By Gu Xi
Recently, the US released the 2024 Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, distorting China's defense policy, speculating on China's military development, interfering in China's internal affairs, and maliciously smearing the Chinese military while hyping up the so-called "China threat" theory. For years, the US has pieced together and issued such deceptive and hypocritical reports annually to find excuses for its military power expansion and mislead public opinion. As China's comprehensive national strength continues to grow, the US faces increasing anxiety over its waning hegemony and resorts to every possible means to contain China. This year's report is yet another manifestation of this distorted mindset.
Firstly, the report ignores facts and misleads public opinion. The report listed numerous data points about the Chinese military. The data seems comprehensive but strays far from reality. The conclusions drawn from the data are nothing short of absurd. The report criticized the development of China's navy, even though China adheres to a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and poses no threat to any country. In contrast, the US frequently violates international norms, pursues "navigational hegemony" under the disguise of "freedom of navigation," flaunts its military power, and seriously undermines international and regional peace and stability.
Secondly, the report fabricates information and makes baseless accusations. The report confuses right and wrong and is filled with false information that blatantly defies common sense. While the US has long had the world's largest military budget, the report baselessly accused China's normal growth in defense spending of threatening global military balance. The US has the largest nuclear arsenal and a stubborn policy of first use of nuclear weapons. However, it ironically criticized China that is committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons of endangering its homeland security. These slanderous remarks about the Chinese military reveal the US' absurd logic and hegemonic mindset.
Thirdly, the report makes malicious hype and exaggeration. The US is very good at using exaggerated titles and content to attract the outside world's attention, thereby achieving the purpose of spreading the "China threat" theory. In the chapter of "The PLA's Growing Global Presence," the report claims that China's military deployment has reached every corner of the world. In reality, the scope, scale, and nature of the Chinese military's overseas presence are limited. To deliberately mislead the public, the US even included China's participation in UN peacekeeping missions, escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, humanitarian assistance, and international counterterrorism joint exercises and training as examples of the so-called global military presence.
The US routinely releases reports with confusing logic and exaggerated rhetoric, which is of no benefit to improving China-US relations. The world is big enough to accommodate China and the US for their respective and mutual development. At present, what the US needs to do is not continue to weave rhetoric traps and peddle the "China threat" theory, but get rid of the Cold War mentality and hegemonic mentality, respect other countries and interact with these countries on an equal footing, respond to the prevailing trend of peace and development of the times, and follow the path of win-win cooperation.
