The News From China

On February 15th, the People’s Daily’s overseas Chinese edition carried an article entitled “China’s Defense Capability And Its National Responsibilities: Without Strength China Cannot Fulfill Its Responsibilities.” Written by Chen Hu, executive editor of World Military Affairs magazine (published under the auspices of the official Xinhua News Agency), the article appeared in the “important news” section on the front page of the paper.

The piece begins with the observation that as China has acquired greater clout, more and more people are expecting it to behave as a responsible power, to join the international community in the fight against terrorism, and to provide humanitarian aid for the victims of natural and manmade disasters.

The author goes on to argue that “China must fulfill even greater internal responsibilities . . . As a developing country, China faces even more problems: energy security, information security, and trade security . . . But without strength China cannot fulfill its responsibilities; the greater the responsibilities, the more power it requires. The word ‘power’ here includes defense power. However, advances in China’s defense capability always seem to generate a noisy reaction in some quarters; accusing fingers are pointed without rhyme or reason at China for developing its own defense capability . . . Some say that China’s defense lacks transparency . . . but no nation can be expected to disclose its defense information unreservedly. Unilaterally demanding others to make completely transparent their defense data is in and of itself an act of hegemony.”

The article concludes with a thinly veiled criticism of the United States: “Whence comes the indiscreetly critical voice? It comes from those countries most vocal in their demands that China be ‘responsible.’ It comes from those countries that are the leaders in world military technology. It comes from the military superpowers. It comes from those countries that have their own militaries deployed around the globe. A country equipped with the most advanced, fourth-generation fighter planes [the F-22] is alarmed, and has gone so far as to criticize China for successfully developing a third-generation jet fighter [the J-10]. Just think about the real motive behind all the sound and fury.”

Chen Hu’s article was published on the People’s Daily website at 6:10. Less than three hours later, at 8:53, a comment by reader Xiao He (little river) was posted, expressing total agreement with the author. The title of the comment, “without military might, what you say is nothing more than passing gas,” is displayed prominently, just below the title of the original article.

In contrast to the belligerent tone of these pieces was an interview with Major General Zhang Bangdong that appeared the same day in the Southern Weekend magazine. In it, Zhang went to great lengths to emphasize the defensive nature of China’s security policy. Zhang Bangdong is the director of the Chinese Ministry of Defense’s Foreign Affairs Office, and the Southern Weekend has a larger circulation than any other Chinese weekly.

In addressing whether China has the capability to build its own aircraft carriers, Zhang declared, “First of all, it is a fact that China currently does not have any aircraft carriers. Second, with a coastline of 18,000 kilometers, China needs to be correspondingly equipped militarily to defend its maritime sovereignty and interests. Such is the sacred duty of the Chinese armed forces. Third, China insists on pursuing a policy of peaceful development. It will adhere to a foreign policy that is independent and peaceful, and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. China will not encroach upon others at any time and under any circumstances. Others need not worry about China’s military build-up.”

However, in answering a question about China’s strategic intentions in developing its J-10 fighter planes, the major general responded curtly, “I think it is inappropriate for some people to make so much fuss about it.