China Security

China is not only the most populous country in the world, with 1.2 billion people, but it has the largest standing army. Even after a 25 percent reduction in its armed forces in the late 1980s, it still has 3 million men and women in arms. China is a nuclear power, and along with France, the only country in the world still testing nuclear weapons, to our regret. China possesses ballistic missiles, including ones capable of reaching the United State. It is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, with the rights and responsibilities that go with membership in that exclusive club. And all that had made China an extremely important and potentially difficult neighbor. As recently as 25 years ago, China was a revolutionary power bent on the subversion of its neighbors. Its size and power make its behavior and evolution a source of intense interest to all of the countries of East Asia and a focus of their international relations.

Under the control of civilian leadership, China has been embarked on a modernization program in recent years aiming at developing a more professional army and at upgrading, particularly its aerial and naval capabilities. And China has sold technologies related to weapons pf mass destruction, as well as missile delivery system technology, in sensitive regional hot spots. And China has support nuclear programs of concern in Pakistan and Iran.
Its number one priority is economic development, its transportation from a poor developing country into a wealthy country. This has been the driving idea dominating Chinese politics and Chinese life
since the late 1970s when Deng Xiaoping threw out most of the reigning ideology and placed economic development at the top of China’s agenda. Since that time, the foreign policy of China has been a function of the domestic priority. In other words, the development of China requires a peaceful international environment and that has been China’s goal.

In October, 1994, China has accepted the increasingly strict parameters for the sale of missiles culminated in an arrangement to refrain from selling MTCR-class missiles, because China has supported the indefinite extension of the nuclear Non-Proliferation. And also China declared that it accepted the applicability of international law and the Law of the Sea Convention to disputes involving the Spratly Islands, though China claim to the region’s islands and atolls.
The components of our policy include a program of military exchange with China at various levels in the security area. It entails bilateral dialogue suspended, but we hope to resume shortly of that. The army of China had done much to ensure the security of China, and we the Chinese people are also responsible for the security of our great country!