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☆ Explainer-China's Military Hierarchy Under Spotlight After Defence Minister Disappears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Greg Torode and Yew Lun TianHONG KONG (Reuters) - The disappearance of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu highlights the opaque and complex nature of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), diplomats and analysts say. In the Chinese system, the Minister of National Defence is seen as significantly less powerful than the U.S. defence secretary and many international equivalents. HOW DOES THE CHINESE MILITARY SYSTEM OPERATE? When the forum was last held in-person in 2019, more than 530 defence and military officials and scholars attended, including defence ministers from 23 countries. The Chinese defence minister would typically give the keynote speech at the forum and meet with delegations.

Persons: Greg Torode, Li Shangfu, Li, Xi Jinping, technocrat, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Zhang Youxia, Tian, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, Defence, People's Liberation Army, PLA, of National Defence, Central Military Commission, Communist Party, Strategic, Force, . Defence, White House, Foreign, Austin, CMC, Diplomats, China Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, ., Singapore, Malta, China

HONG KONG, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The disappearance of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu highlights the opaque and complex nature of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), diplomats and analysts say. In the Chinese system, the Minister of National Defence is seen as significantly less powerful than the U.S. defence secretary and many international equivalents. HOW DOES THE CHINESE MILITARY SYSTEM OPERATE? When the forum was last held in-person in 2019, more than 530 defence and military officials and scholars attended, including defence ministers from 23 countries. The Chinese defence minister would typically give the keynote speech at the forum and meet with delegations.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi Jinping, technocrat, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Zhang Youxia, Greg Torode, Tian, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defence, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Reuters, of National Defence, Central Military Commission, Communist Party, Strategic, Force, . Defence, White House, Foreign, Austin, CMC, Diplomats, China, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, ., Singapore, Malta, China

☆ Russia is charging families of dead soldiers $1,500 to get their bodies back, human-rights group claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian human-rights group says Russian commanders are charging families to retrieve remains. Crimea SOS accused the Russians of charging some $1,500 to bring the bodies of dead soldiers home. However, there have been reported instances of Russian army officers being accused of mishandling the bodies of their dead troops. Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu claimed in September 2022 — almost a year ago — that 6,000 Russian soldiers died in the first six months of the war. Researchers working with the BBC said in August that more than 30,000 dead Russian soldiers had been identified by name, suggesting an overall death toll far larger.

Persons: Aleksandr, Sergei Shoigu, — Organizations: Russian, Service, New York Times, Times, BBC Locations: Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Simferopol, Russian, Russia

☆ Zelenskyy fires recruitment officials for accepting $10,000 bribes. Almost all Ukrainians think the country has a problem with corruption, survey suggests.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In a poll, 77.6% of Ukrainians said Zelenskyy was responsible for government corruption. It came out as Zelenskyy fired all the heads of Ukraine's regional military committees. The poll came out as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched an investigation into bribery related to military recruitment. Zelenskyy: Recruitment bribes at a time of war is 'high treason'On Friday, Zelenskyy said he dismissed the heads of Ukraine's regional military committees as investigations into corruption in Ukraine continued, particularly in its armed-forces recruitment. "We are dismissing all regional military commissars," a statement on Zelenskyy's official Telegram channel said.

Persons: Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Petro Burkovskyi, Burkovskyi, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Russia, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, US Agency for International, Ilko, Democratic, Foundation, commissars, BBC News, National Agency on Corruption Prevention, Newsweek Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Spain

Landing of aircraft at night and in bad weather, for instance - crucial to regular offshore carrier operations - remain far from routine, several of the attaches and analysts said. "Carrier operations are a very complicated game, and China's got to figure this out all by itself. A new plane, the KJ-600, designed to perform a similar role to the E-2C/D Hawkeye launched from U.S. carriers, is still in testing, according to the Pentagon's latest annual report on China's military. Several countries operate aircraft carriers but the U.S. remains the most dominant, running 11 carrier battlegroups with global reach. A September editorial published in a magazine run by a PLA weapons manufacturer, titled "Four great advantages the PLA has in attacking Taiwan", did not mention the role of Chinese carriers.

☆ The Campaign to Re-Educate Jordan Peterson
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

You would think Canadians had learned by now not to tell Jordan Peterson what to say. The psychology professor became an internet sensation in 2016 after arguing that Canadian legislation amounted to “compelled speech” on gender pronouns. Now the College of Psychologists of Ontario is demanding that Mr. Peterson acknowledge he “lacked professionalism” in public statements and undergo a “coaching program” of remedial education. Maybe the new commissars missed Mr. Peterson’s videos praising Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the man who said: “Live not by lies.” Mr. Peterson won’t comply, and he says he’ll now face a disciplinary committee that could revoke his license to practice.

☆ Analysis: Xi's new generals face tough military challenges post-congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Now come the tricky next steps for his Central Military Commission: implementing sweeping changes to its leadership, which commands China's two million-strong People's Liberation Army, potentially tightening Xi's grip over the military and its modernisation. Among those expected to step down are the body's vice chairmen, Generals Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, both 72. Diplomatic challenges are also mounting, as China's military modernisation confronts the traditional U.S. strategic dominance in East Asia. Who is chosen could shed light on Xi's military priorities. "There is no shortage of senior military officers who internally parrot Xi's 'fight and win' mantra, but the conundrum for the PLA is the lack of operational experience," said Alexander Neill, a private military analyst.

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