China Integrating Military Capabilities and Civilian Entities: Leaked Document

This picture, taken on May 12, 2015, shows people watching a demonstration of an unmanned drone during a campaign for disaster prevention and reduction in Beijing. China forbids any flights, manned or unmanned, without prior approval from the air force, civil aviation authorities, and the local air traffic control bureau. STR/AFP via Getty Images

A leaked document from a district-level Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) office obtained by The Epoch Times outlines specific local developments integrating military capabilities and civilian infrastructure.

The document, titled “2020 MCF Work Summary and 2021 MCF Work Planning,” came from the Jiedong district of  Jiayang, Guangdong province. It details how the MCF blurs boundaries between military, civil, and commercial entities.

According to the U.S. State Department, “MCF is the strategy to develop the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a ‘world class military’ by 2049.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “is systematically reorganizing the Chinese science and technology enterprises to ensure that new innovations simultaneously advance economic and military development”

Under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Beijing has been pressing nationwide implementation of MCF since 2017. At the recent CCP centennial ceremony, Xi talked about “forging the great wall of steel with the flesh and blood of over 1.4 billion Chinese people.” MCF is likely one of the enablers of this goal.

Dual-purposing Civilian Resources for Military Use

The document lists several 2020 MCF projects including civilian infrastructures and non-military businesses that were converted or enlisted for military use.

One MCF office project was upgrading a regular highway that happened to pass through a naval base into a “combat-ready highway,” giving it the dual purpose of being a runway for fighter jets. The original highway was rerouted around the naval base.

Another project was the conversion of a local fiber optic cable company into a civilian-military fusion business to “utilize the advanced technology for military and defense.”

In addition, the MCF office signed “military-civil dual-use equipment” contracts with local businesses and hospitals. These civilian entities agreed to provide transportation, food, gas, medical equipment, and other logistics to the military in times of war, emergencies, and military drills.

Building Civilian Air Defense Facilities

Air defense is another focal point of the MCF. The document claims that a civilian air defense control center was built and staffed in 2020. Alarm and teleconferencing systems throughout the district were also upgraded.

According to government regulations, underground air-raid shelters are to be built in the basement at the same time as the above-ground structure. If the shelter isn’t included, the building owner is obligated to pay a fine that would cover the costs of building the underground shelter elsewhere. The MCF district office collected $471,000 in such fines in 2020.

Meanwhile, the document reports that 377,000 square feet of underground air-raid shelters were constructed in 2020.

The underground air-raid shelters are dual-use facilities. A government article explaining why air-raid shelters are required in civilian buildings says that these shelters can also be used by the military in times of war.

2021 Budget Increased by 60 Percent  

The MCF strategy has been implemented by a large network of MCF offices throughout China. The CCP Central Commission of MCF Development has been chaired by Xi Jinping since 2017, and its strategic importance elevated in recent years.

A budget planning report of the Jieyang city MCF office, with 12 administrative members, shows the annual budget for 2021 was increased by over 60 percent to a total of $2.7 million. Air defense and sea defense-related projects are cited for cost increases.