Security threats and challenges for China

The white paper objectively analyzes the international security situation and China's security environment. It asserts that on the whole the international situation remains peaceful and stable. Meanwhile, however, the world is far from being tranquil. International security issues are growing noticeably more abrupt, interrelated and comprehensive. Although China is in an important period of strategic opportunities for its development, it still faces multiple and complicated security threats and challenges.

The white paper clearly identifies the United States and Japan in its first chapter. It points out that the Asia-Pacific region has reached an increasingly significant stage for world economic development and strategic interaction between major powers. The United States is adjusting its Asia-Pacific security strategy, and the regional landscape is undergoing profound changes. "Some country has strengthened its Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanded its military presence in the region, and frequently makes the situation there tenser," it said. "On the issues concerning China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, some neighboring countries are taking actions that complicate or exacerbate the situation, and Japan is causing trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu Islands."

Wang Xinjun (a research fellow with the National Defense Policy Research Center at the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)): The white paper focuses on the employment of China's armed forces under current circumstances. As a national defense white paper, it should make a judgment of the security environment and major threats in China's neighborhood in the first chapter, a common feature of such white papers of all countries. The United States' eastward strategic shift, redeployment of its military forces in the Asia-Pacific region, open support of Japan on the Diaoyu Islands issue and covert backing of the Philippines are indisputable facts. The latest white paper's mentioning of the United States and Japan is just part of an objective analysis of the complicated international environment in China's neighborhood.

Yang Yujun (spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense and Deputy Director of the ministry's Information Bureau): Peace, stability, prosperity and development of the Asia-Pacific region serve the interests of nations in the region and beyond. Moves such as prioritizing the military security agenda, boosting military presence with ulterior motives and reinforcing military alliances run counter to the trends of the times and are detrimental to regional peace and stability.

Winning local wars in the information age

The white paper clarifies the policies and principles on the diversified employment of China's armed forces by putting forward five fundamental policies and principles: (1) safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and supporting the country's peaceful development; (2) aiming to win local wars under the conditions of informationization and expanding and intensifying military preparedness; (3) formulating the concept of comprehensive security and effectively conducting military operations other than war; (4) deepening security cooperation and fulfilling international obligations; (5) acting in accordance with laws, policies and disciplines.

Wang Xinjun: Under new circumstances, China has continued to explore ways to employ its armed forces. During the Cold War, the armed forces undertook the single task of fighting against aggression to safeguard national security. After the end of the Cold War, however, their duties expanded to protecting national sovereignty and security, participating in natural disaster relief, combating terrorism, safeguarding world peace and preserving strategic international transportation routes, leading to the diversified employment of China's armed forces. Their core task, however, remains safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. At a time when rapid progress is being made in the revolution of military affairs, countries around the globe are all eager to adapt. Given the fact that information technology has featured prominently in local wars in the past decade, the Chinese military has improved its weapons and equipment. The PLA's equipment has changed dramatically in recent years, with second-generation equipment playing a dominant role in PLA Air Force, Navy and Second Artillery Force and third-generation equipment serving as the backbone of their equipment.

Wu Xihua (Deputy Director of the Emergency Response Office of the PLA General Staff Headquarters): The military is, first and foremost, a group of fighters. Fighting wars is its inherent duty, and in times of peace, its basic mission is to prepare for wars, a trait common to military forces across the world. It is only reasonable and normal that the Chinese military focuses on improving its war-winning ability in keeping with the fundamental principle of "being able to fight a war and win a war" with the purpose of safeguarding China's sovereignty and security.

Building a strong military

For the first time, the white paper proposes the concept of "diversified employment of China's armed forces" and its five fundamental policies and principles, thus providing a security guarantee for realizing the dreams of a strong nation and a strong military.

The white paper, which addresses a specific topic with the title, The Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces, is the eighth national defense white paper China has released since 1998. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there are signs of increasing hegemony, power politics and neo-interventionism, it said. The United States is adjusting its Asia-Pacific security strategy, and the regional landscape is undergoing profound changes. Some neighboring countries are making trouble over issues concerning China's sovereignty. The threats posed by the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism are on the rise. "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities are still the biggest threat to the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Serious natural disasters, security accidents and public health incidents continue to occur.

Chen Zhou (Director of the National Defense Policy Research Center at the Academy of Military Sciences of the PLA): The white paper unveiled the concept of "diversified employment" based on a new judgment of the global security situation and China's internal and external security environments since the beginning of the new century. In the final analysis, the diversified employment of armed forces aims to better protect China's territorial sovereignty and development interests and provide a security guarantee for building a strong nation and a strong military.

Unlike in the past, when military forces were deployed only during wartime, now they are employed on an almost daily basis. Apart from the core task of winning local wars in the information age, they are obligated to fulfill diverse missions entrusted by the state.

In the white paper, the Chinese Government reaffirmed its position that "we will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked," showing China's commitment to a self-defensive, rather than a pre-emptive, strategy. While following a path of peaceful development, China will not engage in trade involving its core interests of sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

The principle of enhancing military preparedness with the aim of winning local wars in the information age established in the white paper shows military preparedness is one of the ways for China to employ its armed forces in peaceful times.

Shi Qingren (a research fellow with the Academy of Military Sciences of the PLA): With a comprehensive security concept, China effectively carries out military operations other than war. In the face of rising neo-interventionism, the spreading global financial crisis and disputes involving territorial sovereignty and maritime interests, China's national interests have extended to new areas. Security threats for overseas personnel, assets and maritime transportation lines have gained prominence—new challenges and problems that the Chinese military has never confronted before but must now address.

No military bases abroad

The white paper for the first time states that the military should protect China's overseas interests. China earnestly fulfills its international responsibilities and obligations, and supports and actively participates in UN peacekeeping missions. In accordance with UN resolutions as well as agreements between the Chinese Government and the UN, China dispatches peacekeeping troops and specialized peacekeeping personnel to designated countries or regions, who carry out peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN. They are mainly tasked with monitoring ceasefires, disengaging conflicting parties, providing engineering, transportation and medical support, and participating in social reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. As of December 2012, a total of 1,842 PLA officers and men were implementing peacekeeping tasks in nine UN mission areas.

To fulfill China's international obligations, the PLA Navy carries out regular escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. It conducts exchanges and cooperation with other escort forces to jointly safeguard the security of the international sea lines of communication. As of December 2012, PLA Navy task groups had provided protection for four World Food Program ships and 2,455 foreign ships, accounting for 49 percent of the total of escorted ships. They helped four foreign ships, recovered four foreign ships released from captivity and saved 20 foreign ships from pursuit by pirates.

Wu Xihua: The Chinese military has been a staunch force for safeguarding world peace and regional stability. Protecting overseas interests does not mean China will increase its military presence overseas or seek hegemony. China does not have military bases abroad.

Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has sent the most peacekeeping troops and participated in the largest number of peacekeeping missions. The country firmly supports and takes an active part in UN peacekeeping operations. It will make a decision on whether to dispatch combat troops to peacekeeping missions based on the UN's overall peacekeeping plans, its demand on China, China's laws and regulations, the willingness of host countries and the response of the international community.