New Development in China's Security ConceptChina has been rethinking its concept of security in recent years, and the result is that the country's defense policy should give more emphasis to participation in international security cooperation, a senior Chinese official said Tuesday.Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, spoke to the International Forum on China and the World in the 21st Century, saying that China advocates a new security concept that focuses on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. He said that China is fully aware that the concept of security is relative in a world which is increasingly interdependent, and a peaceful and stable international environment for China can only come from mutual security through active cooperation. He noted that China has signed most of the international arms control treaties, and has also taken an active part in the regional multilateral security dialogue and cooperation process and sent observers to military exercises in a number of countries. Up to now, China has sent more than 500 military observers, liaison officers and military advisors to a number of UN peacekeeping actions. Currently, there are still 53 Chinese military observers on active duty. Xiong said that following the publication of "China's Arms Control and Disarmament" in 1995 and the white paper "China's National Defense" in 1998, "China's National Defense 2000" was issue last year. This demonstrates China's sincerity in increasing military transparency. "The ultimate goal of China's participation in international security cooperation is to promote, together with other countries, the development of the international security system in a more just and rational direction," he said. |
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