December 25, 2012: Newly selected Chinese Communist Party chief
(and ruler of China) Xi Jinping has come out strongly in favor
of stronger and more aggressive armed forces. Xi was selected
(by his fellow party leaders) as the new party chief (for the
next five years) in November and takes power (as China’s
president) next March (replacing Hu Jintao). But his
announcements warn government officials of new policies. The
newly selected president will often issue orders (as head of the
party) in the months between selection and taking office as
president. To that end, senior military officers have been
banned from staging elaborate banquets at their headquarters and
ordered to cut back on travel and partying in general. Senior
military officials have been told rather directly that they are
responsible if any members of their family (especially wives and
children) are caught taking bribes or engaging in any other kind
of corruption. Yi is giving the military more money and he wants
to ensure it is used to increase