BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States has once again exposed to the world the weaknesses of an outdated mentality in its 2018 National Defense Strategy.
The U.S. Department of Defense showed off its latest National Defense Strategy last Friday. For the first time in over a decade, the focus has shifted from fighting terrorism to preparing for "threats" from China and Russia. The Pentagon also said that China's strategic intention is to displace the United States and achieve global preeminence.
This is not the first time Washington has made assertions of a "China threat." The National Security Strategy report released mid-December was stuffed with similar rhetoric.
These assertions are a deliberate distortion of China's policies and cast a shadow across China-U.S. relations, which presumably is the intention of those who compiled the document.
There is no evidence that China's path is anything but one of peaceful development and the country's defense policy is exactly that: defensive.
China sees itself as a builder of world peace, contributor to global development and defender of the international order.
Taking part in peacekeeping missions since 1990, 31,000 personnel have participated in at least 24 UN missions. Among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has contributed the most peacekeepers, 13 of whom died on duty.
China pursues a win-win strategy in its relations with all nations, and has a vision of global governance featuring consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits. It stands for democracy in international relations, with the aim of building a new model of global affairs defined as a community with a shared future.
It is obvious to all that China accepts its international responsibilities and provides public goods to the best of its ability. Most importantly, what China seeks is global partnership, not global dominance.
It is not surprising that countries have some disagreements, but it is advisable to handle them constructively on the basis of mutual respect.
What would most benefit the United States, and thereby benefit us all, would be for the country to see the world as it really is, rather than continually coming up with paranoid accusations.
Peace and development are the themes of the times, and they are in the interests of all countries, including the United States.
The antiquated Cold War mentality and zero-sum mindset are genuine threats to world peace and the international order. More importantly, they damage the credibility of the United States.
If all our global challenges are to be met, strong, sane and trustworthy leadership from the United States has an indispensable role to play.
