SCIO briefing on China's national defense
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 25, 2019
CGTN:
We have noted that, in the white paper's view, protecting national interests abroad is one of the important strategic missions for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), meaning the army will be involved more frequently in overseas military actions. Therefore, my question to our spokespersons is whether the actions will disturb PLA's path leading to peaceful development? Thank you.
Wu Qian:
Please allow me to answer your question. My short response is they do not contradict each other at all. While going abroad, the PLA can, on one hand, better implement the missions required in the new era to protect China's overseas interests; and on the other hand, provide more public security goods to meet the general expectations of the international community. Be they peacekeeping missions, navigation escorts on the high seas or humanitarian aid, there are sufficient examples mentioned in the white paper. The socialist system of China, the strategic decision to follow the path of peaceful development, the independent foreign policy of peace, and the best of our cultural traditions – considering peace and harmony as fundamentals – determine that China will pursue a national defense policy defensive in nature. It will never seek hegemony, expansion and establishment of spheres of influence. The promise reflects the distinctive feature of China's national defense in the new era. In other words, what the PLA brings to the world while going abroad are neither threats nor challenges, but stability and opportunities for promoting peace. Thank you.
Phoenix Satellite TV:
As has been mentioned, this is the first comprehensive white paper issued since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). After a simple comparison with previous white papers, I find relatively large changes in the evaluation of the security situation, especially in the area of risks from the aspect of national security. It very clearly states that the situation regarding the "fight against separatists is becoming more acute". This was only briefly mentioned in the past and it was never explicitly stated from where the security threats came. This time it is different and the use of the term "more acute" is also different. So, can you please tell us what considerations went into making these changes? Thank you.
Wu Qian:
When the white paper talks about the fight against separatists being "more acute ", it is based on only one thing, and that is the fact. As you can see, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stubbornly sticks to "Taiwan independence" since it came to power, refuses to recognize the 1992 Consensus, and promotes a gradual independence within the island. By seeking the help of foreign powers to intervene, they have gone further down the path of separatism. This is a fact that is obvious to all. The signal we want to convey through the white paper is very clear and straightforward: seeking "Taiwan independence" would go nowhere, and China will not allow the loss of a single inch of its sovereign territory. We want to do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification, and will never allow the secession of any part of its territory by anyone, any organization or any political party by any means at any time.
