For The window box. (Currently, the international strategic situation and China's peripheral situation is fairly complex, and the unstable elements affecting China's security is certainly on increase.)


In world today, people refer to the fast development of Chinese economy as a "miracle", and almost all people are looking forward to sharing a "dividend" from China's economic miracle. But at the same time anticipating, some people also start to voice their concerns. China is said to build its aircraft carrier, to test-fly the 4th-generation fighter planes, to research and develop the counter-aircraft carrier missile, and to test-fire anti-satellite weapons... All genuine or false information is flooded as if being quoted to verify their concerns about the "China-threat" theory.


In fact, the vast majority of these people worrying do not understand China's specific national conditions. Upon arrival at China's economically developed coastal area, people will feel quite difficult to imagine what they see in a developed nation. Similarly, upon arrival at an economically backward and poverty-stricken interior area, people can hardly believe they are in a rapidly booming China. The urban-rural disparity in economic growth is the same as the nation's economic development. There is also an immense contrast with China's army equipment and technical standards. In the armed forces, there is the advanced weaponry up to the world standards but arms equipment large in number is obsolete, out-dated and old-fashioned as a matter of course. Chinese military technologies are generally rated two decades behind that of the United States, while the advent of a Chinese counterpart to the F-22 might be disconcerting.


Why such things as mid-air refueling systems and Aden Bay China armed escort are a commonplace for armies in developed countries, but it is the "first times" for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in China; why PLA troops had to take trains for multi-national anti-terror drills "Peace Mission 2010" in Kazakhstan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO); why Chinese troops enter natural disasters areas on foot to partake in the earthquake relief work...


With regard to all these, Chinese Minister of Defense Liang Guanglie said in a recent interview with Chinese media that compared to the developed countries, the modernization level of Chinese army has a relatively big disparity, and the national defense and the modernization of armed forces still has heavy responsibilities. Moreover, he added in the interview that Chinese troops could only rely on themselves, not others to ensure modernization and the development of equipment.


To the other tiny portion of those "worrying" people, their suspicion or questions are attributed to their self-angle of view. If they purely take the development of China's national defense from their own security perspective, their worries for the "China threat" could appear "logical". If they take China's perspective, the result would be otherwise.


When someone is bent on selling their advanced arms to Taiwan without giving a thought to China's repeated protests, can China be said to pose a threat to others when it is striving to ensure its national sovereignty and unity; when various countries universally equip themselves with the 3rd generation fighter planes and deployed the 4th generation fighter planes in China's peripheral area, can China be said to pose a threat to others with its research and development of domestically produced advanced fighter planes; when other nation's aircraft carrier appear repeatedly in China's peripheral sea area and intensifies the regional situation, can China's development of its own self-defense methods be said to pose a threat to others ?


Currently, the international strategic situation and China's peripheral situation is fairly complex, and the unstable elements affecting China's security is certainly on increase. China is now faced with both unprecedented opportunities and challenges. What Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said lately has precisely expressed China's concern for its own security and for the regional peace and stability, and this is also the basic reason for China to step up efforts for its national defense development.


Just like a famous Chinese archaism or old saying goes: "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do on you." At the time when some people feel concerned with the "China threat" theory, they'd better retrospect or reconsider themselves to see if they themselves have been attempting to threat and contain China?"


It is a normal matter for any nation or region to have its own security concern. After all, in the development process of human civilization, years of peace are very brief. In all reality, the threat of war has never been distant. As other rights of humanity, any country or nationality has the right to safeguard their own security interest and also the obligation to ensure others' security.


It is a very normal issue for any country or region to address its own security concerns. After all, in the development process of human civilization, years of peace are relatively brief, and in all circumstances, a threat of war has never been distant. As other rights of humanity, any country or nationality has the right to ensure their own security interest, and also has the obligation to ensure the security of others. To look at issues from such a perspective, no matter China goes into researches and development of the state-of-the-art armament or military equipment and apparatuses or enhancing the national defense capability, it is very likely a normal issue. (People’s Daily)
By People's Daily Online and its author is, editor-in-chief of the "World Military" magazine affiliated to the Xinhua News Agency