03 September 2020

US highlights advancements made by China's ‘reorganised' defence industry

by Jon Grevatt

The US government has pointed to a “substantially reorganised” defence industrial base in China as supporting capability advancements in weapons development and production.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) said in its 2020 report on military and security developments involving China that policy reforms targeted on industrial and technology restructuring have supported wide-ranging improvements during China’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020).

The US DoD has highlighted in a new report some of the industrial capability advancements achieved by China in recent years including its development of systems such as CH-4 unmanned aerial vehicles (pictured). (Janes/Patrick Allen)

“China has substantially reorganised its defence-industrial sector to improve weapon system research, development, acquisition, testing, evaluation, and production,” said the report. It added, “As part of the 13th Five-Year Plan, China implemented a number of critical reforms with the objective of increasing its competitiveness in key defence industries.”

The report said capabilities to have benefited through such reforms include aerospace engines; quantum communications and computing; electronics and software; automation and robotics; special materials; nanotechnology; artificial intelligence (AI); and space systems.

As part of this industrial development programme, the report also highlighted the “strategic investments worldwide” that China is making in AI to “reap national security and economic benefits”.

China’s ‘next-generation AI plan’ was launched in 2017 and aims to establish the country as the global leader in AI by 2030. While the report said China’s AI plan is a “whole of society effort”, it has particular focus on the military. “China views AI as critical to its future military and industrial power,” said the report, “AI is a central component in many of China’s publicly released national plans.”

The US government has pointed to a “substantially reorganised” defence industrial base in China as s...

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