Foreign and Military Affairs

China needs to 'forge ahead' in defense

By Ai Yang, Li Xiaokun and Wang Chenyan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-10-22 20:35

BEIJING – China has no other option but to forge ahead with the development of its national defense or it will "slip behind", a high ranking official of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Friday.

"The latest global trend features new forms of operations... and worldwide military expenditure keeps rising. If we do not forge ahead we effectively slip behind. We have no other option," said Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of the PLA.

Ma made the remarks at the Xiangshan Forum themed "The Evolution of the International Strategic Configuration and the Asia-Pacific Security", where he shared his perspectives on the PLA's peaceful future development. Ma made clear China's stance on its defense, saying that just as China never invaded any country in the past when it was strong, it will "never invade any country when it becomes stronger in the future".

But Ma stressed it is still necessary to modernize the country's defense system. "China draws the conclusion from history and reality that power is an important condition and guarantee for peace. History taught us to avoid war... we have to have the capability of resisting and overcoming it," Ma said.

"Geographically speaking, no big country like China has such a complicated security environment... military deployment around the country keeps strengthening," Ma told the audience.

Ma said China has "fully justified security demands" in maintaining a defense force at a reasonable and appropriate level, and safeguarding national sovereignty remains an arduous task. "Although the PLA is developing fast, we are still at a stage when mechanization is yet to be completed and informalization just started. There is a long way before the PLA is fully modernized."

Ma stressed that China's military policy is defensive in nature. "We believe it is the defense policy rather than military power of a country that determines whether the country poses any threat," he said.

"I have served in the army for 45 years but was never involved in any war... that keeps my nation and its people safe and secure," Ma said.