New China Military Strategy Released

China released a new military strategy paper this morning, which places great stress on the role of China’s military as a tool for realizing “the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation,” and on Xi Jinping’s “win-win” approach in international relations. “A prosperous and stable world would provide China with opportunities, while China’s peaceful development also offers an opportunity for the whole world,” it says.

On the threats facing China, it says, “In the foreseeable future, a world war is unlikely, and the international situation is expected to remain generally peaceful. There are, however, new threats from hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism.” It notes the US “rebalancing” strategy, Japan’s reinterpretation of its constitution, and other developments to find that “It is thus a long-standing task for China to safeguard its maritime rights and interests.” And it warns against the threat of “color revolutions.”

After listing the strategic tasks of the Chinese military, it presents the concept of “active defense,” which, it says, means “adherence to the unity of strategic defense and operational and tactical offense; adherence to the principles of defense, self-defense and post-emptive strike; and adherence to the stance that ‘We will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked.” The Second Artillery, it says, “will strengthen its capabilities for strategic deterrence and nuclear counterattack, and medium- and long-range precision strikes,” and it reiterates China’s no-first-use of nuclear weapons pledge.

A section of the document focuses on China’s military relationships with other countries, with particular stress on Russia and the US. “China’s armed forces will further their exchanges and cooperation with the Russian military within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia, and foster a comprehensive, diverse and sustainable framework to promote military relations in more fields and at more levels,” it says. With respect to the US military, it says that “China’s armed forces will continue to foster a new model of military relationship with the US armed forces that conforms to the new model of major-country relations between the two countries, strengthen defense dialogues, exchanges and cooperation, and improve the CBM (confidence-building measures) mechanism for the notification of major military activities as well as the rules of behavior for safety of air and maritime encounters, so as to strengthen mutual trust, prevent risks and manage crises.”

More generally, it stresses that China will continue to develop its military relations with both its neighbors and with Europe both bilaterally and through existing multilateral institutions such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the various Asian-centered fora “striving to establish a new framework for security and cooperation conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.”