China will steadfastly stick to the path of peaceful development, and its national defense policy is of a defensive nature, a senior Chinese military officer said here Monday.
Xu Caihou, visiting Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, said in a speech
delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a leading Washington think tank, that the Chinese military would continue to strengthen exchange and cooperation with other militaries around the world.
The general stressed that as a peace-loving nation adhering to core cultural concepts of "harmony" and "peace and unity," and pursuing "harmonious but diversified" and "all-inclusive"
policies for the state, China firmly believes that contemporary and future international affairs
should be handled under an inclusive and "win-win" mindset instead of a mentality of confrontation and "zero-sum-game."
He said Chinese President Hu Jintao has analyzed and outlined the historical mission for the Chinese military in the new century, which is to enhance the ability to respond to multiple security threats and accomplish multiple military tasks.
That requirement is in accordance with China's fundamental national condition, the nature and tenet of the Chinese military, as well as with new changes in China's national security and
development interests, Xu said.
The senior officer also told the audience that the Chinese military is actively advancing
military reforms with Chinese characteristics, while continuously improving the capability to win
a partial war using sophisticated technology.
He said that at the same time, the Chinese military is actively performing counterterrorism,
disaster relief, international peace-keeping, rights protection, international relief and security-guarding and other non-warlike military tasks, safeguarding national security and development interests, and helping to maintain peace and stability in the world.
Xu noted that the Chinese military always obeys and serves the grand objective of China's
national development, actively participates in China's economic development and offers free
support for it, and making significant contributions to China's economic
and social development.
The senior officer pointed out that both China and the United States are countries with
important influences in the world. Thus, to expand their exchange and cooperation in all areas is
in the fundamental national interests of both countries and will help promote world peace and
development.
Xu said the Chinese side will work unremittingly to enhance and strengthen the military-to-military relationship between the two countries in accordance with the principles of "respect,mutual trust, reciprocity and mutual benefit."
In a Q&A session with the 300 U.S. government officials, scholars and corporate representatives who attended the event, he also addressed issues ranging from China-U.S.military ties, the development of China's military power, to
counterterrorism.
A short film depicting the Chinese military's relief mission in last year's Sichuan earthquake
disaster was also shown during the event.
Xu is visiting the United States from Oct. 24 to Nov. 3 at the invitation of U.S. Defense
Secretary Robert Gates. His U.S. trip has the aim of fulfilling the consensus reached by Chinese
President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on improving and developing the
relations between the two countries' armies.
During the visit, Xu will hold talks with Gates about the relations of the two armies and
international and regional affairs.