On the eve of the 92nd founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Chinese government released a white paper titled “China’s National Defense in the New Era”. The new national defense white paper solemnly declares the basic position, viewpoints and connotations of China’s defensive national defense policy in the new era.

It’s of great significance to help the international community better understand China’s national defense policy, eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings and worries, and vigorously refute and rigorously responds to such fallacies as “China threat theory” and “China military threat theory”.

Pursuing a defensive national defense policy is determined by China’s national conditions

China unswervingly pursues a national defense policy with a defensive nature. It is not an expedient measure, but mainly an inevitable choice based on China’s fundamental realities, including its history and reality, internal affairs and diplomacy, and purposes and means of national defense.

It is the socialist China’s essential requirement. A socialist country is different from an imperialist or hegemonic country in nature in terms of foreign policy and national defense policy. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) clearly stipulates that the tasks of the Chinese armed forces are to strengthen national defense, resist aggression, defend the motherland, and safeguard the people’s peaceful labor. This has clearly shown that the socialist system of China with Chinese characteristics determines the pursuit of a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, which in turn is an integral part of the mission of the Chinese armed forces.

It is the strategic decision of following the path of peaceful development. It is the strategic arrangement for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era from the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, to the basic realization of socialist modernization, and further to the building of a great modern socialist China. China’s modernization requires a peaceful and stable security environment and must follow the correct path of peaceful development. The modernization of national defense, the basic aim of which is to provide strong security assurance for the country’s modernization, is an integral part of national modernization. Therefore, we need and must pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, rather than anything else.

It is the profound reflection on the historical period since modern times when the Chinese people suffered from aggression and bullying. China was invaded and humuliated by the Western powers for 110 years from the Opium War in 1840 to the founding of the PRC in 1949. The founding of the PRC allowed the Chinese people to stand up from then on.

The Chinese people, who suffered from aggression and wars, have cherished the hard-won peace environment, eagerly hoped for a prosperous and happy life, and deeply understood the importance of the independent foreign policy of peace. China will never impose wars and disasters that it suffered on other countries, nor will allow any country to invade China and bully Chinese people.

It is the historical inheritance of the traditional Chinese culture. China is an ancient country with an over 5,000-year history. The Chinese people are hardworking, courageous, intelligent, kind and peace-loving. The best of Chinese cultural traditions advocate “Harmony is the most precious”, and “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others”.

In addition, “subduing the enemy without fighting” is regarded as the highest state of strategic guidance; the best policy in fighting is “strategy and tactics” or “undermining alignment”, instead of “actual combat between two countries as the best policy,” or “invading a country”. The cultural traditions of “harmony” and “stopping fighting” have been deeply rooted in the inner minds of Chinese people.

Always contributing to defending national interests and safeguarding world peace

Facts speak louder than words. The Chinese government and the Chinese people are honest and trustworthy. China’s defensive national defense policy is written in the law, and even translated into concrete actions.

China has never started any war or conflict. China’s national defense and military have been strengthened since its founding 70 years ago. Nevertheless, China has never invaded any country, nor occupied one inch of another country’s territory. A few armed conflicts with some neighboring countries along borders were self-defensive counterattacks in nature, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, when the territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests of the people’s lives and property were under severe infringement, and almost all the peaceful means were exhausted.

China has consistently adhered to the peaceful settlement of territorial disputes. China is composed of both land and sea in territory, and it is one of the countries with the largest number of neighboring countries, the longest land border, and the most complicated peripheral security environment. China is always committed to the peaceful settlement of territorial and maritime delimitation disputes with some countries through negotiation and peaceful talks. At present, it has resolved border issues with 12 of its 14 terrestrial neighbors, and reached some consensus on the issue of maritime delimitation with the countries concerned. On the whole, its land border is basically stable, and maritime disputes get stabilized and turn up.

China has always adhered to the basic principles of “peaceful reunification”, and “one country, two systems”. China is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that has not achieved complete reunification. Solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the country is the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation. The Chinese government has always adhered to the basic principles of “peaceful reunification”, and “one country, two systems”, and striven for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and best efforts.

However, China makes no promise to renounce the use of force, and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is by no means targeted at our compatriots in Taiwan, but at the interference of external forces and the very small number of “Taiwan independence” separatists and their activities. Until now, China has been looking forward to working with Taiwan compatriots to seek peace, protect peace and share peace with the utmost patience.  

China actively fulfills its responsibilities and obligations to safeguard world peace. China advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and closely links its own security with world peace and development. Over the years, China has actively supported UN peacekeeping operations, and is one of the major contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. As of December 2018, the Chinese military had participated in 24 UN peacekeeping operations, dispatched nearly 40,000 peacekeeping military personnel, and 13 Chinese soldiers had died in the peacekeeping operations.

In addition, China actively participates in international humanitarian relief, and provides more public security products to the international community. Since 2012, the Chinese military has organized or participated in multiple operation, including the search and rescue of Malaysia Airlines Flight, the rescue mission in Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. It has received wide recognition by the countries concerned and the international community.

In today’s world, peace and development remain the theme of the times. Prosperity, security and stability are the common pursuits of all mankind. In the new era, China will unswervingly pursue the national defense policy that is defensive in nature based on China’s national and military conditions while conforming to the mighty trend of the world.

(The author is He Lei, a distinguished chief expert and researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences)