Border talks with India and Bhutan advancing, says China's white paper on security

New Indian Express

22-05-2025

Some countries have grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, causing trouble in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and frequently causing trouble on issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, it said.
Some external forces are deliberately playing the Taiwan card, and the Taiwan independence forces are stubbornly adhering to their separatist positions and taking risks and provocations.
Overseas separatist forces such as Tibetan independence and East Turkestan in Xinjiang are frequently active, it said.
While highlighting challenges China faces in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, besides Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong-related issues, the paper has stressed the importunate of building a strong military to face the traditional and new security challenges.
On Taiwan, which China claims as part of its mainland, the paper said Beijing will never allow any person, any organisation, any political party, at any time, in any form, to separate any piece of Chinese territory from China.
We will unswervingly promote the complete reunification of the country, it said.
On the strategic front, the paper spoke of challenges posed by the US to contain China and the importance of close China-Russia relations.
The Sino-Russia ties are based on non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting third parties, and are not affected by any third party, nor are they interfered with or coerced by external factors, it said.
On the China-US rivalry, it said being two major countries neither side can suppress the other from the so-called position of strength or deprive the other side of its legitimate right to development in order to maintain its leading position.
The four red lines of the Taiwan issue, democracy and human rights, the road system and the right to development cannot be challenged, it said.
The Thucydides Trap (meaning a new power rising to challenge the existing power) is not a historical destiny, it said, referring to the US concerns over China's rise to challenge its global dominance.
The new Cold War cannot be fought and cannot be won, it said, adding that the containment of China is unwise, undesirable, and will not succeed.
China is willing to work with the US to explore the correct way for the two major countries to get along on this planet, for the benefit of both countries and the world, it added.
It also said non-traditional security challenges for China are increasing and listed extreme climate disasters besides terrorism, separatism, religious extremism, and major transnational epidemics as serious security threats.
Security issues in space, deep sea, polar regions, and cyberspace were listed as major threats.
The Asia-Pacific region has become the focus of great power competition.
Some countries have strengthened military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, wooed regional partners, built exclusive small groups, and insisted on advancing military deployments including the intermediate-range missile system, seriously exacerbating regional tensions, it added, without naming anyone.