China's military modernization 'no threat'

By Zhang Xin (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-06 08:32

China's military growth poses no threat to others, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, refuting Australia's claim that Beijing will be a major military concern in the years to come.

"China unswervingly sticks to peaceful development and pursues a defensive military policy," Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.

Last Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd released a 140-page defense white paper, calling for a $72-billion expansion of the military over the next 20 years, partly in response to China's and India's military build-up.

The report pointed to China and India as the major and most imminent military concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

Su Hao, head of the Asia-Pacific research center at China Foreign Affairs University, said Australia's claim is biased and groundless, and stems from a lack of understanding of China.

"It is a product of the 'China Threat theory'," Su said, noting the Australian move is designed to strike a balance in domestic politics as the government was criticized by the country's conservative party for its pro-China sentiment earlier this year.

Su said it is "natural and proper" for China to expand its military power to safeguard its long coastlines and vast territory as the country's economy grows.

China's increment in military capacity is only "supplementary" as China lags behind Western powers, so Beijing's military growth is unlikely to threaten other countries, Su said.

Immediately after the release of the white paper, former Australian defense force chief General Peter Cosgrove said Australia was not under threat from China or any of its overseas military campaigns.

The West has always dubbed China a threat.

On Monday, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen said at a conference in Washington that China's military expansion appears "aimed at the United States".

Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said in the Australian city of Perth that China's military expansion was an "issue of some concern".

The US and Japan also expressed doubts about China's $70-billion military budget for 2009, which was unveiled in March.

"All these show that differences in understanding still exist between China, and the US and its allies They are likely to be narrowed through high-level military-to-military talks," said Teng Jianqun, deputy secretary-general of China Arms Control and Disarmament Association.