President Hu inspects headquarters of Second Artillery (and other Hu activity)

President Hu is having a bit of a military week :

28 June Visit to HQ of Second Artillery
27 June Keynote speech at the ongoing military training conference of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
24 June Meeting with representatives to a national military training conference

See Xinhua stories below (third one posted already in full).

BTW is a good place for background info, biogs amd some VIP appearance data on senior Chinese leaders.



President Hu inspects headquarters of strategic troops
2006-06-29 00:29:25

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao inspected the headquarters of the Second Artillery Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday [28 June] to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the country's strategic troops.

In his speech, Hu pledged to step up military reforms, intensify preparations for the military struggle, and strengthen the overall building of the Second Artillery Force.

During his stay, the president, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), had a meeting with senior officers of the Second Artillery Force, with the company of its commander Jing Zhiyuan and commissar Peng Xiaofeng.

Hu saluted all those who have contributed to founding and developing the Second Artillery Force. He said the founding of strategic missile troops and the Second Artillery Force 40 years ago was "a major strategic decision" made by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.

"The Second Artillery Force has gone down an uncommon road since its founding 40 years ago," said the leader, "The Party and the people will have your achievements in mind for ever."

Noting that the Second Artillery Force shoulders a glorious mission and important duties in the new century and the new period, Hu said the Party Central Committee and the CMC have attached great importance to and pinned high hopes on the development of the Second Artillery Force.

Those who joined in the study tour were CMC Vice Chairmen Guo Boxiong, Cao Gangchuan and Xu Caihou, and CMC Members Liang Guanglie, Li Jinai, Liao Xilong, Chen Bingde and Qiao Qingchen.

Hu and other military leaders watched an art performance entitled "Song of Dong Feng (Eastward Wind)", which tells about the 40-year experience of the Second Artillery Force in an artistic way. Enditem



Hu Jintao highlights importance of military training in peacetime

Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Hu Jintao attached great importance to the issue of military training in peacetime Tuesday [27 June], when he delivered a keynote speech at the ongoing military training conference of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The Army, which used to depend on mechanical equipment, should accommodate its military training to the circumstances of the information age in a step-by-step manner, said China's top leader, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Military training should be enhanced up to a higher level by making innovation on the basis of existing achievements, Hu said, urging the Army to carry out its historic mission efficiently.

In his speech, the Chinese leader said that China's security situation has witnessed profound changes and the Army is carrying out a new historic mission, so that the Army should intensify the efforts in military training, with a strategic awareness about the general situation.

The Chinese Army should work hard in military training, in an effort to meet the progress and changes in the status of warfare and the method of battle, according to the leader. "Step up military training to strengthen the Army and be rigorous in carrying military training," he stressed.

He urged the Army to bring into full play the role of science and technology and carry out reforms and innovations, so as to set up a scientific system for military training under the new circumstances.

All service people should be made aware of the Army's historic mission, ideology, fighting spirits, and socialist ethics, while upholding the Marxist view of war, patriotism and revolutionary heroism, the leader said.

The meeting was presided by CMC Vice-Chairman Guo Boxiong and attended by CMC Vice-Chairmen Cao Gangchuan and Xu Caihou, and CMC Members Liang Guanglie, Li Jinai, Liao Xilong, Chen Bingde, Qiao Qingchen and Jing Zhiyuan.

Source: Xinhua



.....during his meeting with representatives to a national military training conference in Beijing, capital of China, on June 24, 2006

As always the PD remains broad and vague about what the actual content of this new training style might enclose, however despite this i do not think we should dismiss it, even if it is not fully expressed to us in so many clear words, i think each of these announcements and speeches have some serious meaning behind it.

I believe that Hu Jintao sincerely wants to encourage intense military training, it's a shame though the CCP feels it needs to be so secretive about such affairs.

Indeed. Although there are maybe clues...e.g.

"The Army, which used to depend on mechanical equipment, should accommodate its military training to the circumstances of the information age in a step-by-step manner..."

More high-tech (obviously) less sheer weight of numbers/kit.....

"...China's security situation has witnessed profound changes and the Army is carrying out a new historic mission, so that the Army should intensify the efforts in military training, with a strategic awareness about the general situation...."

Maybe allusion to new potential roles in Central Asia ?

As you say, never dismiss...there are always nods and winks buried in these apparently bland things if one studies them sufficiently and relates to other indicators such as kit deployments and so on.

IMHO, the visit to the 2nd Artillery probably coincides with the introduction into service of the most significant piece of gear for the 2nd Artillery in the last 3 years -- the DF-31A.

As for the second one about training. It seems pretty clear that expensive, realistic training is the buzzword right now in all the PLA services. Before it was just a doctrinal shift (90's), then investment in R&D (2000), then improvement in personnel / higher pay (2004), and finally now it's all about spending money and not being afraid to expend hardware to train realistically.

Look at all the training accidents that have taken place recently.