Model United Nations at the University of Washington Spring Conference 2012

Saturday May 19, 2012 UW-Seattle Campus

The Peoples Republic of China

General History of the Kashmir Region Conflict Dispute over the Kashmir region is namely a conflict between India and Pakistan. The conflict began when India and Pakistan gained independence from British rule in 1947. The former state of Kashmir was partitioned between the two countries in the same year due to the failure of the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, to stay independent. On the one hand, he signed an interim agreement to maintain transportation and other services with Pakistan but on the other hand, he signed the Instrument of Accession with India to cede control over foreign and defense policy to them1. India and Pakistan have consistently failed to agree on the status of territory of the Kashmir region through diplomatic means. This failure to do so ultimately led to several wars fought between the two countries in 1947-48 and 1965. Both countries attempted to formalize a ceasefire agreement as the Line of Control in the Simla Agreement, however said this agreement to have no meaning at all and in turn escalated further clashes in 1999, and in 2002, India and Pakistan came close to war again. Chinas Involvement in the Kashmir Region Chinas involvement with the region developed gradually through the states takeover of Tibet in 1950 and its relating claims in the Indian-controlled Aksai Chin in Ladakh and the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)-controlled Hunza and the Shaksgam Valley2. Furthermore, Sino-Indian relations also escalated as a result of Chinas increasing support for Pakistans military buildup. Chinas increased activity in the Northern Areas controlled by the POK can be perceived both positively and negatively. Following calls for Chinese involvement in the Kashmir conflict on both sides of the divide, the Chinese has invested in infrastructure projects in different parts of the Northern Areas. In contrast, it is perceived negatively because India feels insecure regarding close ties between China and Pakistan. In short, China believes that the resolution of the conflict is needed because it could potentially lead to more economic interactions with India. The Kashmir conflict must be resolved at some point, if not further tensions between the two giant neighbors will become inevitable3. China-Pakistan Relations Diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan were first established in 1951. Ever since, China and Pakistan have enjoyed a close and mutually beneficial relationship4. In the 1960s, China became the major arms supplier for Pakistan. This relationship included assistance in building a number of arms factories in Pakistan and help building up complete weapons systems. In turn, Pakistan was able to advance its defense capabilities in areas such as missiles, aircraft and more importantly, a nuclear program. Increased and deepened economic interactions between the two countries have also gained prominence alongside the arms supplies aspect of the relationship. Over the years, a number of bilateral trade agreements and investment commitments were established. As a result, India has long been disturbed by the mutually beneficial relationship between Pakistan and China, especially in terms of Chinas military aid to Pakistan. Adding onto the already worrisome situation in the Kashmir region, Sino-Indian relations have once again deteriorated. Structure of the Chinese Government:
1 Kashmir Profile http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11693674 2 China and Kashmir http://acdis.illinois.edu/assets/docs/222/articles/ChinaandKashmir.pdf 3 The Chinese Connection http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2010/08/china_and_kashmir 4 China-Pakistan Relations http://www.cfr.org/china/china-pakistan-relations/p10070

Overview: In 1949, the victory of Mao Zedongs communist forces established the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Despite being the only party in China with legitimate power, the Communist Party (CCP) is often unable to dictate policy decisions. What this means is that the CCP actually depends on other institutions in the structure of the Chinese government to actually make decisions. The political system of China is infused with a mixture of bureaucratic government actors such as the ministers of various ministries who can influence and determine government policy. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has a rather complicated political structure, it is thus important to provide some explanation of the intricate political system. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the State Council are the two most powerful institutions that make up the main political structure of the PRC. The State Council is considered a de facto cabinet. Apart from these two vertically integrated institutions, there are also two other major institutions that play a crucial role in Chinese politics. One is the National Peoples Congress (NPC), the largest organ of state power. Second is the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). The Communist Party (CCP) of the PRC: Founded in 1921, the CCP is the only party in power in China. It established the PRC in 1949 after years of civil war. The CCP consists of more than 60 million members in more than 3 million non-hierarchal organizations. The central organ of the party, also the most powerful policy and decision-making entity is the Politburo and its Standing Committee (however said, these entities will not be too relevant in terms of this conference, it is just important to understand that there are entities that have higher authority over the ministries). The Politburo and Standing Committee is mostly comprised of the Partys most powerful senior officials. The Partys formal structure is basically hierarchal and consists of local, municipal, and provincial party congresses and committees. The State Council: Apart from the CCP, another important institution of the Chinese political structure is the central administrative system the State Council. As the main government apparatus, it is the executive body and is regarded the highest organ of state and administrative power. It exercises unified leadership over state administrative bodies and regulates the specific division of power and function on provincial, regional, and municipal matters. The State Council is the institution that overlooks the ministers of the various ministries. The Ministries: Government ministries are under the supervision of the State Council. They are a crucial part of the Chinese government. The ministries wield decisive tactical influence over policy through interpreting, implementing, and overseeing, broad and ambiguous goals of the PRC established by the central leaders. Government ministries often function independently, much like a chief executive officer overlooking his or her independent agency. Nonetheless, the ministers must always align with the ultimate decision-makers in the Politburo when establishing and carrying out policies. The Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA): The CMC and PLA have the responsibility of overseeing the military policies and decisions. The CMC is basically divided between the civilian leadership and military leadership. It is further distinguished into two parts the state entity and the party organ. The state entity is

known as the Central Military Commission of the Peoples Republic of China (CMC of the PRC) whereas the party organ is known as the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (CMC of the CCP)5. The civilian leadership is nominally considered to be in supreme command of military and defense affairs, including the formulation of military strategies. In reality though, the CMC of the CCP has the authority to exercise command and control over the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA is formally under the command of the CMC and is the worlds largest military force and the worlds largest active standing army. The CMCs responsibilities include commanding the entire armed forces in the country. The headquarters of the CMC also deal with the military, political, logistics, and armament affairs of the entire army. In addition, the CMC also implement strategic decisions, policies, and principles of the CMC on military warfare and army building6. The President of China will always sit as the chairman of the CMC. Important Positions in the Chinese Government: The President of the Peoples Republic of China Current: Hu Jintao The President of China is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the General Secretary of the Communist Party (CCP). Under the Constitution, the president exercises powers to implement laws in domestic and foreign affairs, however the details of implementation are left to the Premier of the PRC, the head of the government. Laws adopted by the National Peoples Congress (NPC) and the Standing Committee shall become effective after being approved by the president. Despite being the head of state of China, the president needs to coordinate with the ideals of the CCP and cannot implement any decisions without consulting with the NPC and the Standing Committee7. But the basic functions and powers in foreign affairs consist of receiving foreign diplomatic representatives on behalf of the PRC and ratifying or annulling treaties and agreements concluded with foreign countries. As the Chairman of the CMC, the president has overall responsibility over the CMC. Like the National Security Council of the United States, the president (also the chairman of the CMC) has undisputed commands over the entire military. Minister of Foreign Affairs Current: Yang Jiechi The Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for a wide range of functions8 and most of these responsibilities pertain to maintaining diplomatic relations with other countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs implements state diplomatic principles, policies, and other related laws and regulations. Furthermore, he is also responsible for leading diplomatic missions abroad and handling global and regional concerns regarding security, politics, economics, social, migration and any other issues concerning diplomatic affairs. One contentious issue could be the position of China on human rights, which has not been widely accepted by the international community, which could in turn damage diplomatic relations with certain countries. Moreover, he is also responsible for studying the overarching and strategic issues in international situations and relations. The Minister of Foreign Affairs consults other relevant government departments regarding overall diplomatic planning whenever necessary. Minister of National Defense
5 http://english.gov.cn/2008-03/16/content_921750.htm 6 Organizations of the Central Military Commission (CMC) http://english.gov.cn/2005-09/02/content_28477.htm 7 Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China http://www.constitutionofchina.com/ 8 For a more comprehensive summary of the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, go to http://

www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zyzz/t558670.htm

Current: General Liang Guanglie The Minister of National Defense controls the entire Ministry of National Defense even though he does not have total control of the functions the CMC carries out9. The Ministry of National Defenses official responsibilities are to exercise unified administration over the development of armed forces of the country such as organization, recruitment, and training of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) (the functions of the PLA are briefly outlined on P.2 under The CMC and the PLA). The PLA is the unified military organization of land, sea, strategic missile, and air forces in China. The Minister of National Defense does not, however, have command authority. All command authority belongs to the Central Military Commission (CMC). Even though the Ministry of National Defense itself does not have command authority, the role of the Minister of National Defense has always been deemed as very important. The Minister will always be an active military officer and usually the Vice Chairman of the CMC. These qualifications enable him to actually take part in making decisions not only in the military aspect such as the PLA, but also in the government and the CCP. Minister of Public Security Current: Meng Jianzhu The Minister of Public Security is responsible for the prevention, suppression and investigations of criminal activities; fight against terrorist activities; and maintenance of social security and order10. In short, the minister of public security ensures the social order and control in China and in charge of all the public security work nationwide. The Minister of Public Security is mainly responsible for all of the public security agencies in China on a provincial, municipal and national level. The Minister ensures social security and fights against terrorism. Minister of State Security Current: Geng Huichang The Ministry of State Security is the largest and most active foreign intelligence agency within the PRC. The ministry is occasionally involved with domestic security matters 11 as well. According to Article 4 of the Criminal Procedure Law, the Minister of State Security has the authority to command regular police arrests and detain people for crimes involving state security. In addition, the Minister is responsible for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations. Moreover, he is also responsible for the surveillance and recruitment of businessmen, researchers and officials visiting from abroad. The Ministers activities range from conversing with visiting scholars in order to obtain necessary intelligence regarding security issues and policies their (scholars) respective countries. However said, the most important task carried out by the Minister of State Security is to ensure the security of the state through effective measures against suspicious activities among enemy agents, spies, and counter-revolutionary activities designed to undermine the Chinese socialist system. Minister of Finance Current: Xie Xuren The Minister of Finance administers macroeconomic policies and overlooks the national annual budget12. Additional responsibilities include the handling and implementation of fiscal policies, economic regulations, and government expenditure for the state. In general, the Minister
9 When researching about the Ministry of National Defense, it is also important to do research on the CMC http://

eng.mod.gov.cn/ 10 http://www.mps.gov.cn/English/index.htm
11 http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/china/mss.htm 12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Finance_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China

monitors all national expenditures including the Central Peoples Government expenditure, social security expenditure, and domestic government debts. The Ministry of Finance, however, does not handle regulation of the markets and interest rates or any state-owned industries. The National Development and Reform Commission handle other responsibilities such as regulation of markets, interest rates, and industries, which do not fall under the authority periphery of the Minister of Finance. The Ministry of Finance, regarded as the World Banks counterpart agency in China works closely with a body named the International Department13, to conduct research and analysis of the international financial and economic issues and provide policy advice. The Ministry of Finance, along with the International Department, takes part in negotiations, policy research and program development and implementation of international institutions. Minister of Civil Affairs Current: Li Xueju The Ministry of Civil Affairs, like any other ministry, works under the jurisdiction of the State Council of the PRC. The Minister of Civil Affairs is responsible for dealing with domestic social and administrative affairs. The Ministry is an agency that serves the Chinese people to mitigate the effects of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. The Minister ensures the well being of Chinese citizens. A key project of the Minister of Civil Affairs has been to alleviate the aftermath of the Sichuan Earthquake in 200814, and providing the necessary relief and aid to the various parts that were destroyed and affected by the earthquake. The Central Military Commission (CMC) Positions: Chairman of the Central Military Commission see the President of China Chief of General Staff of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Current: General Chen Bingde The Chief of General Staff of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is the head of command and is in charge of the PLA headquarters also known as the PLA General Staff Department (GSD)15. He directs and commands all the military area commands and the services and arms. The Chief of General Staff of the PLA can also handle the routine work of the Minister of National Defense when the Ministers sole responsibility is to direct and administer national defense work. The main responsibilities of the Chief of General Staff of the PLA are overseeing operations, training, intelligence, discipline, mobilization, and reserve forces. The GSD that falls within the CMC is also responsible for war planning, operations, and intelligence and, training. The Chief oversees three other service branches the PLA Navy, the PLA Air Force, and the Second Artillery Corps16. It is important to understand that even though the CMC is considered to be the largest commanding authority of the military, the ultimate decisions depends on the CCPs Politburo. The CMC itself is the most important military body of China and definitely has the power to put forth proposals on any major military issue. Lastly, the CMC actually shares command authority with the Minister of Public Security the delegate should note that he or she might be asked to work closely with Minister of Public Security. Commander of the Second Artillery Corps (SAC) Current: Jing Zhiyuan The Commander of the Second Artillery Corps (SAC) is also known as the Commander of
13 http://go.worldbank.org/TOFZXBRLQ0 14 http://articles.cnn.com/keyword/ministry-of-civil-affairs 15 PLA General Staff Department in the CMC http://www.sinodefence.com/overview/organisation/gsd.asp 16 Structure and Organization of Armed Forces http://eng.mod.gov.cn/ArmedForces/index.htm

Strategic Missile Forces (SMF). As the name suggests, the commander oversees the strategic missile branch of the PLA, having the ability to control all of the PRCs land-based strategic missile assets as well as the majority of conventional missile assets, and of course Chinas nuclear ballistic missiles17. As understood, the CMC has ultimate authority and control over all SAC units and thus, the Commander of the SAC is subject to strict command and control from the CMC. The CMC passes orders to the Commander of the SAC through operational units via a 4-level chain of command: the CMC, missile bases, missile brigades, and launch battalions. Note to the delegates: The descriptions of the positions outlined in the background guide are basic summaries of the functions of the positions. Feel free to check the footnotes and other research links to get a more thorough understanding of the exact functions and how one position interacts with another position. They are there to guide you through your research process and to make things a little bit less stressful. The Chinese political structure itself is a pretty complicated system, as compared to the one in the United States. Do not worry too much about how the ministers actually interact because they all work under the jurisdiction of the State Council. Regarding the Chinese government, many of the commanding authorities and powers are up to the Chinese Communist Party, just stick to the functions outlined in the background guide and research links and you will be good to go. On a side note, be sure to really understand Chinas foreign policy and definitely keep up with the news to get the most updated information about the Chinese government and how it is interacting with other countries within the international community. Other Useful Research Links: http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/china/index.html http://english.gov.cn/ http://sinodefence.com/strategic/default.asp http://www.sinodefence.com/overview/organisation/gsd.asp http://eng.mod.gov.cn/ArmedForces/index.htm http://eng.mod.gov.cn/ http://www.china.org.cn/english/Political/25060.htm http://www.economist.com/node/18712525 http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2010/08/china_and_kashmir?page=1 http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/kashmir/index.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1762146.stm

17 For a complete list of missiles and nuclear weapons in China, please see http://sinodefence.com/strategic/

weapon.asp

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/05/ indian_pakistani_and_chinese_border_disputes