OPINION> Commentary
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OPINION> Commentary
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Joining anti-piracy battle a responsible move
By Yang Yi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-23 07:44 A Chinese fleet is due to leave the port city of Sanya in southern Hainan province on Friday for the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the Somali coast to join a global fight against increasingly rampant piracy. China decided to send two destroyers and a supply ship to battle pirates in the waters off the impoverished East African country and protect the safety of Chinese vessels and crew on board as well as ships carrying humanitarian relief material for international organizations, such as the World Food Program. The significance goes beyond the military. It sends a strong political message to the international community that a China with its improved economic and military strength is willing to play a larger role in maintaining world peace and security. The world is now in a globalized era and members have become increasingly interdependent and their national interests intermingled. At the same time, globalization has also brought to the world immediate threats from a variety of non-traditional security uncertainties alongside traditional ones. After 30 years of reform and opening up, China has not only established close contacts with the outside community but has also linked its fate to that of the whole world. China's development and national security are inseparable from a peaceful, safe world and the world's peace and security are also inseparable from a stable and open-minded China. The country's deployment of navy ships off the Somalia coast best manifests China's intention to fulfill its long-announced commitments to promote a harmonious international community and push for world peace and development. The move is also aimed at demonstrating to the international society that China is tangibly contributing to the world in its process of peaceful development. It will also help dispel accumulated misgivings among some countries that a developing and powerful China will resort to military expansion in the pursuit of its national interests. With three decades of miraculous development since the reform and opening up policy was adopted in 1978, China is now at a new starting point to boost its peaceful development strategy. On the road to national rejuvenation, the country's military shoulders a historical mission to keep away any kind of threats away from its door. To this end, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) should further reinforce its military capability to deal with various forms of security threats. It should not only be powerful enough to maintain the country's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, but should also take on overseas missions to help maintain the world's peace and security.
China's military development has made remarkable achievements over the past 30 years since the reform and opening up. The PLA has evolved from an inadequately-armed military into a modern one armed with sophisticated equipment and information technologies. Compared with other big powers, the country's military still functions at a comparatively low level. It should further develop to act as an able guard of the country's modernization program. In recent years, China's navy fleets have paid visits to many countries and regions. In 2002, a Chinese fleet made the first-ever around-the-globe trip, lasting four months and 30,000 nautical miles. However, the PLA Navy has so far primarily focused on defending the country's coastal security and limited its overseas operations to port calls, goodwill visits and exercises with other navies. The upcoming naval deployment in the pirate-infested waters off the Somalia coast will bring the Chinese navy to the front of unprecedented challenges and difficulties. The mission will not only be the Chinese navy ships' debut in a completely strange maritime situation, but will also demand they do a good job in patrolling, locating and intercepting pirates. In addition, how to have a smooth coordination and cooperation with other navies in surrounding areas also remains a big problem for China's fledgling navy. Most countries have extended their welcome to the latest military move by the Chinese government, hailing it as a big contribution to the world peace and security. However, there are also some who question China's intention behind such a move. China's deployment of naval forces is, in their eyes, the country's attempt at an overseas military expansion. As a responsible big country, China should make greater contribution to the world community and mankind. It should build a navy in keeping with its rising international status to safeguard its security and national interests. Strengthening a country's military does not necessarily mean it is a threat to others. China's military buildup is liable to provoke some misgivings among the international community. In recent years, warnings against "the China threat" and "the China military threat" have sounded high in some countries. We have reasons to believe that a PLA that pursues self-defense and actively participates in regional and global efforts for peace will finally help build a peaceful and friendly image for the nation. The author is a major-general with the Institute of Strategic Studies under the University of National Defense (China Daily 12/23/2008 page8) |
