Senior military official summarizes military diplomacy

Qian Lihua, director-general of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), published an article entitled Strive to Make Success of Military Diplomacy Work in Line with General Trend which summarizes China's military diplomacy work in 2012 on the PLA Daily on January 28, 2013. Qian Lihua said that China's military diplomacy work stood severe tests under complex and volatile international and regional situations in 2012.

The article says that China maintained stable development of its military relations with Russia, the United States and the European Union countries as evidenced by close high-level contacts and further enhanced strategic mutual trust, playing its due part in promoting international strategic balance; China focused on situation of the neighboring areas, deepened good neighborly and friendly relations, promoted its military relations with related countries to a new high, and resolutely fought over the issues of the South China Sea and the Diaoyu Islands to safeguard its national interests.

The article continues to say that the Chinese military carried out pragmatic cooperation in such fields as professional exchanges, academic education and personnel training with foreign militaries and conducted 10-odd joint military exercises and training on the subjects of maritime combat, special operation, anti-terrorism, anti-piracy and emergency rescue, etc. with foreign militaries, and achieved many new breakthroughs; the Chinese military also faced up to complex and volatile public opinion environment, actively conducted public diplomacy, did a good job of policy publicity and media guidance on hotspot issues concerning army building, strengthened external contacts in such fields as military culture, military sports and military science, and displayed an open and confident image of the Chinese military.

The article concludes that China's relations with the outside world have gone through historic changes, China's comprehensive national strength and international status have been increasingly growing, and China's national interests have been expanding, and therefore, the Chinese military is expected to participate in international security affairs in a more active attitude, respond to the global non-traditional security challenges in a more flexible way and enhance military security cooperation with various countries with more pragmatic measures, so as to make greater contributions to safeguarding China's peaceful development and maintaining world peace and stability.