PEACE-KEEPERS HOME: Chinese peacekeepers arrive in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on November 21, 2010, after finishing their eight-month mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (WU GUOQIANG)

PLA medical and health units have provided assistance to 130 county-level hospitals in poverty-stricken western areas, sent 351 medical teams, the white paper says.

In recent years, China's armed forces have also actively assisted relevant departments of the Chinese Government to provide relief materials to disaster-stricken countries, and have sent specialized teams to join international disaster relief operations, says the white paper.

Since the PLA provided relief supplies to Afghanistan in 2002, it has carried out 28 urgent international humanitarian aid missions, and provided 22 disaster-hit countries with relief materials worth over 950 million yuan ($139 million), the white paper says.

In 2001, the Chinese International Search and Rescue (CISR) team began to participate in international disaster relief operations. The CISR has since carried out eight rescue operations in disaster-stricken countries, according to the white paper.

As of December 2010, China has dispatched 17,390 military personnel to 19 UN peacekeeping missions. Nine officers and soldiers have lost their lives on duty.

"In recent years, China has become involved more and more in these foreign missions. In the future, China will play a bigger role in maintaining world peace and stability," said Colonel Yang Yujun from the Ministry of National Defense, in an interview with CCTV.

"Chinese armed forces are engaged in international missions that are peaceful, cooperative and constructive in nature, under the UN Charter and related international rules," said spokesman Geng. "While conducting escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, the Chinese navy not only protected Chinese vessels but also foreign ones and those of international organizations."

He also said the military exercises and training between Chinese and foreign armed forces have followed the principles of being non-aligned, non-confrontational and not directed against any third party. "The exercises the Chinese navy has conducted along the Chinese coast and nearby waters were routine and did not target any other country," he said.

Budget

China's defense expenditure grew by 17.5 percent in 2008 and 18.5 percent in 2009. The defense budget for 2010 was 532.115 billion yuan ($77.91 billion), up 7.5 percent from 2009.

In early March, China unveiled a 12.7-percent rise in its 2011 defense budget of 601.1 billion yuan ($88 billion).

China's defense expenditure mainly comprises expenses for personnel, training and maintenance, and equipment, with each accounting for roughly one third of the total.

"The budget increase is timely and reasonable for modernizing China's armed forces and safeguarding the country's expanding national interests in the face of new challenges created by the changing international security environment," said Yang Yi, former Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies of the PLA National Defense University.

In the past two years, the increase in defense expenditure has been used to improve support conditions for the troops and accomplish diversified military tasks, ranging from earthquake rescue to escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.

"To rescue Chinese citizens from Libya, the government had to send military aircraft and warships. Expenses for such events have to come from the military budget, too," Yang said. "Such operations are more likely to increase in the future."

Besides, in view of the upward trend in purchasing prices and maintenance costs, China has moderately increased the funds for high-tech weaponry and equipment and their supporting facilities, says the white paper.

Other highlights

Chen said the view held by some Westerners that military transparency is a prerequisite for military confidence building is misleading.

"Transparency can be a means to increase mutual trust, but it must be based on mutual trust," he said. "Transparency without mutual trust does not hold any practical meaning as it can not actually eliminate threats and fears. In order to achieve mutual trust, first of all we must continue to expand common interests and respect each other's strategic interests," Chen said.

As for arms control and disarmament, the white paper says China attaches importance to and takes an active part in international efforts in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

It says China adheres to the complete fulfillment of the UN's role in this area, and that of other related international organizations and multilateral mechanisms.

China considers existing multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation systems should be consolidated and strengthened, that the legitimate and reasonable security concerns of all countries should be respected and accommodated, and that global strategic balance and stability should be maintained.

The white paper proposes, for the first time, authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should explore the possibility of building a military security mechanism of mutual trust.

"The two sides can hold contacts and exchanges on military issues at an appropriate time and talk about the military security mechanism of mutual trust," Geng said.

White Paper Contents

Preface

I. The Security Situation

II. National Defense Policy

III. Modernization of the People's Liberation Army

IV. Deployment of the Armed Forces

V. National Defense Mobilization and Reserve Force Building

VI. Military Legal System

VII. Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense

VIII. Defense Expenditure

IX. Military Confidence-Building

X. Arms Control and Disarmament