Analysis of Manned/Unmanned Coordinated Operations in Modern Battlefields, NRTA Guidelines for Internet Streamers
Issue 37, 28 June 2022
I. Military and Warfare
A. Analysis of Manned/Unmanned Coordinated Operations in Modern Battlefields
Authors Guo Yilun and Ma Quan from China's Air Force Research Institute have written about the manned/unmanned operations in the evolution of warfare.
In the article, the authors have highlighted five themes regarding the role of manned/ unmanned operations in the evolution of the modern battlefield:
Manned/ unmanned grouped operations provide flexibility of operations and integration.
Increased battlefield situation awareness: A real-time battlefield awareness system can be constructed using cloud technology. To achieve this kind of awareness, the authors suggest the following actions:
Under the "cloud" system, the combat resources and battlefield conditions in the global space must be integrated into the same system.
Information from multi-dimensional combat space platforms, sensors, and weapon systems such as land, sea, air, and sky power grids should be verified and fused under a unified framework, thus integrating massive information needed to achieve a real-time battlefield information system.
Autonomous and distributed: The manned/unmanned systems are evolving into autonomous and distributed systems. Distributed command and control systems help realize the distributed operations of manned/unmanned platforms. Distributed combat command emphasizes the decomposition of computing, information, and decision-making functions and assigns them into simple sub-problems that small unmanned platforms can handle.
Clustered operations/swarm operations: Authors write, "According to the level of autonomous control, unmanned platforms can be divided into non-autonomous, single-machine autonomous, multi-machine autonomous and cluster autonomous. Cluster operations mark the advanced stage of unmanned operations. The emergence of unmanned platform swarm operations has brought about subversive changes in the style of warfare, adding greater uncertainty to future warfare." (无人平台按照自主控制等级，可分为非自主、单机自主、多机自主和集群自主，集群作战标志着无人作战的高级阶段. 无人平台集群作战的出现，使战争样式发生了颠覆性变化，给未来战争增加了更大的不确定性。)
Low cost and durable: Authors cite studies (not sure which ones ) highlighting that if pilots' physiological limitations and life support are not considered, the cost of UAVs with similar functions can save more than 60% and double the effectiveness.
B. Need for Innovation in Operational Concepts
Liu Haijiang's article in PLA Daily is essentially about the need to innovate combat operations along with technological developments and innovations.
A key argument of the article is:
"With the widespread application of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data in the military field, the evolution of warfare is accelerating. We need to understand this trend and innovate and launch new models that can not only support the urgent need for war preparations, but also lead the development of troops. The concept of combat and its transformation have become an important starting point for military innovation." (随着人工智能、云计算、大数据等先进技术在军事领域的广泛运用，战争形态正在加速演变；准确把握这一发展趋势，创新推出既能支撑备战打仗急需，又能牵引部队建设发展的作战概念，并使其转化落地，已成为军事创新的重要抓手)
First, Liu Haijiang outlines the need to accelerate innovation and transformation in operational concepts
Need for the evolution of war forms
Need to generate new capabilities
Supported by technology
Second, the author highlights the need to promote the innovation and transformation of operational concepts. The desired innovation and transformation can be achieved by:
Forming multi-domain capabilities
Continuously experiment, demonstrate and evaluate
Standardize application and promotion of concepts
Third, the author outlines the need to take multiple measures to ensure the innovation and transformation of operational concepts. These measures include:
Optimizing the system layout
Collaborative innovation
Strengthen the integration of science and technology
The article is long, and I recommend reading it in detail if interested. A key takeaway is that PLA scholars emphasise innovation's role in operations rather than just glorifying high-tech innovations. This article reflects very grounded thinking and understanding of the need for innovation in combat processes and technology innovation.
Additional Reading
II. SinoSync
NRTA Guidelines for Internet Streamers
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (中华人民共和国文化部) and National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) (国家广播电视总局) jointly released guidelines for internet streamers (网络主播行为规范).
The guidelines released on 22 June aim to 'standardize the professional behaviour' of online streamers. The guidelines have a total of 18 articles that also apply to virtual anchors and content streamed using AI.
Internet streamers have to provide verified identity while registering on a platform and follow all norms and standards of platforms as guided by regulations.
Now, the provision in Article 4 is interesting. It says, "Internet streamers shall adhere to the correct political orientation, public opinion orientation and value orientation, establish a correct world outlook, outlook on life, and values, actively practice the core socialist values, uphold social morality, abide by professional ethics, and cultivate personal morality."
This article means that streamers must adhere to the socialist party line and cannot diverge from what the Communist Party of China (CPC) hold as 'good behaviour.' Article 5 of the guidelines have similar provisions which essentially ask streamers to 'excellent traditional Chinese culture, spread positive energy.' This requirement comes with an expectation of moral behaviour from influencers and a guideline to abandon 'vulgar interests', 'fanquan' (饭圈) culture, money-oriented streams, and promotions. Any behaviour that can harm the goals of building a 'digital civilization' or 'civilized internet' should be abandoned.
Article 14 of the guidelines lists 31 types of acts from which the streamers are prohibited. Some of them are given below. Refer to the document for other acts prohibited under the new guidelines.
Internet streamers should not engage in:
Publishing content that weakens distorts or denies the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the socialist system, and reform and opening up (发布削弱、歪曲、否定中国共产党的领导、社会主义制度和改革开放的内容).
Publishing content that denigrates the fine cultural traditions of the nation incites national hatred and discrimination, distorts national history or figures in national history, hurts national feelings, undermines national unity, or violates national customs and habits (发布诋毁民族优秀文化传统，煽动民族仇恨、民族歧视，歪曲民族历史或者民族历史人物，伤害民族感情、破坏民族团结，或者侵害民族风俗、习惯的内容).
Spoofing, slandering, distorting, or displaying Chinese excellent traditional culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture in an inappropriate way (恶搞、诋毁、歪曲或者以不当方式展现中华优秀传统文化、革命文化、社会主义先进文化).
Damage the public image of the people's army, police, judges, and other specific occupations and groups (损害人民军队、警察、法官等特定职业、群体的公众形象).
Fabricating or deliberately spreading false terrorist information, false dangers, epidemics, disasters, and police situations, disrupting social security and public order, and undermining social stability (编造、故意传播虚假恐怖信息、虚假险情、疫情、灾情、警情，扰乱社会治安和公共秩序，破坏社会稳定).
Displaying or hyping up a large number of luxury goods, jewellery, banknotes and other assets, portraying uncontrolled extravagant life, and belittling low-income groups to show off their wealth (展示或炒作大量奢侈品、珠宝、纸币等资产，展示无节制奢靡生活，贬低低收入群体的炫富行为).
Besides behavioural and content guidelines, the streamers are also expected to fulfil their tax obligations. If the streamers fail to follow the guidelines, the streamers will be blacklisted or given a warning, or regulators will take more severe actions. Serious violators will be banned from streaming platforms and won't be allowed to make another account on the same or any other internet platform.
These guidelines are in a series of regulations and a crackdown on China's internet celebrity and idol culture. Again, this is part of a more extensive campaign to regulate people's behaviour on social media and other internet platforms. The Party has been trying to tame the internet fandom culture and model a positive and ideal internet behaviour for many years. Even since the advent of internet applications and forums, Chinese netizens have been pushing against such attempts to 'sanitize' the internet. Some are successful; some are not. Here is an excellent explainer by Brookings on why CPC is cracking down on fandom culture.
Additional Reading
Megha Pardhi is a Research Analyst at The Takshashila Institution. She tweets at @pardhimegha21.