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The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

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military’s C4ISR systems,” 13 with other sources explicitly<br />

linking the <strong>PLA</strong>’s practical underst<strong>and</strong>ing of comm<strong>and</strong><br />

autom<strong>at</strong>ion to mean C4ISR systems. 14<br />

<strong>The</strong> comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion gangyao “laid down the<br />

guidelines for the development of comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

systems, <strong>and</strong> set objectives <strong>and</strong> implement<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

measures.” 15 Xu Xiaoyan, then head of the GSD Communic<strong>at</strong>ions<br />

Department, described the gangyao as a<br />

“herculean mission” th<strong>at</strong> would have “an enormous<br />

impact on bringing about a fundamental change in the<br />

construction of the Chinese armed forces’ comm<strong>and</strong><br />

autom<strong>at</strong>ion systems from being a spontaneous, disorderly<br />

endeavor to one th<strong>at</strong> is regul<strong>at</strong>ed by law; <strong>and</strong> on<br />

turning separ<strong>at</strong>e, independent systems into integr<strong>at</strong>ed<br />

systems.” 16<br />

<strong>The</strong> gangyao proposed “four adherences” to guide<br />

the <strong>PLA</strong> in the development of comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

systems.<br />

1. Integr<strong>at</strong>ion is described as the inevitable trend<br />

of the development of comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion systems<br />

<strong>and</strong> the essential measure for improving the overall<br />

efficiency of these systems.<br />

2. Dual Peacetime/Wartime Use is adherence to<br />

the basic principle of combining peacetime <strong>and</strong> wartime<br />

needs <strong>and</strong> being prepared for offensive <strong>and</strong> defensive<br />

oper<strong>at</strong>ions. <strong>The</strong> <strong>PLA</strong> is urged to develop a system<br />

for use in wartime th<strong>at</strong> can also meet peacetime<br />

needs. <strong>The</strong> <strong>PLA</strong> must also be prepared to defend the<br />

comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion network from <strong>at</strong>tacks using<br />

inform<strong>at</strong>ion technology <strong>and</strong> to prepare to <strong>at</strong>tack the<br />

enemy’s comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion systems.<br />

3. Centraliz<strong>at</strong>ion means th<strong>at</strong> comm<strong>and</strong> autom<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

systems must be built according to centralized<br />

plans <strong>and</strong> according to the same regul<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />

198

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