Hu seen choosing PLA’s Taiwan expert as defense minister
Composition of the new Central Military Commission (CMC) to be formed at the upcoming 17th Party Congress will be no less eye-catching than the identities of the upcoming Politburo members.
Gen. Cao Gangchuan, right, with Raul Castro, during his recent farewell tour of Latin America. Washington Post
This will be the first CMC to be put together under the direct control of President and General Secretary Hu Jintao, who became chairman of this policy-setting military organ less than three years ago. Given his lack of previous military experience, Hu is most anxious to boost his grip on the armed forces, deemed a key pillar of the Communist regime.
And the focus is very much on the successor of one of the second-ranked among the three CMC vice-chairmen: Cao Gangchuan, 71, who is also a Politburo member and defense minister.
Cao is one of the last generals to have been trained in the former Soviet Union; and he used to be director of the General Armaments Department (GAD), in charge of research and development and weapons procurement before his elevation to the commission.
Cao, who speaks fluent Russian, played a key role in negotiating the multi-billion dollar contracts to buy sophisticated hardware from Moscow. Cao has just completed a swan song visit to Latin America, where he spent some quality time with the ailing Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Two candidates are tipped to be frontrunners to get Cao’s job: Generals Xu Caihou and Chen Bingde.
Xu, 64, the third-ranked CMC vice-chairman, is a veteran political commissar, although he has no field or command-and-control experience. He may also be too close to former President Jiang Zemin to enjoy Hu's total trust.
The smart money is with Chen, 66, the current GAD director. Even more crucial for long-time PLA specialists, however, is the fact that Chen is an acknowledged expert on Taiwan.
As commander of the Nanjing Military Region in the 1980s and early 1990s, Chen figured prominently in a series of war games along the coast just opposite the “breakaway province.”
Beijing sources close to the military say that Chen has maintained a good rapport with his boss, Hu. Given his high standing with members of the top brass, Chen may one day replace the first-ranked CMC Vice Chairman Gen. Guo Boxiong, who is also a Politburo member.
The sources said Chen’s elevation will also mean that Hu and the CCP leadership want to send a “strong” signal to both the U.S. and Taiwan about Beijing’s “commitment to eradicate Taiwan separatism.”
Meanwhile, Hu is spending more time with PLA officers to further consolidate his hold over the defense forces. Like predecessor Jiang, Hu has officiated at major graduation ceremonies at the National Defense University.
The president and commander-in-chief has also made it a point to have a “heart-to-heart talk” with every newly promoted officer with the rank of major-general. In accordance with PLA tradition, Hu will undertake a reshuffle of senior military officers at and immediately after the 17th Congress.
Apart from giving the top brass big budget boosts every year, Hu has used measures including promotions — and beefing up retirement benefits — to secure the support of generals who have indicated their willingness to “profess loyalty to the party and military leadership with comrade Hu Jintao as its core.”
Willy Lam is a Hong Kong-based China scholar and journalist specializing in Communist Party politics and foreign policy.
Composition of the new Central Military Commission (CMC) to be formed at the upcoming 17th Party Congress will be no less eye-catching than the identities of the upcoming Politburo members.
Gen. Cao Gangchuan, right, with Raul Castro, during his recent farewell tour of Latin America. Washington Post
This will be the first CMC to be put together under the direct control of President and General Secretary Hu Jintao, who became chairman of this policy-setting military organ less than three years ago. Given his lack of previous military experience, Hu is most anxious to boost his grip on the armed forces, deemed a key pillar of the Communist regime.
And the focus is very much on the successor of one of the second-ranked among the three CMC vice-chairmen: Cao Gangchuan, 71, who is also a Politburo member and defense minister.
Cao is one of the last generals to have been trained in the former Soviet Union; and he used to be director of the General Armaments Department (GAD), in charge of research and development and weapons procurement before his elevation to the commission.
Cao, who speaks fluent Russian, played a key role in negotiating the multi-billion dollar contracts to buy sophisticated hardware from Moscow. Cao has just completed a swan song visit to Latin America, where he spent some quality time with the ailing Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Two candidates are tipped to be frontrunners to get Cao’s job: Generals Xu Caihou and Chen Bingde.
Xu, 64, the third-ranked CMC vice-chairman, is a veteran political commissar, although he has no field or command-and-control experience. He may also be too close to former President Jiang Zemin to enjoy Hu's total trust.
The smart money is with Chen, 66, the current GAD director. Even more crucial for long-time PLA specialists, however, is the fact that Chen is an acknowledged expert on Taiwan.
As commander of the Nanjing Military Region in the 1980s and early 1990s, Chen figured prominently in a series of war games along the coast just opposite the “breakaway province.”
Beijing sources close to the military say that Chen has maintained a good rapport with his boss, Hu. Given his high standing with members of the top brass, Chen may one day replace the first-ranked CMC Vice Chairman Gen. Guo Boxiong, who is also a Politburo member.
The sources said Chen’s elevation will also mean that Hu and the CCP leadership want to send a “strong” signal to both the U.S. and Taiwan about Beijing’s “commitment to eradicate Taiwan separatism.”
Meanwhile, Hu is spending more time with PLA officers to further consolidate his hold over the defense forces. Like predecessor Jiang, Hu has officiated at major graduation ceremonies at the National Defense University.
The president and commander-in-chief has also made it a point to have a “heart-to-heart talk” with every newly promoted officer with the rank of major-general. In accordance with PLA tradition, Hu will undertake a reshuffle of senior military officers at and immediately after the 17th Congress.
Apart from giving the top brass big budget boosts every year, Hu has used measures including promotions — and beefing up retirement benefits — to secure the support of generals who have indicated their willingness to “profess loyalty to the party and military leadership with comrade Hu Jintao as its core.”
Willy Lam is a Hong Kong-based China scholar and journalist specializing in Communist Party politics and foreign policy.
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