Along with China's peaceful development, more and more foreigners want to know more about the Chinese army. What are their frequently asked questions on the Chinese army? How do Chinese military officers answer their questions?
The No. 179 Brigade of Nanjing Military Region in south China is a force team opening to visitors. Since 1970s, there have been more than 500 foreign delegations coming from more than 130 countries and regions came to visit the forces. According to the Foreign Affairs Office of the Brigade, in recent years, foreign guests, especially foreign military officers have asked quite a few questions on a variety of issues. Officers and soldiers also answered the questions frankly.
In his visit in April 2006, President of the United States National Defense University Lieutenant General Michael Dunn asked Commander of the Brigade: "As commander, what are the three most difficult issues in troops building in your opinion?"
Commander Jin Chuan replied: "The three issues are: how to successfully accomplish the transit of the army, so as to make it more adapted to military modernization process and future operations; how to improve targeted training so as to fight future wars; how to strengthen building of the armed forces in a socialist market economy and enhance ideological education work, so as to ensure that the soldiers are concentrating on works in the campaign."
A foreign reporter once asked a soldier: "Won't you feel suffer since your allowance is so little?"
"I volunteered to join the army. As a soldier, I feel very proud," the soldiers replied.
A foreign reporter asked another officer: "Is the United States China's biggest adversary?"
"The United States is China's biggest strategic partnership," the officers answered in English.
The most frequently asked questions by foreign generals and senior officers are:
What's the Chinese army's value concept?
Who is your imaginary enemy in training?
How does Chinese army promote political education?
How do you organize amphibious combats? How do the Army and Navy training coordinate with each other? How does the Army organize the combat?
Where do military officers' wives live in when visiting their husbands? How many days of holiday can officers have?
What's the ratio of noncommissioned officers? What are the criteria for selecting noncommissioned officer candidates?
What's the ratio of female officers?
How many medical officers do you have?
Why do you raise pigs and plant vegetables in camp?
In an interview with reporters, Commander Jin Chuan emphasized that officers and soldiers always answer these questions frankly and this has helped promote the exchanges between the Chinese and foreign army. The openness and transparency also demonstrate the image of Chinese army as mighty, just, civilized and peaceful, which is conducive to increasing the friendship between the Chinese army and armed forces of other countries, as well as the exchanges and cooperation.
The Brigade's Foreign Affairs Office told the reporter that foreign delegations visiting the troops usually want to review the honor guard, know more about military construction, watch the military subjects display such as training courses of weapons firing of battalions and live ammunition tactical trainings of squads and platoons, and, visit troops' infrastructure site.
According to Jin Chuan, the army has received high comments from delegations from the United States, Australia and other countries in terms of mental attitude of soldiers, infrastructure construction of camps, training and many other aspects.
In recent years Chinese army has made great efforts to open itself to the outside not only by making some specific units accessible from the outside, but also by making some maneuvers open to visitors. In the last year alone, both the "Friendship – 2006" anti-terrorism military exercise that was jointly carried out by China and Pakistan and Chinese army's "Queshan – 2006" ammunition maneuvers are open to the media. "What are the biggest concerns of the world about China's military? They can always find answers to their questions on the Chinese army. Chinese army is endeavoring to promote openness and transparency so as to enhance military mutual trust," an officer of the No. 179 Brigade said.
By People's Daily Online
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article