Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=7/23/98
TYPE=ANCHOR SCRIPT
NUMBER=5-40979 
TITLE=CHINA MILITARY BUSINESS
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN HAS ORDERED THE MILITARY TO
SHUT DOWN ALL ITS BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AS PART OF THE COUNTRY'S 
CURRENT ANTI-SMUGGLING CAMPAIGN.  THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY, 
THE P-L-A, HAS BECOME HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE CIVILIAN SECTOR OF 
CHINA'S ECONOMY OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, AND MANY ANALYSTS ARE 
WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR THE P-L-A TO DIVEST ITSELF OF THIS
SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF REVENUE.  
V-O-A'S STEPHANIE MANN TALKED ABOUT THE ORDER TO CLOSE DOWN ARMY 
BUSINESSES WITH A SPECIALIST ON CHINESE MILITARY ISSUES, JUNE 
TEUFEL DREYER (TOY FUL DRY ER), PROFESSOR OF POLITICS AT 
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI.  PROFESSOR DRYER SAYS THE ARMY IS INVOLVED 
IN JUST ABOUT EVERY KIND OF BUSINESS.
  // TEXT OF INTERVIEW, WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN AUDIO SERVICES //
DREYER:  THEY RUN GUEST HOUSES.  THEY RUN KARAOKE PARLORS.  THEY 
RUN MOTOR BIKE MANUFACTURING PLANTS.  AND THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN 
INVOLVED IN COAL MINING, HORSE RAISING AND MAKING SEWING 
MACHINES. 
MANN:  SO, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THEN? 
DREYER:  IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.  ALTHOUGH THE 
CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TRYING TO REIN IN THE COMMERCIAL 
ACTIVITIES OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY FOR MANY YEARS, AND 
THUS FAR WITHOUT SUCCESS, THERE'S NO SUPPOSITION THAT JUST 
BECAUSE THE ORDER IS GIVEN IT WILL ACTUALLY BE OBEYED.
MANN:  SO, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY EXPECT THE ORDER TO MEAN THAT 
ALL THESE BUSINESSES WILL THEN CLOSE? 
DREYER:  I AM SKEPTICAL.  AND THE REASON IS THAT THE REVENUE 
DERIVED FROM THESE INDUSTRIES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE IN THE CHINESE MILITARY, FROM THE VERY TOP PEOPLE TO 
THE GRASS ROOTS UNITS. 
MANN:  WELL, HOW MUCH OF THE P-L-A OPERATIONS DEPEND ON THEIR 
INCOME FROM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES? 
DREYER:  NOBODY IS PRECISELY SURE OF THAT, BUT IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL
AMOUNT.  AND IT ALSO GOES TOWARD MAKING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 
VERY SPARTAN LIFESTYLE FOR THE UNITS AT THE BOTTOM AND HAVING 
SOME OF THE AMENITIES OF LIFE, LIKE REPAIRING YOUR BARRACKS.  AND
OF COURSE, AT THE TOP, IT ENABLES PEOPLE TO BUY MERCEDES SEDANS 
AND ESTABLISH FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNTS AND ENTERTAIN LAVISHLY, WHICH
IS THE PRELUDE TOWARD CREATING GUANXI (CONTACTS / RELATIONS), AND
GOING ON TO EVEN BETTER THINGS. 
MANN:  WHY DID THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY BECOME INVOLVED IN 
WHAT WE WOULD CALL CIVILIAN SECTOR ENTERPRISES IN THE FIRST 
PLACE?
DREYER:  THEY WERE ACTUALLY URGED TO DO SO BY NONE OTHER THAN 
DENG XIAOPING SOON AFTER HE TOOK OVER THE REINS OF GOVERNMENT IN 
1978-1979.  THE MILITARY WANTED MILITARY MODERNIZATION, AND SO 
DID DENG.  BUT HE WAS VERY WELL AWARE THAT YOU CAN'T GRAFT A 
STRONG MILITARY ONTO A WEAK ECONOMY.  SO HE SAID TO THE P-L-A, 
"THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO ENSURE YOUR OWN MODERNIZATION IS TO HELP
WITH THE MODERNIZATION OF THE CIVILIAN ECONOMY." 
MANN:  SO, SHOULD WE INTERPRET PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN'S 
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE MILITARY TO CLOSE DOWN THESE OPERATIONS AS 
PERHAPS CONFIRMATION THAT THE MILITARY BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN 
INVOLVED IN SMUGGLING AND OTHER ILLEGAL, CORRUPT ACTIVITIES?
DREYER:  I THINK THERE'S  NO  QUESTION ABOUT THAT.  AND THE 
CHINESE GOVERNMENT ITSELF HAS SAID SO MANY MANY TIMES IN THE 
PAST. ... THE TOP BRASS OF THE MILITARY HAS BEEN WORRIED ABOUT 
THIS FOR, I WOULD SAY, AT LEAST 14 YEARS.  THEY SOMETIMES REFER 
TO THE P-L-A AS THE 'GREAT STEEL WALL,' AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY 
SAID, IN SO MANY WORDS, THAT THEY WORRY THAT THE GREAT STEEL WALL
IS RUSTING.
            // END OF INTERVIEW (TAPE RUNS 2:48) // 
OUTRO:  JUNE TEUFEL DREYER (TOY FUL DRY ER), PROFESSOR OF 
POLITICS AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI.  SHE SPOKE WITH V-O-A 
CORRESPONDENT STEPHANIE MANN. 
NEB/SMN/KL
23-Jul-98 1:22 PM EDT (1722 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.