China’s military development is aimed at ensuring victory in defensive war and conflict containment, writes „Global Times“.
„Strengthening national defense and modernizing the military are the legitimate right and inevitable requirement of a sovereign state, a necessity to address complex security challenges and fulfill China’s international obligations as a leading country, and a basis for safeguarding national unity and dignity. This does not mean that China is seeking hegemony or challenging any other country. As China has repeatedly stated, no matter how it develops, it will never seek hegemony, expansion, or spheres of influence. The development of China’s military is designed to meet the requirements of winning defensive war and deterrence of conflicts. Its growth is consistent with the country's overall national strength, its security commitments and its international responsibilities“, the article says.
This article is published as a commentary on a report on the development of China's armed forces recently published by the Pentagon. The newspaper notes that on the one hand, "the report confirms the distorted interpretations" and misconceptions about China's military power in recent years, fueling fears about US security vulnerabilities and exaggerating the topic of the "Chinese threat". On the other hand, the report emphasizes that US-China relations have strengthened under Donald Trump.
“Foreign powers have no right to make irresponsible statements on this issue. China's military spending has remained below 1.5% of GDP for many years, which is below the world average. The report shows that the inability to accurately understand China remains the main obstacle for the US to develop an accurate perception of China“, the commentary says.
The authors of the article also emphasize the crucial importance of China and the US understanding each other's strategic intentions, while Washington must move beyond Cold War-era thinking. “China has consistently fulfilled its commitments to peace and has never sought to build its security at the expense of others“, the publication says.