Chinese Defence Ministry website provides unprecedented information about PLA

London, Sep. 14 (ANI): China's Defence Ministry's newly launched website provides record amount of public information about People's Liberation Army (PLA), and the move is being said to be a natural progression in China's emergence as a global power.

"We see this as an evolution in terms of the PLA's efforts to improve its ability to project the type of image that it wants to project to the world," The Independent quoted a senior US Defense official, as saying.

The website (http://eng.mod.gov.cn), which reflects China's changing relationship with the international community, was launched just days after the Pentagon unveiled its revamped Web presence, Defense.gov.

Both nations' military sites bear a lot of resemblance, featuring news releases, overviews of defense policies and profiles of their respective leaderships.

They also feature institutional histories and time lines, as well as audio and video of personnel in action.owever, the main difference between the two sites is how each approaches their respective audiences. While the US site encourages feedback from its viewers by saying, "we want to hear from you" and "connect with us", Chinese website doesn't have any such provision.

"I hope they continue going down this pathway, because where they are right now is one-way communications, albeit better than before. They need to hear from their own people and others [about] how they view the PLA. And they'd be surprised by what they hear," Price Floyd, the US principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, said.

With a clear message that China wants to reach out to the international community, the website has also caused concerns on the American side about how China plans to use its military - in support of the international community, or for "disruptive" purposes.

"How China chooses to employ its forces is something that is not entirely clear to us. All we can do at this point is to take a look at what they are buying and what they are building and what they are developing - and hopefully be able to have the type of conversation that leads to a greater understanding," a senior US official said. (ANI)