China’s Foreign and Defense Policy
H.E. Ambassador Mr. Xin Shunkang
Zimbabwe Staff College
4 May, 2012
Dear Brigadier General A. Chipwere,
Dear officers present here from the Joint Command and Staff Course,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
I am honored to be invited here to give a speech on China’s foreign and defense policy. It will be my fourth and also last time to be here, since I am leaving Zimbabwe in one week. My presentation will be divided into four parts: 1. China’s foreign policy for pursing peaceful development; 2. China’s achievements by pursuing peaceful development; 3.What China’s peaceful development means to the rest of the world; 4.China’s defense policy. After my presentation, I would be delighted to answer your questions.
First, I would like to talk about China’s foreign policy for pursing peaceful development.
China is a peace-loving country. When you read the five-thousand-year history of China, you can rarely find China to invade another country. Peace is something we Chinese value most. Since the founding of new China in 1949, we have pursued an independent foreign policy of peace.
-- We are committed to following the path of peaceful development. Our endeavor to rejuvenate the Chinese nation is not a threat to the world. Rather, it represents an opportunity and our contribution to the world. We maintain that all countries, big and small, strong and weak, rich and poor, are equal and we respect the right of people of all countries to independently choose their own development path. We seek peaceful settlement of international disputes and greater international and regional security cooperation. China's development is peaceful in nature, and it will not harm or threaten anyone. China does not seek hegemony now, and will not do it in the future.
-- We are committed to pursuing a win-win strategy of opening-up. China will continue to push forward regional and global development through its own development. We will work to broaden converging interests with other countries and, while pursuing our own development, we will accommodate the legitimate concerns of others, especially those of developing countries. We will continue to engage in international economic cooperation and trade in accordance with the international trading rules. We support the international community in channeling more assistance to developing countries and helping them improve people's well-being and enhance capacity for self-development. We support efforts to improve the international trade and financial systems and resolve frictions and differences through consultation and collaboration. China will never seek to advance its interests at the expense of others.
-- We are committed to building a harmonious world. Enduring peace and common prosperity are the defining features of a harmonious world. To build such a world, all countries should uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, abide by international law and universally recognized norms governing international relations, and embrace a spirit of democracy, harmony, collaboration and win-win progress in international relations. Politically, we should respect each other and conduct consultations on an equal footing. Economically, we should cooperate with each other and draw on each other's strengths. Culturally, we should learn from each other and seek common ground while shelving differences. On the security front, we should trust each other and bolster cooperation. And on the environmental front, we should help each other and make joint endeavors to protect the planet Earth, our common home.
Next, let’s move on to China’s achievements by pursuing peaceful development. Let me show you some figures.
1. GDP: In 1978, the year before China conducted reform and opening-up, China’s GDP was 215.3 billion US dollars. But in 2011, the figure was 7.4 trillion.
2. Growth rate: China’s economy has maintained 9.9% annual growth in the past 33 years.
3. GDP in the world: In 1978, China’s GDP accounted for 1.8% of the world total, yet in 2011, the figure was 10%. According to the ranking of world economy, we were the tenth in 1978 and emerged as the second in 2010.
4. GDP per capita: GDP per capita rose from 190 US dollars in 1978 to 5400 US dollars in 2011, with an annual growth of 9.7%.
5. Trade volume: Total value of trade in goods was 20.6 billion US dollars in 1978 and 3.64 trillion in 2011, up 175 times in merely 33 years. Take the example of China-Zimbabwe trade volume, when I was here in 2009, the trade volume between our two countries was US$290 million. In 2010, the number was US$560 million. Last year, it was over US$800 million.
6. Foreign exchange reserve: China’s foreign exchange reserve was 167 million US dollars in 1978 and the figure exceeded 3 trillion in 2011, with a two digit growth annually.
7. People’s income: Urban disposable income per capita and rural net income per capita were respectively 343 and 134 Yuan RMB in 1978, but in 2011, those figures increased to 21800 and 6977 Yuan RMB.
8. Urbanization rate: China used to have a large agricultural population. In 1978, our urbanization rate was 18%, but in 2011, the figure became 51%, with an annual increase of 1%.
The above data implies a well positioned Chinese economy, with well-paced growth, stabilized prices, sustainable efficiency and improved standard of living.
For the third part, please allow me to brief you on China’s contributions to the rest of the world by pursuing peaceful development.
1) Engine of world economic growth. China maintains business and trade ties with 163 countries and regions. Take Africa as an example. Trade volume between China and Africa increased tremendously, from 10 billion US dollars in 2000 to over 160 billion US dollars in 2011. China has signed 10 free-trade-zone agreements, bilateral investment treaties with 129 countries, and double taxation avoidance agreements with 96 countries. To honor its commitments to the WTO, China has reduced its total tariff rate from 15.3% before its entry into the WTO to the present 4.4%, and abolished most non-tariff measures. China enjoys a market with huge potential which generates historic opportunities to the entire world. At the same time, the Chinese government encourages Chinese businesses to go global. At present, there are more than 2,000 Chinese companies making investment in Africa. Last year, China’s direct investment overseas exceeded 60 billion US dollars. By late 2011, Chinese investors had set up 18,000 businesses in 178 countries and regions with a value of 322 billion US dollars and created more than 1 million jobs. China’s investment to African countries has roared from 490 million US dollars in 2003 to 14.7 billion US dollars in 2011, covering such fields as mining, financing, manufacturing, construction, tourism, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery.
2) Stabilizer of world economy. As a responsible player, China made its utmost efforts to work with the rest of the world to weather the financial crisis and stabilize the global economy. What is worth mentioning is that China has directly contributed to the stability of the Euro Zone. From April 20 to 27, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Europe and announced a 10 billion US special credit line in infrastructure, technology and green economy.
3) Provider of foreign aid. By the end of 2009, China had given assistance worth RMB 256.3 billion to 161 countries and over 30 international and regional organizations, reduced and canceled 380 debts incurred by 50 heavily indebted poor countries and least-developed countries, trained 120,000 people for other developing countries, and sent 21,000 medical personnel and nearly 10,000 teachers abroad to help other countries. For example, to Zimbabwe, in the past three years, China gave over US$60 million grant. The figure doubled than the previous three years.
4) Guard of world peace. China has dispatched about 21,000 personnel on 30 UN peacekeeping missions, which is the highest number among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. China takes an active part in international cooperation in anti-terrorism and nonproliferation. For instance, China deploys naval escort fleets to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. Moreover, China provides humanitarian aid and dispatches rescue teams to countries hit by severe natural disasters.
5) Upholder of justice. We respect the right of the people of other countries to independently choose their own social system and path of development, and do not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs by hegemony and power politics. China calls for settling disputes and conflicts through talks and consultation, not by military invasion. That is why China always constructively and actively takes part in the international affairs.
6) Promoter of a harmonious Asia. We call on countries in the region to respect each other, increase mutual trust, seek common ground while putting aside differences, safeguard regional peace and stability, and settle disputes including those over territorial claims and maritime rights and interests through dialogue and friendly negotiation. For instance, China has helped to establish the Six-Party Talks mechanism on the Korean nuclear issue; it also has made a constructive proposal to "shelve disputes and seek joint development" to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea and the surrounding areas.
7) Contributor of new development mode. To realize the overall goal of peaceful development, China has broken away from any traditional pattern and stricken a balance between reform, development and stability. Generally speaking, reform promotes development, reform and development maintain stability, and stability guarantees reform and development. Problems are unavoidable in the process of development, and we have to reform to solve those problems so that we can maintain stability. Stability is also the foundation of development. Without a stable political, economic and social environment, development is not even possible. In doing so, China has found a path of development that suits its national conditions and also contributes to the establishment of a new development mode.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Now I would like to come to the last part of my presentation: China’s Defense Policy, which will be divided into two sections, namely:
1. The goals and tasks of China’s Defense Policy.
2. The practices and achievements made.
As accepted, defense policy is one of the most important components in the security strategy of a nation, and the defense force is regarded as the last resort among the measures to safeguard national interests. In view of her miserable experience of being frequently invaded by the imperialism and colonialism in history, the People’s Republic of China has been always viewing a powerful national defense as the foundation of nation-building. And a whole set of effective institutions related to the formulation and implementation of defense policy has gradually come into being. It has made active contributions to safeguarding national security, economic development, and to the peace and stability of the region and the world at large.
The goals and tasks of China’s Defense Policy mainly include the following four aspects:
Firstly, safeguard national sovereignty, security and interests of national development.
China’s national defense is tasked to guard against and resist aggression, defend the security of China’s territories, and safeguard its maritime rights and interests. It is also tasked to oppose and contain the separatism forces, and crack down on any separatist attempt that jeopardizes the territorial integrity of the nation. It is worthwhile to mention that national defense of China is subordinate to and in service of both the country’s development and security strategies and that it will try to safeguard this important period of strategic opportunities for national development.
Secondly, maintain social harmony and stability.
The Chinese armed forces loyally follow the tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly, actively participate in and support national economic and social development, and safeguard national security and social stability in accordance with the law. In this aspect, the armed forces of China have made full use of their advantageous conditions such as human resources, equipment and infrastructure to contribute to the national economic development. Meanwhile, taking the maintenance of overall social stability as a critical task, the armed forces of China will firmly subdue all subversive and sabotage activities by hostile forces, as well as violent and terrorist activities.
Thirdly, accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces.
Keeping pace with national economic development, China has been fostering the modernization drive of her national defense and armed forces. To this end, China has set primary goal of accomplishing mechanization and attaining major progress in informationization by 2020. And efforts has been made to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces in accomplishing diversified military tasks in order to win local wars under the conditions of informationization, so as to accomplish its historic missions at the new stage in the new century.
Fourthly, maintain the peace and stability of the world.
The peaceful development of China depends heavily on the creation of a peaceful and stable international environment. For that purpose, China has been upholding the new security concept of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, advocating the settlement of international disputes and regional flashpoint issues through peaceful means, opposing resort to the use or threat to use of force at will, opposing acts of aggression and expansion, and opposing hegemony and power politics in any form. In practice, China has been conducting her external military exchanges in accordance with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, developing cooperative military relations that are non-aligned, non-confrontational and not directed against any third party, and promoting the establishment of just and effective collective security mechanisms and military confidence-building mechanisms. At the same time, China has been actively fostering international security cooperation, aimed at promoting international peace and stability.
Now, let me come to the section of the practices and achievements made in China’s defense policy.
As you may have observed, China has been adopting a defense policy characterized by active defense. As the final shield of national survival and development, the defense policy has provided an effective protection for the successful implementation of economic development of China. And also, China’s defense policy has made important contributions to the international peace and stability.
1. The continuously enhanced defense capacity has effectively deterred possible aggression of external forces and thwarted the intentions of the separatist forces.
Under the new historical conditions of reform and opening-up, the PLA embarked on a road of building a streamlined military with Chinese characteristics. As its guiding principle for military building-up underwent a strategic shift from preparations for imminent wars to peacetime construction, the PLA advanced its modernization step by step in a well-planned way under the precondition that such efforts should be both subordinate to and in service of the country’s overall development.
By adopting a strategy of strengthening the military by means of science and technology, the PLA gradually shifted its focus from quantity and scale to quality and efficiency, from a manpower-intensive to a technology-intensive model. It laid down a three-step development strategy and adopted a step-change approach which takes mechanization as the foundation and informationization as the focus. It took preparations for military struggle as the driving force for its modernization, and enhanced its capability in defensive operations in conditions of informationization.
The ever-enhancing defense capacity of China has effectively protected China’s security interests. The Chinese people have been living in a relatively peaceful environment for over 30 years. One of the most important reasons for this, is the enhanced defense capacity of China.
2. The armed forces of China have actively participated in national construction, emergency rescue and disaster relief, contributing to domestic economic development.
As stipulated by the Constitution and laws, an important task for the Chinese armed forces is to take part in national construction, emergency rescue and disaster relief.
In the past two years, they have contributed more than 16 million workdays and utilized 1.3 million (times) motor vehicles and machines, and participated in construction of more than 600 major infrastructure projects, relating to transportation, hydropower, communications and energy. They have set up more than 3,500 contact points for rural poverty alleviation, and provided assistance to over 8,000 small public initiatives, such as water-saving irrigation projects, road construction projects, and hydropower projects.
The armed forces of China have also acted as the shock force in emergency rescue and disaster relief. In January 2009, with the armed forces as the mainstay, China formed eight state-level emergency-response professional units, boasting a total of 50,000 personnel, specializing in flood control and emergency rescue, earthquake rescue, nuclear, biological and chemical emergency rescue, urgent air transportation, rapid road repair, maritime emergency search and rescue, emergency mobile communication support, and medical aid and epidemic prevention.
In the past two years, the armed forces of China have engaged a total of 1.845 million (times) troop deployments and 790,000 deployment (times) of vehicles or machines of various type, flown over 181 sorties (including the use of helicopters), organized 6.43 million (times) militiamen and reservists, participated in disaster relief operations in cases of flood, earthquakes, droughts, typhoons and forest fires, rescued or evacuate a total of 1.742 million people, rush-transported 303,000 tons of goods, fortified 728km of dikes and dams, and delivered 504,000 tons of domestic water.
3. The armed forces of China have contributed greatly to the maintenance of domestic social stability.
In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and mainly under the unified leadership of local Party committees and governments, the armed forces of China assist the public police in maintaining social order and ensure that the people can live in peace and stability.
The armed police force of China is the state’s backbone and shock force in handling public emergencies. Since 2009, it has handled 24 acts of serious violence and crime, including hostage taking, participated in 201 operations of hunting down crime suspects, and fulfilled the task of security provision during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Shanghai World Expo, and the Guangzhou Asian Games.
In November 2010, the CMC approved and promulgated Regulations on Emergency Command in Handling Emergencies by the Armed Forces, which specifies for the armed forces regulations concerning their organization, command, force deployment, integrated support, and civil-military coordination while carrying out missions to maintain social stability and handle emergencies.
4. The armed forces of China have been actively involved in cultivating military security relationship with neighboring countries aimed at creating a sound neighboring environment for the national economic development.
Neighboring region is critical to China’s national security. So, the new China has been making efforts to build good-neighborly and friendly relations with her neighboring countries. In this aspect, the armed forces have played an indispensable role. This is as reflected in the following aspects:
a. Actively participate in multilateral security cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. In the past decade, multilateral security cooperation in the region has been developing in a gradual but concrete manner and has been conductive to the easing of security relations in the region. The armed forces of China took part in the multilateral security cooperation in its initial stage. Up to now, the PLA has been taking part in various kinds of security mechanisms, such ASEAN Regional Forum, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue and etc.. The active attitude adopted by the PLA in the multilateral security cooperation has contributed a lot for the progress of regional security cooperation regimes. For example, ASEAN Regional Forum has entered the second phase of cooperation, or entering the overlapping area between confidence building measures and preventive diplomacy.
b. Actively enhance confidence building measures with neighboring countries. China has consistently pursued a foreign policy of building an amicable relationship and partnership with its neighbors, attached great importance to border area confidence-building measures, strengthened friendly military exchanges in border areas, and actively prevented dangerous military activities, all of which have helped preserve peace and stability on the borders. Since early 1990, China has signed many agreements on confidence building measures with her neighboring countries, such as India, Russia, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. These agreements have been conductive to the stability and tranquility in the bordering areas between China and her neighbors. Up to date, China has peacefully addressed its long-standing boundary issues with 12 of its neighbors on land.
c. Actively engage in strategic consultation with countries in the region. In recent years, China has held extensive strategic consultations and dialogues with relevant countries in the field of security and defense to enhance mutual understanding and trust, and to strengthen communication and coordination. To date, China has established mechanisms for defense and security consultation and dialogue with 22 countries. In this aspect, China attaches great importance to defense and security consultation with her neighboring countries. It has established mechanisms for defense and security consultation and policy dialogue with neighboring countries, including Mongolia, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India and Pakistan, and has held regular consultations and dialogues at different levels with its neighbors, which focus on Asia-Pacific security, bilateral military relations and regional flashpoint issues. Such consultations and dialogues play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding, consolidating good neighborliness and friendship, deepening mutual trust and cooperation, and maintaining regional peace and stability.
5. The armed forces of China have been actively fostering international military cooperation aimed at promoting international peace and stability.
As a responsible power, China has been attaching more and more importance to international military cooperation for the enhancement of international peace and stability. This is as demonstrated in many aspects:
a. Consistently supporting and actively participating in the UN peacekeeping operations. In 1990, the PLA sent five military observers to the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). It was the first time the PLA took part in UN peacekeeping operations. In 1992, it dispatched an engineering corps of 400 officers and men to the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia. It was the first time China had sent an organic unit on peacekeeping missions. It established the Peacekeeping Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense in 2001. In 2001, it joined the UN Stand-by Arrangement System. In 2009, it established the Peacekeeping Center of the Ministry of National Defense. Up to date, China has dispatched 21,000 military personnel to 30 UN peace-keeping missions. Nine officers and men have lost their lives on duty.
b. Conducting escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. In line with relevant UN resolutions, China dispatched naval ships to conduct escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on December 26, 2008. They are mainly charged with safeguarding the security of Chinese ships and personnel passing through the area, and the security of ships delivering humanitarian supplies for the World Food Program and other international organizations, and shelter pass-by foreign vessels as much as possible. As of December 2011, the Chinese Navy has dispatched , in 10 sorties, 25 ship deployments, 22 helicopters, and over 8,300 soldiers on escort missions. Through accompanying escort, area patrol, and onboard escort, the Chinese Navy has provided protection for 4,397 ships sailing under Chinese and foreign flags, rescued 51 ships from pirate attacks.
c. Participating in international disaster relief operations. China’s armed forces consider it an obligation to take part in international disaster relief operations organized by the government, and to fulfill international humanitarian obligations. In recent years, they have actively assisted relevant departments of the Chinese government to provide relief materials to disaster-stricken countries and to contribute specialized teams to international disaster relief operations. As of December 2010, it has carried out 28 urgent international humanitarian aid missions, and provided 22 disaster-stricken countries with relief materials including tents, blankets, medicine, medical appliances, food and generators. The total value exceeds RMB 950 million. In January 2010, the China International Search and Rescue team, and the PLA medical care and epidemic prevention team were sent to Haiti to conduct earthquake rescue, post-earthquake search and relief, medical work and epidemic prevention operations. They rescued and treated 6,500 sick and injured. In September 2010, the China International Search and Rescue team , a PLA medical team and a helicopter rescue formation were sent to Pakistan to conduct humanitarian rescue operations, with the saving and treatment reaching 34,000 person-times in total and 60 tons of airdropped goods and materials.
d. Holding joint military exercises and training with other countries. PLA has held joint exercises and training with other countries pursuant to the guideline of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity. In the exercises, the PLA has always adhered to the principles of being non-aligned, non-confrontational, and not directed against any third party. As of December 2010, the PLA has held 44 joint military and training exercises with foreign troops. This is conductive to promoting mutual trust and cooperation, drawing on useful lessons, and accelerating the PLA’s modernization.
e. Contributing to the process of the international arms control and disarmament. China has been attaching great importance to and taking an active part in international efforts in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. It has been advocating for the complete fulfillment of the UN’s role in this area, and that of other related international organizations and multilateral mechanisms, and considering that existing multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation systems should be consolidated and strengthened, that the legitimate and reasonable security concerns of all countries should be respected and accommodated, and that global strategic balance and stability should be maintained. China’s position has been welcomed by most of the developing countries all over the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends, before concluding my remarks, I would like to express my sincere thanks once again to Brigadier General Chipwere for inviting me to address you here. It’s my sincere hope that all friends present here will continue to carry forward China-Africa friendship including Sino-Africa military-to-military relations and develop the relationship to a higher level.
Thank you very much.