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“Authoritative information is not issued everyday. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called authoritativeinformation.”
– Ji Guilin, editor-in-chief of www.mod.gov.cn, during an interview with International Herald Leader, August 24, 2009
ON August 20, 2009, with the approval of the Central Military Commission, www.mod.gov.cn, the website of the Ministry of National Defense, was put into trial operation at 0:00 hours. The total number of hits in the first three months reached 1.25 billion.
In the past, transparency on the activities of China’s armed forces was not high. The aim of launching the new website for the Ministry of National Defense is to increase public understanding of national defense aims and the activities of the armed forces, to promote understanding of China’s national defense policy by the peoples of the world, to respond to the questions and concerns expressed by the general public domestically and internationally, and to enhance mutual trust among the armed forces of various nations.
Through www.mod.gov.cn the Ministry of National Defense and the four general departments of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have established an information transmission system. It refreshes its contents directly from various corps and even frontline troops of the PLA. Important documents, such as the White Paper on National Defense, are published on the website in the most timely fashion possible.
Establishment of Official Information Release System
China introduced the system of spokesperson 27 years ago in 1982, with the appointment of Qian Qichen as spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In nearly three decades, traditional political culture, accustomed to operating under the “Silence is golden” rule, has been changing gradually, and government officials have become more outspoken and eloquent. Gradually they have been honing their oratory skills and are more at ease speaking before the public media to clarify the various positions of the government on the issues of the day.
On April 23, 1983, the Chinese government announced the formal establishment of the spokesperson system. However, over the next 20 years the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the only de facto government department filling such a post. It was not until the occurrence of the SARS crisis in 2003 that prompted a new era of Chinese government information transparency. In that year, a three-level press release system was institutionalized: the State Council Information Office, various ministries and commissions of the State Council, and provincial-level governments.
In May 2008, the Provisions on Government Information Disclosure took effect. How the wheels of government power turn has become more transparent, and the general public’s right to information has been respected and accommodated by the government. In the same year, the State Council Information Office, various ministries and commissions of the central government and provincial-level governments held a total of 1,587 press conferences, greatly surpassing the number organized in past years.
During the 2009 sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng served as spokespersons of NPC and CPPCC, respectively. For the convenience of journalists, the press centers of NPC and CPPCC established websites, to issue information on news coverage and other related information via the Internet. The NPC and CPPCC took their first steps in information disclosure.
So far, under coordination of the State Council Information Office, 75 departments under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the armed forces have established roles for press spokespersons.
Promoting Military Transparency
Since China adopted the policy of reform and opening-up, the exchanges of a military nature between China and foreign countries have been increasing. At present, China conducts reciprocal activities with more than 150 countries, and 98 countries have established a Military Attaché Office in Beijing. China receives more than 200 foreign military delegations annually. The leaders of the People’s Liberation Army also visit foreign countries to expound on China’s national defense policy.
Since 1998 China has issued six White Papers on National Defense, comprehensively outlining its national defense policy and military strategies. In 2007 China formally adopted the UN Standardized Instrument for reporting military expenditures, and subsequently has submitted annual reports to the United Nations on imports and exports in seven categories of conventional weapons. In September 2007 China established the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense, and a year later, formally established the position of press spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense.
Invitations to foreign military personnel to observe military maneuvers have been extended more frequently in recent years, as well as to visit military camps, schools and research institutes. When Chinese navy fleets visit foreign countries, they invite the foreign public to board Chinese warships. The foreign media has often been invited to visit its military barracks.
Dialogue mechanisms on defense and security have been established with 22 countries, and direct telephone lines have been opened between the Chinese military and the military authorities of the United States, Russia and the Republic of Korea. An agreement on joint patrol of the Beibu Gulf has been signed with Vietnam, and China has consulted with Japan on building a marine liaison mechanism. China is also taking an active part in multilateral dialogues and exchanges on security through the Shanghai Cooperative Organization, ASEAN Forum, and Shangri-La Dialogue. Since 2002, when China and Kyrgyzstan jointly held a military maneuver, China has staged in excess of 30 joint military maneuvers or training with more than 20 countries.
The achievements of Sino-U.S. military exchanges and cooperation have kept expanding. During President Barack Obama’s visit to China in November 2009, the two sides signed a joint communiqué confirming the highest approval of the achievements of the visit to the United States by General Xu Caihou, vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, and that positive measures would be taken to promote the relations between the armed forces of the two countries. The two sides also committed to making preparations for Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde’s visit to the United States and the visit to China by the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Glenn Mullen. The two sides will implement the next stage of exchange and cooperation plans and upgrade the level and increase frequency of these exchanges between the two countries.
Image Management Rewarding
Military authorities of various countries in the world, especially in developed Western countries, pay close attention to press releases and information management, generally deploying an official military mouthpiece. There are different forms of the spokesperson setup. In general the top-level spokesman is at the Ministry of National Defense. In some countries there are spokespersons at different levels. In others, commanders at different levels or leaders of military departments serve as information disseminators.
Foreign armed forces use various methods of information disclosure: holding press conferences, giving interviews to the media, establishing websites, publishing hard copy versions of documents and other publicity materials, and answering inquiries from the parliament, populace, and public media.
The spokespersons of foreign armed forces also directly provide information to the media, or invite journalists to visit the troops, as long as state security is not endangered or state secrets jeopardized.
A journalist from the French News Agency reported in 2009 that China’s military budget has nearly doubled since 2006. This did arouse worry in the foreign press about China’s military ambition and lack of transparency. “But in the past few months Beijing has begun to appease these worries. Last year the Ministry of National Defense appointed its first spokesman. Foreign journalists were invited to visit a PLA base in northern Beijing last month. This is really a rare event.”
Members of the international media have spoken highly of China’s measures to increase military transparency. After the launch of www.mod.gov.cn, Reuters commented: “The operation of the website of the Ministry of National Defense is a new measure aiming to appease criticism by foreign countries of China’s lack of military transparency and military buildup.” Hindustan Times commented: “It is rare to read about China’s secret military affairs on an official English-language website. This means China has made big strides.” Japan’s Sankei Shimbun commented, “China’s Ministry of National Defense opened its website on the eve of the 60th National Day military parade. This has deflated the ‘China menace’ theory, and amplified its military transparency.”
– Ji Guilin, editor-in-chief of www.mod.gov.cn, during an interview with International Herald Leader, August 24, 2009
ON August 20, 2009, with the approval of the Central Military Commission, www.mod.gov.cn, the website of the Ministry of National Defense, was put into trial operation at 0:00 hours. The total number of hits in the first three months reached 1.25 billion.
In the past, transparency on the activities of China’s armed forces was not high. The aim of launching the new website for the Ministry of National Defense is to increase public understanding of national defense aims and the activities of the armed forces, to promote understanding of China’s national defense policy by the peoples of the world, to respond to the questions and concerns expressed by the general public domestically and internationally, and to enhance mutual trust among the armed forces of various nations.
Through www.mod.gov.cn the Ministry of National Defense and the four general departments of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have established an information transmission system. It refreshes its contents directly from various corps and even frontline troops of the PLA. Important documents, such as the White Paper on National Defense, are published on the website in the most timely fashion possible.
Establishment of Official Information Release System
China introduced the system of spokesperson 27 years ago in 1982, with the appointment of Qian Qichen as spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In nearly three decades, traditional political culture, accustomed to operating under the “Silence is golden” rule, has been changing gradually, and government officials have become more outspoken and eloquent. Gradually they have been honing their oratory skills and are more at ease speaking before the public media to clarify the various positions of the government on the issues of the day.
On April 23, 1983, the Chinese government announced the formal establishment of the spokesperson system. However, over the next 20 years the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the only de facto government department filling such a post. It was not until the occurrence of the SARS crisis in 2003 that prompted a new era of Chinese government information transparency. In that year, a three-level press release system was institutionalized: the State Council Information Office, various ministries and commissions of the State Council, and provincial-level governments.
In May 2008, the Provisions on Government Information Disclosure took effect. How the wheels of government power turn has become more transparent, and the general public’s right to information has been respected and accommodated by the government. In the same year, the State Council Information Office, various ministries and commissions of the central government and provincial-level governments held a total of 1,587 press conferences, greatly surpassing the number organized in past years.
During the 2009 sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng served as spokespersons of NPC and CPPCC, respectively. For the convenience of journalists, the press centers of NPC and CPPCC established websites, to issue information on news coverage and other related information via the Internet. The NPC and CPPCC took their first steps in information disclosure.
So far, under coordination of the State Council Information Office, 75 departments under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the armed forces have established roles for press spokespersons.
Promoting Military Transparency
Since China adopted the policy of reform and opening-up, the exchanges of a military nature between China and foreign countries have been increasing. At present, China conducts reciprocal activities with more than 150 countries, and 98 countries have established a Military Attaché Office in Beijing. China receives more than 200 foreign military delegations annually. The leaders of the People’s Liberation Army also visit foreign countries to expound on China’s national defense policy.
Since 1998 China has issued six White Papers on National Defense, comprehensively outlining its national defense policy and military strategies. In 2007 China formally adopted the UN Standardized Instrument for reporting military expenditures, and subsequently has submitted annual reports to the United Nations on imports and exports in seven categories of conventional weapons. In September 2007 China established the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense, and a year later, formally established the position of press spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense.
Invitations to foreign military personnel to observe military maneuvers have been extended more frequently in recent years, as well as to visit military camps, schools and research institutes. When Chinese navy fleets visit foreign countries, they invite the foreign public to board Chinese warships. The foreign media has often been invited to visit its military barracks.
Dialogue mechanisms on defense and security have been established with 22 countries, and direct telephone lines have been opened between the Chinese military and the military authorities of the United States, Russia and the Republic of Korea. An agreement on joint patrol of the Beibu Gulf has been signed with Vietnam, and China has consulted with Japan on building a marine liaison mechanism. China is also taking an active part in multilateral dialogues and exchanges on security through the Shanghai Cooperative Organization, ASEAN Forum, and Shangri-La Dialogue. Since 2002, when China and Kyrgyzstan jointly held a military maneuver, China has staged in excess of 30 joint military maneuvers or training with more than 20 countries.
The achievements of Sino-U.S. military exchanges and cooperation have kept expanding. During President Barack Obama’s visit to China in November 2009, the two sides signed a joint communiqué confirming the highest approval of the achievements of the visit to the United States by General Xu Caihou, vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, and that positive measures would be taken to promote the relations between the armed forces of the two countries. The two sides also committed to making preparations for Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde’s visit to the United States and the visit to China by the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Glenn Mullen. The two sides will implement the next stage of exchange and cooperation plans and upgrade the level and increase frequency of these exchanges between the two countries.
Image Management Rewarding
Military authorities of various countries in the world, especially in developed Western countries, pay close attention to press releases and information management, generally deploying an official military mouthpiece. There are different forms of the spokesperson setup. In general the top-level spokesman is at the Ministry of National Defense. In some countries there are spokespersons at different levels. In others, commanders at different levels or leaders of military departments serve as information disseminators.
Foreign armed forces use various methods of information disclosure: holding press conferences, giving interviews to the media, establishing websites, publishing hard copy versions of documents and other publicity materials, and answering inquiries from the parliament, populace, and public media.
The spokespersons of foreign armed forces also directly provide information to the media, or invite journalists to visit the troops, as long as state security is not endangered or state secrets jeopardized.
A journalist from the French News Agency reported in 2009 that China’s military budget has nearly doubled since 2006. This did arouse worry in the foreign press about China’s military ambition and lack of transparency. “But in the past few months Beijing has begun to appease these worries. Last year the Ministry of National Defense appointed its first spokesman. Foreign journalists were invited to visit a PLA base in northern Beijing last month. This is really a rare event.”
Members of the international media have spoken highly of China’s measures to increase military transparency. After the launch of www.mod.gov.cn, Reuters commented: “The operation of the website of the Ministry of National Defense is a new measure aiming to appease criticism by foreign countries of China’s lack of military transparency and military buildup.” Hindustan Times commented: “It is rare to read about China’s secret military affairs on an official English-language website. This means China has made big strides.” Japan’s Sankei Shimbun commented, “China’s Ministry of National Defense opened its website on the eve of the 60th National Day military parade. This has deflated the ‘China menace’ theory, and amplified its military transparency.”