China says military to have global clout

BEIJING -- China said Tuesday that it plans to extend its military's global reach to safeguard its economic and maritime interests, while declaring that it does not seek confrontation with its neighbors despite their "provocative actions" over disputed islands and "meddling" by the United States.

A policy document issued by the State Council, or Cabinet, setting out China's military strategy underlined the growth of the country's defense ambitions in tandem with its economic rise.

Beijing insisted in the document that its military is dedicated to "international security cooperation" and peaceful development. But it also said that the navy would expand its focus from "offshore waters defense" to a greater emphasis on "open seas protection" as China aims to establish itself as a maritime power. The air force, meanwhile, would shift its focus from "territorial air defense to both defense and offense."

China's officially disclosed defense budget expanded by just over 10 percent this year to $141 billion, marking two decades of nearly unbroken double-digit growth. The navy is reported to be building a second aircraft carrier and has also invested heavily in submarines and warships.

According to a Pentagon report released this month, China is also developing a range of missiles designed to extend its operational reach and "push adversary forces -- including the United States -- farther from potential regional conflicts."

The Chinese military's main goal remains to prepare for potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the Pentagon said, but added that it is also investing to prepare for "contingencies" in the East China Sea and South China Sea, where it is engaged in a number of maritime territorial disputes with its neighbors.

Chinese officials say that China's declared defense spending, which is less than a quarter of the U.S. defense budget, is significantly below the global average when compared with the size of the Chinese economy.

In a move welcomed by other nations, China sent a 700-strong peacekeeping force in December to South Sudan, where it has extensive oil interests, marking the first time it has sent an infantry battalion on a United Nations mission.

China also is negotiating with the strategic port nation of Djibouti to open a military base there to support anti-piracy naval escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported this month.

"With the growth of China's national interests, the security of our overseas energy and resources, strategic sea lines of communication and the safety of our overseas institutions, personnel and assets have become prominent issues," Senior Col. Zhang Yuguo said during a news conference Tuesday.

He added, however, that "China will never seek hegemony or divide up spheres of power, nor will it engage in military alliances or expansion," he said.

This year in particular, Washington has repeatedly condemned a rapid program of land reclamation and construction on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea. A U.S. surveillance plane was warned to leave the area by the Chinese navy last week, while Beijing lodged a formal diplomatic complaint.

Defense Ministry spokesman Senior Col. Yang Yujun on Tuesday likened China's construction activities on the islands to "everyday actions" like building houses, roads and bridges. But he acknowledged that the facilities being built, including an airstrip and radar stations, will have both military and civilian uses.

The policy paper expressed concern about the United States' "rebalancing strategy," which has seen it enhance its military presence and strengthen military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as concern over more assertive military and security policies in Japan. It accused China's neighbors of provocative actions by reinforcing their military presence on "China's reefs and islands that they have illegally occupied."

"Some external countries are also busy meddling in South China Sea affairs," it said.

Philippines President Benigno Aquino was quoted as saying Monday that his nation would continue flying over disputed islands in the South China Sea, while Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin said he was seeking a "stronger commitment" from the United States to help its ally, according to news agency reports.

China responded angrily.

"I would like to remind the Philippines that China will not bully small countries, but small countries must not ceaselessly and willfully make trouble," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said during a news conference.

Also on Tuesday, state media reported that China had hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the building of two lighthouses on the disputed Spratly Islands.

Information for this article was contributed by Xu Yangjingjing of The Washington Post.

A Section on 05/27/2015

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