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China Pursues Defensive National Defense: White Paper
China firmly pursues a defensive national defense policy and is determined to safeguard its state sovereignty, national unity, territorial integrity and security.
The Chinese people have fought bravely for their national independence, liberation, democracy and freedom. They have finally brought the country onto the road toward modernization. The Chinese people know fully well the value of peace.
These are contained in a white paper titled "China's National Defense in 2000" and published by the Information Office of the State Council on October 16.
The white paper says that peace and development remain the two major themes in today's world. The trend toward multi-polarity and economic globalization is gaining momentum, and the international security situation, in general, continues to tend toward relaxation, it says.
Worldwide, the forces for peace are prevailing over the forces for war, it says, predicting, "A new world war will not break out for a fairly long time to come."
The white paper says that the development and powerfulness of China will constitute no threat to anyone, but will rather promote the world peace, stability and development. Never to seek hegemony is the Chinese people's solemn pledge to the world, it stresses.
According to the white paper, China's annual defense expenditures in 1998 and 1999 were RMB 93.47 billion yuan and 107.67 billion yuan, respectively, and that for 2000 is RMB 121.29 billion yuan.
Overall, China's defense expenditure has remained at a fairly low level, it says. In 1998 and 1999, the proportion of defense spending in the total state financial expenditure was 8.66% and 8.20%, respectively, and that in 2000 is 8.29%, all lower than those in 1997 or earlier.
In terms of U.S. dollars, China's annual defense expenditure in 2000 is US$ 14.60 billion, which is only 5% of the USA's defense spending, 30% of Japan's, 40% of UK's, 48% of France's, and 64% of Germany's. In addition, the percentage of China's defense spending in its gross domestic product (GDP) is also lower than those of the USA, the Republic of Korea (ROK), India, UK, France and some other countries.
China's fundamental aim in developing science, technology and industry for national defense is to satisfy the basic needs of national defense, guarantee the production and supply of military equipment, and raise the level of national defense modernization.
In September 1997, China announced an additional reduction of 500,000 military personnel over the next three years and by the end of 1999, this reduction had been achieved, the white paper says.
The Land Army was cut by 18.6%; the Navy, 11.4%; the Air Force, 12.6%; and the Second Artillery Force, 2.9%.
The white papers goes on to say that China has consistently advocated the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, and has made unremitting efforts to this end. On the very first day it came into possession of nuclear weapons, China solemnly declared that it would not be the first to use such weapons, no matter what the time or the circumstances. Later, China undertook unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.
The white paper also says that China does not possess chemical weapons and biological weapons and has always stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of such weapons.
China is strongly opposed to an arms race in outer space. China maintains that the exploration and utilization of outer space should be for the sole purpose of promoting the economic, scientific and cultural development of all countries, and benefiting all mankind, the white paper says.
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