On the evening of May 30, 2014, at the invitation of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU), Prof. Ouyang Wei and Prof. Liu Qun, both Senior Colonel of National Defense University (NDU) gave a lecture entitled “Strengthening of National Defense and Military and Civilian Integration” at PKU. The lecture was hosted by Associate Prof. Yu Tiejun, Assistant President of IISS, PKU.

Prof. Ouyang Wei’s lecture was entitled “Strategic Issues on Construction of National Defense and the Armed Forces”. He started by defining national defense as “construction and endeavors carried out by a country in various ways for survival and development”. In his opinion, every country has its borders and all nationalities seek survival and development within their own territorial sovereignty, while now the latter one is more important. He compared different definitions of national defense in the traditional period and in the new period, arguing that traditionally national defense is mainly related with strengthening the armed forces, while in the new era, today’s national defense has been endowed with new meaning which is actually inseparable from national interests and new national security concept. To strengthen national defense, all kinds of potential resources should be made full use of, including public support, diplomatic and international environment. In a word, national defense should be redefined as a comprehensive concept. 

Prof. Ouyang Wei emphasized, the priority of construction of national defense is to make clear today's domestic and international strategic environment and conditions. The premise of China's strengthening of national defense is firstly related to the strategic pressure facing our country which depends on the intention of threats and its deterrence. In addition, disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are increasingly becoming unstable factors that affect national security. Issues on neighbors’ and domestic stability are also increasing, and meanwhile, China is faced with new tasks of protecting overseas interests. Prof. Ouyang Wei argued that the fundamental objective and strategic vision of national defense development should be guaranteeing survival and promoting development, and the bottom line is integrity of territorial sovereignty, national and social stability, economic stability and development. The fundamental objectives of construction of national defense: first, to strengthen a system of the armed forces that matches with China’s position as a great power; second, to lay a strong material and social foundation to support national defense and keep prepared at ordinary times; third, to form healthy and aspirant ethos which enables people to unite as one in the face of pressure and have the courage to sacrifice themselves in front of national crisis.

As to strengthening the armed forces, Prof. Ouyang Wei argued that, the basic tasks include homeland security as the bottom line, supporting the development as the key point and regional stability as a responsibility. It should cover many aspects such as strategic deterrence, sovereignty and marine interests, space and cyber security, domestic security and stability, guarantee of overseas interests, regional and international security, etc. Therefore, in the face of comprehensive threats, future national defense should develop a pattern of “overall construction, overall defense and overall support” and emphasize the overall national defense featuring “incorporation into the national system, restructuring of power, realization of military and civilian integration, development of international cooperation and promotion of reform in national defense”. Prof. Ouyang Wei pointed out that, in modern warfare, in most cases, mobilization is actually realized by the market discipline, including mobilizing main contractors to guarantee the support in the front, which is a new way of thinking by which enterprises and technical personnel provide support service in the battlefield driven by both the will to serve the country and great benefits. In the end, Prof. Ouyang Wei elaborated on his understanding of deepening the reform of national defense and the armed forces from aspects of history, motivation, reform and perspectives of efficiency, benefit and capability. He maintained that, to realize modernization of national defense, we should focus on aspects including “a scientific and perfect system of strategic decision, a fast and efficient system of joint operations, a powerful system of combat power, a system of construction of national defense featuring military and civilian integration, a continuous and powerful system of logistical support, a system of talent cultivation featuring compatibility of military and civilian sectors, a reasonable and sound system of laws and regulations”, etc.

Prof. Liu Qun gave a lecture on the topic of “Deepening Military and Civilian Integration with Chinese Characteristics”. First of all, he clearly defined the concept of “military and civilian integration”, and then made a discussion on further promoting integrated development of military and civilian sectors from eight aspects. Prof. Liu Qun made a detailed introduction about historical practices of integrated development of military and civilian sectors with Chinese characteristics. Since the revolutionary war, our army has had the thought of “Give consideration to both troops and civilians” which has become the material basis for victories. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in spite of twists and turns and several stages of change, under the leadership of generations of the party and the country, the main idea of the path has been implemented, and has been greatly enriched and developed, finally forming today’s thought of “deepened military and civilian integration” in the new era. Such thinking on development is put forward in consideration of the overall situation of national strategy and from the perspective of establishing and perfecting the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, aiming at promoting favorable interaction and coordinated development of national defense and economic construction. It is the inevitable requirement for strengthening and developing national defense under the condition of socialist market economy, the economic foundation supporting national defense industry and also the inevitable result of changes of industrial structure. Prof. Liu Qun also introduced current achievements achieved in this field in China, including the initial formation of the system of national defense research and production featuring “small core, great cooperation”, the establishment of many industrial parks for national defense, and smooth development of socialization of military support, etc.

In the lecture, Prof. Liu Qun also focused on introducing international experience of advanced countries in promoting military and civilian integration. He made a discussion from the aspects of technological innovation, institutional guarantee and strategic management supported by large amounts of data and cases. He also introduced western scholars’ related discussions in this field.

Following the lecture, the two professors answered questions from the students about overseas consular protection, the U.S. strategic rebalance to Asia, aid to Africa, Sino-Japanese relations, construction of defense intelligence team, etc. in a warm atmosphere.  

This lecture is the sixth of a series of lectures co-organized by PKU and NDU.