Well, that didn’t take long.
A couple of days ago foreign media reported on a book by PLA Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu calling for China to seek global military supremacy. Today, the China Daily carries a follow-up titled, “China’s military not a threat – Major General.” It would seem, what with the “Lianghui” dual political meetings of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress (I’ll never get tired of typing that) under way, the cooler heads have prevailed:
China’s military development will not challenge the United States, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) major general and member of the country’s top political advisory body said on Wednesday.
“China is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that has not achieved territorial integrity,” said Luo Yuan, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and senior researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences.
“We need to think more on how to preserve national integrity. We have no intention of challenging the US,” he added.
Luo’s remarks came just before the opening of the third session of the 11th CPPCC, in response to Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu, who recently said in his newly published book that China should build the world’s strongest military.
“That’s just his ambition,” Luo said.
How’s that for tight messaging? Check it out:
- We’re not out to challenge the United States.
- We’re more focused on territorial integrity than anything else.
- Senior Colonel Liu was speaking his own mind, not policy.
Well played as these things go. But the best part is the headline, which makes sure to point out that that the statements come from a Major General, and not a Senior Colonel. Sure, they’re only one step apart, but it’s an important gesture nonetheless.
