China released its first defense white paper on Tuesday outlining a new military strategy that emphasizes a more “active defense posture”. "The new strategy does not change the defensive nature of the PLA," defense experts told People's Daily that, no matter how strong China becomes, it will never deviate from this strategy and will not pursue military expansion.

Issued by the State Council Information Office, it is the ninth defense paper published since 1998, but the first to focus exclusively on strategy.

The nearly 9,000-word paper underscored "the principles of defense, self-defense and post-emptive strikes", adding that China "will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked".

China's socialist nature, fundamental national interests and the objective requirement of peaceful development all demand adherence to active defense, according to the paper.

The white paper focuses on the core and most sensitive questions concerning China's military and security policy, said Wen Bing, an AMS researcher.

China gradually formed the active defense strategy during its revolutionary wars. It's because of adherence to this strategy that China has been able to enjoy a relatively stable environment for development and win international respect. China’s defense strategy brings the country an important strategic opportunity and also set an example to other countries in dealing with national security and international safety issues, according to Wen Bing.

In order to safeguard the national security and ensure the peaceful development, we must endow the active defense strategy a new epoch connotation, which requires us to create a favorable strategic situation by optimizing military forces and measures. We also need to attach more importance to the new security challenges and participate more actively in regional and international security cooperation, said Wen Bing.

Active defense is a basic point of CPC’s military strategy. The principle of guerrilla warfare called “the enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue,” and the strategy in the anti-Japanese war of “strategic defense, strategic stalemate and strategic counterattack” are all active defense mentality.

People’s Republic of China inherits this strategy. The late Chinese leader Mao Zedong instructed that we should insist on the active defense strategy and strike only after the enemy has struck.

It's because of adherence to this strategy that China has been able to enjoy a relatively stable environment for development and win international respect, said Chen Zhou, an author of white paper and the director of the national defense policy research center under the AMS.

No matter how strong China becomes, it will never deviate from this strategy and will not pursue military expansion, Wen Bing said.