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Military-civil fusion (Chinese: 军民融合; pinyin: Jūnmín rónghé, MCF) or civil-military fusion is a strategy and policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with the stated goal of developing its People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a world-class military.[1][2][3] Military-civil fusion is a priority for the Xi Jinping administration.[4]
Background
[edit]The institutional foundations of PLA's weapon development and research are copied from the Soviet Union, where state-owned factories and companies develop and manufacture equipment based on a top-down command approach. Other major weaknesses include monopoly in the defense industry held by state-owned companies, bureaucratic inefficacy, corruption, lack of innovation, outdated pricing and contracting process.[5] Chinese state-owned defense corporations are historically uncoordinated and inefficient, inclined toward to the preservation of their state-sanctioned monopoly, exploiting their gain in a privileged position due to obstruction in fair competition with private enterprises.[3] In 2010, Chinese researchers estimated that less than one percent of the Chinese high-tech enterprises were involved in defense-related activity.[6]
History
[edit]The term "military-civil fusion" first emerged in the late 1990s. Hu Jintao, then-vice chairman of the CCP's Central Military Commission, uses the term to describe the coordination between civic and military sectors. The concept of "military-civil fusion" dates back to Mao Zedong and the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).[7][8] Defense analysts have noted that military-civil fusion efforts under current CCP general secretary Xi Jinping are more ambitious than those of his predecessors.[7][9][4]
MCF was first used in 1980s primarily for converting military factories over to civilian production under the backdrop of the economic reform, which failed to bring innovative commercial technologies into the military sector.[10] The PLA acquired defense product through state-owned enterprises, while private companies only had limited contribution and involvement.[3] Corruption and graft also contributed to the continuous preference toward state-owned companies, even when alternative options existed.[3] Certain areas of development in China's military-industrial complex did see some benefits from the military-civilian integration, particularly for the shipbuilding, information technology, and aerospace industry.[10]
Analysts Elsa B. Kania and Lorand Laskai noted Xi Jinping's initiative may lead to a breakthrough in efficiency and innovations, however, the initiative indicates China's attempt to overcome military procurement and research and development (R&D) deficiencies instead of a sign of strength.[3] Richard A. Bitzinger believes MCF would requires significant effort and resources to implement successfully, given the current legal, regulatory, and cultural hurdles that exist in the Chinese government.[11] Analyst Christian Brose argues that Chinese military capabilities have improved significantly in the 2010s due to relative success in fusing the defense and civilian sector for military development and production.[7]
Emily Weinstein noted that the Chinese government has studied the U.S. military-civil framework, with research papers examining the successes and drawbacks of its implementation in the United States, such as Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). China recognized the technological superiority the U.S. has achieved through collaboration between the U.S. government institutions and leading technologies companies in the U.S., such as the case of SpaceX, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. China attempted to replicate and modified the framework as per domestic needs.[12][3][7] However, the Chinese government can demand information and assistance from companies with more hardline approach than that of the United States.[7]
General policies
[edit]MCF promotes the use of dual-use technology and two-way technology transfer, in which defense companies, universities, and research institutions can collaborate and share technologies between military and civilian sectors.[13][14] The term "civil-military integration" (CMI) was gradually replaced by the term "military-civil fusion" under the Xi Jinping administration, possibly inkling the latter has increased level of coordination in civil–military relations or a more balanced attention between military and civilian developments.[15]
MCF influences investment decisions, talent recruitment, and research and development (R&D) across multiple fields. In January 2017, Xi Jinping created a Central Military-Civil Fusion Development Committee (CMCFDC), which is responsible for the planning and implementation of the MCF in China.[16][17][18][12]
In 2021, China implemented a Five-Year Plan to set overall guidance for policies and national development goals through 2025. The document called for further coordination in the development of critical and emergent technologies, which is in-line with the goal of military-civil fusion.[19]
In 2021, Janes reported that a purpose of the military-civil fusion is to ease the administrative burden on private defense companies, and stimulate greater competition in China's defense industry.[20]
Responses
[edit]Several U.S. government agencies have deployed their own definitions of military-civil fusion.[7] In May 2020, the Trump administration issued a presidential proclamation banning certain Chinese students and researchers from coming to the United States based on their perceived relationship with military-civil fusion.[7] The executive order describes military-civil fusion as a mean to "acquire and divert foreign technologies". Other analysts asserted that the definition is largely divorced from the purpose and objective of military-civil fusion and that instead it describes China's general issues on technology transfer.[3]
Multiple analysts and think tanks have proposed ways in which the US could respond to China's MCF strategy.[6][7][3][8][21][19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bitzinger, Richard A. (2021). "China's Shift from Civil-Military Integration to Military-Civil Fusion". Asia Policy. 28 (1): 5–24. doi:10.1353/asp.2021.0001. ISSN 1559-2960. S2CID 234121234.
- ^ Cheung, Tai Ming (2022). Innovate to Dominate: The Rise of the Chinese Techno-Security State. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-5017-6434-9. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctv20pxxmn.
- ^ a b c d e f g h B. Kania, Elsa; Laskai, Lorand (28 January 2021). "Myths and Realities of China's Military-Civil Fusion Strategy". Center for a New American Security. JSTOR resrep28654. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ a b Ding, Arthur; Tang, K. Tristan (April 14, 2023). "Xi Seeks to Reinvigorate Military-Civilian Integration". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ CHEUNG, Tai Ming; ANDERSON, Eric (2017). "Chinese Defense Industry Reforms and Their Implications for US-China Military Technological Competition". SITC Research Briefs. 9 (4). Archived from the original on 2022-10-13.
- ^ a b Laskai, Lorand. "Civil-Military Fusion: The Missing Link Between China's Technological and Military Rise". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Weinstein, Emily (5 February 2021). "Don't Underestimate China's Military-Civil Fusion Efforts". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ a b Bruyère, Emily de La; Picarsic, Nathan (27 May 2021). "Defusing Military-Civil Fusion". Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Yang, Zi (28 January 2021). "China's Military-Civil Fusion Strategy: Development, Procurement, and Secrecy (Introduction)". national bureau of asian research. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ a b A. Bitzinger, Richard (December 2004). "Civil-Milit Civil-Military Integration and ary Integration and Chinese Military Modernization" (PDF). Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. 3 (9). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-26.
- ^ A. Bitzinger, Richard (28 January 2021). "China's Shift from Civil-Military Integration to Military-Civil Fusion". The National Bureau of Asian Research. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ a b Kania, Elsa B. (27 August 2019). "In Military-Civil Fusion, China is Learning Lessons from the United States and Starting to Innovate". Center for a New American Security. The Strategy Bridge. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Fritz, Audrey (2021-10-08). "The foundation of innovation under military-civil fusion: The role of universities" (PDF). Sinopsis. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-08. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Fritz, Audrey (14 July 2021). "At the Nexus of Military-Civil Fusion and Technological Innovation in China". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Fritz, Audrey (2 August 2019). "China's Evolving Conception of Civil-Military Collaboration". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Kania, Elsa B. Battlefield singularity : artificial intelligence, military revolution, and China's future military power. OCLC 1029611044.
- ^ Yujia He (2017). How China is preparing for an AI-powered Future (PDF). The Wilson Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ Levesque, Greg (8 October 2019). "Military-Civil Fusion: Beijing's "Guns AND Butter" Strategy to Become a Technological Superpower". China Brief. 19 (18). Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ a b STONE, ALEX; W. SINGER, PETER (18 February 2021). "China's Military-Civil Fusion Strategy: What to Expect in the Next Five Years". Defense One. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Grevatt, Jon (23 June 2021). "China launches 'deregulation trial' for private sector defence contractors". Janes. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "How Should the U.S. Respond to China's Military-Civil Fusion Strategy?". China File. 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
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