The Chinese Army newspaper Jiefangjun Bao has called for development of first strike weapons, saying that "the defensive side will have no chance to gain mastery by striking only after the enemy has struck" and that "When we sense a war is imminent and inevitable, we should ... strike first before the enemy can mass its troops".--Stephen V Cole

October 15; China continues to persecute the Falungong sect, this time concentrating on the thousands of state employees who are members. Sect members will lose their jobs or go to prison, depending on involved they are in sect affairs.