BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's armed forces have always been a staunch force upholding world peace and regional stability, according to a white paper on national defense released on Tuesday.
The document, the eighth of its kind issued by the Chinese government since 1998, devoted a whole chapter to the active role played by Chinese military in participating in regional and international security affairs, as well as in international political and security fields in the new era.
"China's security and development are closely connected with the peace and prosperity of the world as a whole," the white paper says.
According to the document, the country's armed forces are now mainly engaged in maintaining world peace and regional stability by participating in UN peacekeeping operations, international disaster relief and humanitarian aid, safeguarding the security of international sea lines of communication (SLOCs), and joint exercises and training with foreign armed forces.
Wang Xinjun, a research fellow on war theory and strategy with the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said, "Taking on the obligations of a major power is an important feature marking China's entering into the world stage."
With deepening participation into international affairs, China is shouldering increasing obligations in upholding world peace and regional stability, Wang said.
To fulfill China's international obligations, the Chinese navy has carried out 13 regular escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since 2008.
As of December 2012, Chinese navy task groups have provided protection for four World Food Program (WFP) ships and 2,455 foreign ships, accounting for 49 percent of the total of escorted ships, according to the white paper.
The navy helped four foreign ships, recovered four ships released from captivity and saved 20 foreign ships from pursuit by pirates, the white paper said.
Xiong Yuxiang, another military expert with the PLA academy, said with breakthroughs made by the United States in exploring shale gas, the U.S. reliance on the Gulf region for energy might be reduced in the future.
"It could probably add security pressure on China's maritime economic lifeline which runs along the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca," Xiong said.
The Chinese military would shoulder more obligations in protecting this maritime traffic line by then, he said.
Li Yu, a military expert on national defense policy, said with the country's augmenting comprehensive power, the international community has more expectations of China and the nation is shouldering more international obligations.
"Due to objective reasons, however, the Chinese military can only fulfil international obligations which are commensurate with its own conditions and capabilities as well as China's international standing.
"Facts show that the Chinese military not only serves as a fundamental guarantee for the country's peaceful development, but also a staunch force upholding world peace and regional stability," Li said.
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