China has issued a defense white paper that highlighted its commitment to build a strong national defense and powerful armed forces to meet the needs of the country's security and development interests.

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While the document showcased China's military structure and might, it emphasized the country's unshakable national commitment to take the road of peaceful development. It said China will never seek hegemony or behave in a hegemonic manner, nor will it engage in military expansion.

"China advocates a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, and pursues comprehensive security, common security and cooperative security," the white paper said.

However, it highlighted "multiple and complicated security threats" facing China, and China's need to protect its "national unification, territorial integrity and development interests".

"Some country has strengthened its Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanded its military presence in the region, and frequently makes the situation there tenser," the white paper said. 

The white paper also singled out US, which it said is adjusting its Asia-Pacific security strategy, and the regional landscape is undergoing profound changes. It also addressed issues concerning China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, criticizing Japan for "making trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu Islands".

Military Transparency

Because of complex and volatile security situation, China's armed forces - the People's Liberation Army (PLA) - broaden their visions of national security strategy and military strategy, aim at winning local wars "under the conditions of informationization, make active planning for the use of armed forces in peacetime, deal effectively with various security threats and accomplish diversified military tasks". 

PLA reveals the actual number of army, navy and air force servicemen, designations of its army combined corps and the main missile lineup through the white paper, the first time such information has been disclosed publicly.

The paper said China now has about 850,000 army servicemen in 18 combined corps and additional independent combined operational divisions.
The PLA Navy has a total strength of 235,000 officers and men, and commands three fleets - the Beihai Fleet, the Donghai Fleet and the Nanhai Fleet. The PLA Air Force, meanwhile, has about 398,000 officers and men and an air command in each of the seven military area commands of Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. In addition, it boasts one airborne corps.

The PLA Second Artillery Force, the country's core force for strategic deterrence, is composed of nuclear and conventional missile forces and operational support units, according to the paper.

International Security Cooperation

The white paper also praised and took notice of the different "noble and lofty tasks" that China's armed forces have undertaken to defend its national sovereignty. 
"They will persistently regard maintaining world peace and promoting common development as their important missions, and accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces," said the white paper.

While ensuring that its people will live and work in peace and stability, China's armed forces will also continue to actively participate in international security cooperation.

"[China's armed forces] will endeavor to foster, together with the armed forces of other countries, an international security environment of peace, stability, equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation," the defense white paper said.