with help from the Russians -- could buttress the arguments of those Bush aides who want to rein in China through arming Taiwan.