Astraditionhasit,theU.S.DepartmentofDefense’sAnnualReporttoCongress:MilitaryandSecurityDevelopmentsInvolvingthePeople’sRepublicofChina2018onceagainexaggeratedthe“militarythreat”posedbyChina.ThefactthattheUnitedStates,theworld’slargestmilitarypower,seesasathreatacountrywhichpursuespeacefuldevelopmentrevealsitsunderlyinghostilitytowardChina.
ThishostileattitudehasexistedformanyyearsandU.S.militaryjetsoftenapproachtheChinesemainlandonreconnaissanceflights.In2001,aU.S.spyplanecollidedwithaChinesemilitaryjetononesuchmission,causingtheChineseaircraftanditspilotWangWeitocrashintothesea.Wang’sbodyhasneverbeenfound.Underthepretextoffreedomofnavigation,U.S.navalshipsoftenchallengeChina’ssovereigntyintheSouthChinaSea.ItisthusoflittlesurprisethattheannualPentagonreportonceagaindevotesmuchofitsfocustoChina’sso-called“militarythreat.”
NeithertheChineseGovernmentnorpublicareofanythreattotheUnitedStates.TheChineseGovernmentisfocusedoneconomicgrowthandpeople’slivelihoods,justasithasbeenoverthepastfourdecades.Currently,ChinaandtheUnitedStateshaveextensivecommonintereststhankstoenhancedeconomic,tradeandinvestmentlinks.
TheU.S.public’sreactiontothegovernment’simpositionofadditionaltariffsonChineseproductsisvividproofofhowcloselyinterconnectedtheinterestsofthetwocountrieshavebecome,aswellastheharminflictedonAmericanbusinessesbythegovernment’sprotectioniststance.TheOfficeoftheU.S.TradeRepresentativeheldpublichearingsinWashington,D.C.betweenAugust20and27ontheconsequencesofproposednewtariffson$20billionworthofChineseimports.Amongtheindustryrepresentativeswhoattendedthehearings,comprisedmainlyofthosefromAmerica’scorporateandtradecircles,mostexpressedoppositiontotheproposal.Theypointedoutthatduetoissuesofcapacity,qualityandcost,manyofthecommoditiesonthelistcanonlybeimportedfromChina,withnosubstitutesavailablefromU.S.domesticproducersorthird-partycountries.
ChinaseestheUnitedStatesasamajortradingpartnerandpursuesmutuallybeneficialcooperationwithit.IntheUnitedStates,manypeoplealsovaluetherelationshipbetweenthetwocountries.ItseemstobeonlyintheDepartmentofDefensewhereafewbiasedofficialsclaimthatChinaisthreateningtheUnitedStates.
ThereisnoevidencetosubstantiatethedepictionofChinaasamenacetoU.S.nationalsecurity.WhileU.S.navyshipsandmilitaryplanesdrumuptroubleonChina’sdoorstep,neverhastheChinesemilitarydoneanythingofthesortintheeasterlyreachesofthePacific.
China’smilitarystrategyistransparent.TheStateCouncilInformationOfficeissuedawhitepaperonChina’smilitarystrategyin2015,whichintroducedChina’snationaldefensepolicy,militarydevelopment,militarycontrolanddisarmamentefforts,aswellastheinternationalsecuritysituationandareasforcooperation.Stickingtoaroadofpeacefuldevelopmentandpursuinganationaldefensepolicydefensiveinnature,Chinawillalwaysactpassionatelytoprotectworldpeace,safeguardinternationalorderandcontributetoglobaldevelopment.TheChinesemilitaryismoreactivelyinvolvedthaneverbeforeinUN-ledpeacekeepingmissions,escortoperationsintheGulfofAdenandoverseasdisasterrelief,assumingmoreinternationalresponsibilityandprovidingmoreextensivepublicsecurityservices.Theseeffortsandcontributionshavebeenwidelyexaltedaroundtheglobe.
InthePentagonreport,China’smilitarydeploymentintheSouthChinaSeaishighlightedasevidenceofthe“Chinathreat,”furtherexposingtheflawedlogicofitscreators.ChinapossessesindisputablesovereigntyovertheislandsandwatersoftheSouthChinaSeaanditisasovereignnation’sinalienablerighttoconductconstructionprojectsandmilitarytrainingonitsownterritory.
Thereportalsoassertsthatbyincreasingitsmilitarypower,ChinaispoisedtochallengetheUnitedStatesforinfluenceintheAsia-Pacificregion.Thisassertionbeliesaguiltyconscience.AsanoldChinesesayinggoes,oneisonlyabletostopafightwhencapableoffightingback.ThesewordscapturetheessenceofChina’snationaldefensepolicy.InthefaceofU.S.provocation,theChinesearmedforcesareleftwithnochoicebuttotakecountermeasures.
The“Chinathreat”theorypromulgatedbytheU.S.DepartmentofDefenseisthebyproductofanewColdWarmindset,whichmeanstothreatenChinaonthepretenseofasupposedthreatfromChina.Infact,themilitariesofthetwocountrieshavealottocooperateonininternationalaffairssuchascounterterrorism,disasterreliefandspaceexploration.ThePentagon’shostilitytowardChinaisunderminingmutualtrustbetweenthetwocountriesandcontradictingthecommoninterestsoftheirpeoples.
CopyeditedbyLaurenceCoulton
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