Access to army briefings widened

Foreign reporters permitted in move to boost transparency

China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday for the first time invited foreign journalists to its monthly press conference, in an effort to increase transparency, one day before Army Day.

Journalists from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Asahi Shimbun of Japan, ITAR-TASS of Russia and the Press Trust of India attended the briefing, while three invited journalists from AFP, Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore and the Associated Press of Pakistan were absent.

Defense Ministry Spokesperson Geng Yansheng welcomed the presence of the foreign reporters. "We hope that attending this regular press conference can help you in reporting military issues in China and that you can help the world view China and its military in a more objective and truthful way," said Geng.

The defense ministry kicked off the monthly news conference in April 2011, but only media outlets from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau as well as Taiwan were allowed to participate. The widened media access will last for a trial period of six months, and then it will be decided whether other foreign reporters might be added to the list, said Reuters.

Although the defense ministry has yet to deploy a daily briefing mechanism like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has been tinkering with its communication strategy during the past few years.

The moves included issuing remarks in response to important defense issues, coordinating reporting for foreign media during major military diplomatic events, such as the visits of US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in April, and answering questions via phones and fax frequently.

On July 22, foreign reporters were also invited to visit a military academy for the first time.

Apart from transparency, the move also demonstrates China's growing military confidence, as it is no longer necessary to deter potential rivals by "being mysterious" in defense technology development, said Xu Sen, a research fellow with the Institute for Maritime Security and Cooperation Studies.

During the briefing, Geng said that soldiers of the People's Liberation Army firmly support the Communist Party of China Central Committee's decision to investigate Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission. Xu has been expelled from the Party for suspected bribery. His case has been handed over to prosecutors.

Reporters also asked questions regarding whether the ongoing military exercise in southeastern coastal areas has affected civil flights, causing large-scale delays.

Geng confirmed the influence but said the ministry has kept close contact with civil aviation authorities to minimize the impact by opening temporary air routes, allocating protected airspace, and setting alternative deviation plans, while stressing the exercise was a routine one. He also announced that China, Australia and the US will conduct their first trilateral military exercise in October, dubbed "Exercise Kowari."