Enhancing military transparency
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China has been asked to accept more responsibility in international affairs since its successes in economic development. It follows so that it is reasonable and necessary for China to keep its military spending growing in line with its economic growth and social development. The logic that connects increasing military expenditure with the "China threat" is, frankly speaking, ridiculous. And pressure to improve the living standards of military personnel, as well as recent increases in domestic consumer prices, mean that most of the growth in spending is only indirectly military in nature.
The new white paper has summarized the multiple applications of military force in peacetime for the first time. Frontier, coastal and air defense are the key missions of any country's military forces. But China's military mighty is also allocated to maintaining social stability, construction, disaster relief and naval escorting. This is determined by China's peaceful development path, its fundamental aim to promote opening up and reform, its independent foreign policy and its historical and cultural traditions. The white paper has revealed many detailed figures and information to shed light on the "peace mission" of China's armed forces.
Besides providing transparency on policy, expenditure and allocation of military forces, the white paper also expresses China's wish to establish mutual trust with other countries and their militaries. It's natural for other countries to have doubts on the purposes of China's military enhancement and military modernization. China wants to enhance confidence in its peaceful intentions through strategic dialogues, regional cooperation, military exchanges and establishing mutual trust mechanisms on frontiers.
All in all, the transparency and openness shown in the new edition of the defense white paper should go some way towards dispelling worries about a "Chinese military threat".
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/node_7075398.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
(This article was written in Chinese and translated by Li Shen.)
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