Chinese general: only way to security in Asia-Pacific

Asian countries should take a new concept of security based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation as the prevailing guidelines for actions, said Lt. Gen. Ren Haiquan, vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), on October 29, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

Ren Haiquan made above comment at the 2012 Australian Army Commander Conference. In his speech titled "China's views on security and stability in Asia", he said dialogue and cooperation is the only way to achieve common development and security as well as to realize the long-term stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Each country should abandon the zero-compromise mentality of "your winning is my loss" and "your rise makes my decline" from the Cold War period.

He believed that development is also an important means to safeguard regional security. China is an important trading partner of many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and increasingly deepened economic cooperation will bring prosperity and stability to the Asia-Pacific region.

China unswervingly adhere to peaceful development road and pursues a defense policy that is defensive in nature, said Ren Haiquan. Therefore, it is totally unnecessary to worry about China to conduct military expansion and military threat, he added.

He emphasized that China's development of aircraft carriers is for the purpose of protecting China's core national interests and safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China will not abandon peaceful development.

As an important event in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Australia, and between China and New Zealand, the four-day-long "Cooperation Spirit 2012" humanitarian rescue and disaster relief drill jointly held by China, Australia and New Zealand kicked off on Oct. 29 in Brisbane, Australia.

As the head of the Chinese delegation to observe the joint drill, Ren Haiquan said that both Australia and New Zealand are important countries in the South Pacific region. China is economically complementary with Australia and New Zealand, and also has close cooperation with the two countries in the fields of culture, education, science and technology.

The further cooperation between China and the two countries in security issue, especially in the non-traditional security field, is conducive to deepening the friendly and cooperative relations between relevant countries and their militaries.