He is the first local government chief to visit the PRC since the DPP government was sworn in on May 20. 6. The drills were aimed to evaluate any problems regarding joint combat functioning of their forces. They said that the PRC has gone a long way toward meeting demands by the US and others that it be more open about its military goals to minimize the potential for conflict in Asia. It goes far further than anything they've ever done before. With a couple of exceptions, mainly their refusal to provide information about weapons and deployment of forces, this is exactly the kind of thing we've been calling for, and it puts China on par with Japan, Taiwan and South Korea as far as transparency of its military.
Weapons is their major weakness across all services.
Analysts also said the paper acknowledges for the first time the existence of the Second Artillery Force, a service branch independent of the army, navy and air force that controls the nation's missile units. The report also stated for the first time explicitly that the PRC's nuclear weapons are under the direct command of the Central Military Commission. Western analysts said that there were few major surprises in the white paper but emphasized that the disclosures were significant because they indicate that the PRC is making an effort to reduce tensions in the Pacific. They're recognizing that transparency isn't something the West is cramming down their throats, but may be something that serves their own interests. Republic of Korea 1.