China outlines its defense policy
China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) outlined its defence policy addressing international concerns of Bejing’s strengthening military buildup, showing its military strength abroad and becoming more active in handling disputes with its neighboring countries.
“China’s socialist nature, its strategic choice to take the road of peaceful development and independent foreign policy of peace, as well as the traditional Chinese culture advocating ‘harmony’, determine that China unswervingly pursues a defense policy that is defensive in nature”, said in a statement the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND).
The MND affirmed that Beijing unswervingly pursues a defensive national defense policy. It is a distinctive feature of China’s national defense in the new era that China will never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence.
According to the statement, the Chinese military is firmly committed to fulfilling its duties and missions, safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and security, upholding fairness and justice, and adhering to the basic principles. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese military has never initiated any war or occupied any inch of another country’s land.
It stressed that “China must not lose an inch of the territory that the country’s ancestors have left behind”.
“The building and development of China’s national defense and armed forces is entirely driven by the need to safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests, not targeting any country or not posing threat to any country” the MND added.
