Commentary: 'No Intervention' is the best choice

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Huang Panyue
Time
2019-05-06 17:53:11

By Luo Yuan

Recently, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has released the 2019 China military power report, and continued to exaggerate and smear China’s military activities.

Regarding Chinese military power, the US DOD publishes a report every year, keeping rendering the “China military threat theory”. It aims to create a favorable environment for hostility and warning against China, and therefore seeks excuses for expanding its own military power.

But how could Pentagon make such crude accusations, turning a blind eye to the fact that the US military budget for fiscal year 2019 has stretched to $716 billion, while China's is only $176.6 billion, about one-fourth of theirs for the same period.

While China is decreasing the number of military personnel by 300,000, the US government will increase its number of military posts by 20,000 in 2018. Who is threatening whom? In essence, it is not “China threat theory”, but more like “American threat theory” and “China being threatened theory”.

The report said that China is rapidly improving its military strength and seeking to narrow the gap with the US military in multiple fields. If that’s the case, then it should be the right path. Because that means that the power to maintain world peace is growing, and the power to contain war is getting stronger. China has not been involved in a single war for the past 30 years, making it the only one among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The US is particularly concerned that China is improving its anti-access/area denial(A2/AD) capabilities, as well as seeking underwater combat advantages. However, there is no such thing as “anti-access” or “area denial” in China’s military dictionary.

The similar vocabulary is “anti-aggression”. If you don’t want “denial”, then please don’t “access”. No matter where the aggressors come from, above water or underwater, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would shut the door upon their face.

The report focused on China’s so-called “militarization” actions in the South China Sea, saying that China’s military strategy has always targeted Taiwan. Internationally, the South China Sea is known as the “South China Sea”, not the “Western American Sea”. Why does the US travel all the way to the South China Sea to show off its muscle and initiate troubles?

Furthermore, the US has not even signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”) . What qualifications does it have to intervene in the South China Sea issue?

Besides, since the US can station troops in Hawaii, Guam, and even other countries, what’s wrong with China’s self-defense facilities on its own islands and reefs?

As for the Taiwan question, it is China’s internal affair. China has repeatedly promised that “Chinese do not fight Chinese”. If anyone, except Chinese people, dare to occupy China’s treasured island, we must act in accordance with the Anti-Secession Law. As for the process of execution, it’s also China’s internal affair and none of the US’ business.

The report once again accused China of stealing cutting-edge technology in order to rapidly modernize the PLA. The claim is simply a joke in the era of globalization of knowledge. Compass, gunpowder, papermaking skill and typography were invented by ancient Chinese. Isn’t the US still sharing them? Does such sharing be considered stealing?

And could you still remember that China had successfully developed "Two Bombs and One Satellite", under foreign countries' strict blockade? Practice has proved that the Chinese people have sufficient wisdom and talent to create miracles that others cannot imagine.

Of course, we will never have xenophobia, and instead, we respect and are open to advanced technology and experience from other countries. But if the others refuse to provide technology to China, let alone cutting-edge technology, should China have to give up the development of aircraft carrier? The US already has 11 aircraft carriers and there is really no need to fuss over China’s first homemade aircraft carrier, which is still in trials.

Disclaimer: The author is Retired Major General Luo Yuan, the executive vice president and Secretary-General of the China Strategy Culture Promotion Association.The article is extracted from an article from the Global Times and translated from Chinese into English by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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