V. International Security CooperationMilitary Exchanges
China handles its militaryrelations independently, and conducts military exchanges and cooperation with othercountries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Military diplomacyshould serve the state's overall diplomacy and the modernization of national defense andthe armed forces. In pursuance of this purpose the PLA has actively engaged in externalcontacts and exchanges in a flexible and practical manner, and made sustained efforts forenhanced mutual trust, friendship and cooperation with armed forces of other countries,and for regional and world peace, stability and development.Over the past two years, China has sent more than 70high-level military delegations to over 60 countries, and hosted some 160 high-levelforeign military delegations. In addition, the Chinese military has conducted friendly andmutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation with its foreign counterparts in thetechnical and other specialized fields. In this regard it has dispatched more than 150technical or other specialized delegations abroad, while over 180 foreign militarydelegations of the similar nature have visited China.
China has improved its military relations with itsneighboring countries. With active high-level military contacts, the bilateral militaryrelations between China and Russia have developed smoothly. Chinese armed forces have madegreat efforts to promote ties with the armed forces of northeast Asian countries, and madepositive contributions to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia as awhole. China's military contacts with countries in southeast, south and central Asia havemaintained their momentum. At the same time, China has further strengthened its militaryrelations with countries in west Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, as well as thosein eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Chinese armed forces havecontinued to provide assistance to their counterparts in developing countries in personneltraining, equipment, logistical materials, and medical care, and will seek to widen thescope of contacts in the future.
In May 1999, China postponed its high-level militaryexchange programs with the United States in response to the serious incident of bombing ofthe Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by the US-led NATO. Followingthe gradual improvement of the relations between the two countries, normal militarycontacts between China and the US have resumed. The defense ministries of the twocountries held defense consultations at the vice-ministerial level in January 2000. The USdefense secretary visited China in July of the same year. China has always attachedimportance to the development of military relations with European countries, and hasexchanged or maintained high-level visits and conducted military exchanges with them atvarious levels.
The past two years have seen good-will visits byChinese naval vessels to New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Tanzania andSouth Africa, and visits to China by naval vessels from France, Russia, Australia,Malaysia, Belgium, Canada and Turkey. In addition, China has sent many delegations orgroups of military experts to other countries for visits, training, study or research, andhosted many similar foreign delegations or groups.
These exchanges of visits have covered many fields,ranging from military education, training and management to scientific research, academicstudy, culture and sports, and medical care. In August 1999, the PLA participated in theSecond World Military Games held in Croatia.
New progress has been made in cooperation betweenthe PLA and foreign armed forces in military education and training. In the past twoyears, more than 200 Chinese military personnel have been sent to study in Russia,Germany, France, Britain, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Kuwait, while nearly 1,000military personnel from Africa, Latin America and Europe and other Asian countries havecome to study in China.
Regional Security Cooperation
China supports regional security dialogue andcooperation at different levels, through various channels, in different forms and in astep-by-step manner pursuant to the principles of participation on an equal footing andreaching consensus through consultation in the spirit of seeking common ground whilereserving differences. China maintains that the multilateral security dialogue andcooperation in the Asia-Pacific region should be oriented toward and characterized bymutual respect instead of the strong bullying the weak, cooperation instead ofconfrontation, and seeking consensus instead of imposing one's own will on others. Chinahas participated in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Conference on Interaction andConfidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Council on Security Cooperation in theAsia-Pacific Region (CSCAP), Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD), AcademicSymposium of China, the United States and Japan, and other activities for multilateralsecurity dialogue and cooperation. China stands for enhancing mutual understanding andtrust between countries and promoting regional peace and stability through these importantgovernmental and non-governmental channels of discussions on security issues.
The ARF is the only pan-Asia-Pacific officialmultilateral security dialogue and cooperation forum at present. Representatives of theChinese ministries of foreign affairs and national defense have attended all the ARFforeign ministers and senior officials' meetings. They have also attended official orunofficial meetings on confidence-building measures, peace-keeping, maritime search andrescue, emergency rescue and disaster relief, preventive diplomacy, non-proliferation, andguiding principles within the framework of the ARF. In the past two years, China hashosted, successively in Beijing, the ARF Seminar on Tropical Hygiene and Prevention andTreatment of Tropical Infectious Diseases, the ARF Professional Training Program onChina's Security Policy, the 4th ARF Meeting of Heads of Defense Colleges, and the ARFSeminar on Defense Conversion Cooperation.
China holds that the ARF should continue to focus onconfidence-building measures, explore new security concepts and methods, and discuss thequestion of preventive diplomacy. At the same time, it believes that the parties concernedshould have a full discussion first on the concept, definition, principles and scope ofpreventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region and reach consensus in this regard. Chinahas actively advocated the development of multilateral cooperation in military medicine,military law and the conversion of military technologies and facilities for civilian usewithin the framework of the ARF. It has proposed to establish an ARF marine informationand data center, encouraged exchange of high-level military visits and port calls by navalvessels, as well as exchanges of military personnel, and supported cooperation inemergency rescue and disaster relief, safety in maritime navigation and marineenvironmental protection.
China has been an active participant in the processof the CICA initiated by Kazakhstan, believing the purpose of the CICA as generallyconsistent with its security goals in Asia. It is of the view that the CICA should developstep by step with full consideration given to the regional peculiarities and diversitiesin Asia.
In 1996, China formally joined the CSCAP, and in1997 established the CSCAP China Committee. And it has actively participated in the CSCAPactivities.
Since the establishment of the NEACD in 1993, Chinahas attended all its meetings, and in 1996 and 1999, hosted the fourth and ninth NEACDmeetings in Beijing. China has also worked with other member states and succeeded ingetting the NEACD to reach agreement on the guiding principles for cooperation betweennortheast Asian countries.
China has established, with Russia, the UnitedStates, France, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some neighboringcountries and regional organizations, mechanisms for regular or irregular consultations onthe issues of security, defense and arms control. Desirous of maintaining lasting peaceand stability in the Asia-Pacific region, officials and scholars from China's Ministry ofNational Defense and other departments concerned have involved themselves more extensivelyand deeply in symposiums and other activities on Asia-Pacific security. This has promotedmutual understanding and trust between China and the countries concerned.
Confidence-Building Measures
The Chinese government has always attachedimportance to confidence-building measures with neighboring countries and has worked hardfor their adoption. It has energetically advocated the conclusion of border treaties oragreements through talks between the parties concerned on an equal footing in accordancewith the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries andrefraining from directing at any third party and threatening or harming other countries'security and stability, so as to safeguard equal security for all the parties concerned,and regional peace and stability.
In April 1996, the heads of state of China, Russia,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in Shanghai for the first time and signed theAgreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas. In April1997, the heads of state of the five countries met again in Moscow and signed theAgreement on Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Areas. The agreementstipulates that each country should reduce its military forces deployed in the borderareas to such a minimum level as to be compatible with the good-neighborly relations itenjoys with the other four countries in accordance with the principle of equal security.It reiterates that none of the contracting parties should use or threaten to use forceagainst the others, nor should any of them seek military superiority unilaterally; thatthe military forces of one party deployed in the border areas shall not engage in anymilitary activity to threaten any other party or prejudice the peace and stability of theborder areas; and that the number of military personnel and the quantity of the maincategories of weaponry and military technical equipment in the geographical areas asdefined in the agreement should be reduced or restricted. In July 1998 and August 1999,respectively, the heads of state of the five countries met for the third and fourth timesin Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, where they signed joint statements.In July 2000, the heads of state of the five countries met for the fifth time in Dushanbeof Tajikistan. The President of Uzbekistan attended the meeting as an observer. TheDushanbe Statement signed after the meeting points out that the five countries are playingan increasingly important and positive role in safeguarding regional security andstability and are committed to making the "Shanghai Five" a regional mechanismfor their multilateral cooperation in all fields. The five countries have decided todeepen cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic and trade, military, militarytechnology and other fields to consolidate regional security and stability, and toeffectively implement all the clauses of the agreements they have signed concerningconfidence-building in the military field and the mutual reduction of military forcesalong the border areas. They have made it clear that they will never allow any country touse their territory to conduct any activities detrimental to the sovereignty, security andpublic order of any of the five countries, and that they will support each other's effortsin safeguarding their national independence, state sovereignty, territorial integrity andsocial stability.
In March 2000, the defense ministers of the fivecountries met in Astara of Kazakhstan for the first time. The joint communique signedafter the meeting reiterates the determination of the five countries to develop theirmilitary and political relations and conduct friendly cooperation based on equality andmutual trust with due consideration to the interests of all the parties and theirneighboring areas. It points out that such cooperation is not exclusive, nor is itdirected at any third country or bloc of countries. The five countries stressed their firmopposition to interference in other countries' internal affairs on the excuse ofprotecting ethnic or religious interests, or human rights. They declared that they wouldnever tolerate national separatism, religious extremism or terrorism, and that they wouldresolutely oppose any activity by such forces on their respective territory against othercountries. They pledged to jointly take effective measures to crack down on suchactivities so as to safeguard regional peace and stability. The five agreed that theywould further study the possibility of strengthening confidence-building measures in themilitary field, promote cooperation between frontier departments, and jointly combattransnational crimes, stage joint exercises in preventing dangerous military activities,combating international terrorists and carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief,share peace-keeping experiences and coordinate with each other in their peace-keepingoperations.
In August 1995, China's Ministry of National Defenseand the Frontier Defense General Administration of the Federation of Russia signed theSino-Russian Agreement on Frontier Defense Cooperation. Under the Agreement, the two sidesshall cooperate with each other in frontier defense and make every effort to turn theboundary between China and Russia into one of peace, tranquility and friendship; exchangeinformation in the interest of frontier defense cooperation; coordinate their measures toeffectively guard their boundary and maintain order there; prevent accidental incidents orconflicts in the border areas; coordinate with each other in taking measures againstillegal activities in the border areas; assist in the search for, detention and timelytransfer of people crossing boundaries illegally, together with their transportation meansand belongings; exchange experiences on organizing and implementing the defense of theirnational boundaries; and help each other with technical equipment for the defense of theirnational boundaries.
In November 1999, China's Ministry of NationalDefense and the Frontier Guards Administrative Bureau of Mongolia signed theSino-Mongolian Agreement on Cooperation in Frontier Defense. The agreement stipulates thatthe two sides shall promote cooperation in frontier defense and make efforts to keep peaceand stability on the boundary between China and Mongolia; exchange information in theinterest of maintaining normal order in the border areas and other related information;discuss measures and share experiences in guarding and managing the border and maintainingnormal order there; prevent accidental incidents or disputes in the border areas; crackdown on illegal activities across the border, such as smuggling of weapons, trafficking innarcotics and other contrabands, robbery and theft; strengthen cooperation betweenboundary representative bodies of the two countries in handling border incidents throughconsultation, and assist each other in the search for and timely transfer of the peoplecrossing boundaries illegally, together with their transportation means, livestock andother belongings; and inform each other of any possible natural disasters or epidemicdiseases which may cause losses to the other and measures to be adopted to prevent themfrom crossing the boundary.
The relevant government departments and frontierforces of China have faithfully implemented the stipulations of the treaties andagreements, and actively promoted exchanges and cooperation with their counterparts ofneighboring countries. They have dealt with boundary affairs in a timely manner andcracked down on illegal activities in the border areas together with their counterpartsthrough communication and consultation mechanism, and frontier talks and meetings. Withthe gradual establishment and implementation of confidence-building measures, there hasbeen a visible decrease in the number of boundary disputes and incidents, a normal orderin the border areas has been effectively maintained, and a peaceful and friendlyatmosphere has gradually prevailed along the boundary.
Participation in UN Peace-Keeping Operations
According to the UN Charter, the UN Security Councilis conferred primary responsibility for the maintenance of world peace and stability. As apermanent member of the UN Security Council, China has been committed to the maintenanceof international peace and stability. It attaches great importance to the United Nationsand support it in playing its due role in maintaining international peace and securityunder the guidance of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
In order to guarantee their success and sounddevelopment, UN peace-keeping operations must strictly adhere to the purpose andprinciples of the UN Charter, especially the principles of respect for state sovereigntyand non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. No UN peace-keeping operationsshould be launched without the prior consent of the countries concerned. All UNpeace-keeping forces should strictly observe neutrality and non-use of force except forself-defense. Peaceful means, rather than force measures, should be sought to settledisputes, such as mediation, good offices and negotiation. Double standards and militaryinterference under the name of the UN should be rejected. Any decision on launching UNpeace-keeping operations must be based on practicability, and capabilities, and nopeace-keeping operation should be launched when conditions are not ripe. Peace-keepingforces should not become a party to a conflict, which would be a deviation from the basicpurpose of peace-keeping operations.
Adhering to the above principles, China hasparticipated actively in UN peace-keeping activities. So far China has sent 522 militaryobservers, liaison officers or advisers and 800 men in two batches from engineering unitsto the UN peace-keeping operations, including the United Nations Truce SupervisionOrganization (UNTSO), United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), UnitedNations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), United Nations Mission for theReferendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ),United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), United Nations Observer Mission inSierra Leone (UNOMSIL) and United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).
At the moment, 38 Chinese military observers arestill serving with UNTSO, UNIKOM, MINURSO and UNAMSIL. In January 2000, at the request ofthe United Nations, the Chinese government dispatched 15 civilian policemen to the UnitedNations Transitional Authority in East Timor, the first time for China to send civilianpolicemen to UN peace-keeping operations. In addition, the Chinese government hascontinued to take part in the UN's stand-by arrangements.
Meanwhile, four Chinese have laid down their lives,and dozens have been wounded in UN peace-keeping operations in order to support the UnitedNations in fulfilling the mission entrusted to it by the UN Charter.