China on Tuesday issued a white paper on national defense, pledging to be committed to the peaceful development and advance its military modernization.

The paper for the first time unveiled China's ambition of "basically accomplishing mechanization (of the military) and making major progress in informationization by 2020" and "realizing modernization by the mid-21st century."

The white paper on "China's National Defense in 2008" was issued by the Information Office of the State Council Tuesday.

Vowing to strengthen the military by means of science and technology, the paper said China was working to "develop new and high-tech weaponry and equipment, conduct military training in conditions of informationization and build a modern logistics system in an all-round way."

On China's military strategic guideline of active defense, the paper said this guideline "aimed at winning local wars in conditions of informationization."

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Hu Changming takes part in a news conference to release China's national defense white paper in Beijing, January 20, 2009. [CNS]

On the current effort to streamline the armed forces, the paper said China is aimed at developing a complete set of "scientific modes" of organization, institutions and ways of operation by 2020.

Nuke Weapons Not Aimed At Any Country

The paper for the first time specified in detail China's long-standing policy of "no first use of nuclear weapons."

"In peacetime, the nuclear missile weapons of the Second Artillery Force are not aimed at any country," the paper said while reaffirming the country's will to implement "a self-defensive nuclear strategy."

"But if China comes under a nuclear threat, the nuclear missile force of the Second Artillery Force will go into a state of alert, and get ready for a nuclear counterattack to deter the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China," the paper said.

The Second Artillery Force is China's name for its core force of strategic deterrence.

Under the direct command of the Central Military Commission, the nuclear armed force is aimed to deter nuclear strike from other countries and to conduct nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles.

Security Situation Improving, Still Complicated

The paper, the sixth of its kind issued by the Chinese government since 1998, gave an overall picture of China's national defense ranging from the security environment, national defence policy, to defense expenditure and arms control.

Describing China's general security situation as "improving steadily," the 105-page document said "the situation across the Taiwan Straits has taken a significantly positive turn."

The paper attributed the improvement to the failed attempts of the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence" and the progress made in cross-Straits consultations.

However, "China is still confronted with long-term, complicated, and diverse security threats and challenges," the paper said, listing the threats of separatist forces of "Taiwan independence," "East Turkistan independence" and "Tibet independence."

"In particular, the United States continues to sell arms to Taiwan in violation of the principles established in the three Sino-US joint communiques, causing serious harm to the Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," the paper said.

In the face of "unprecedented opportunities and challenges," China will "persist in taking the road of peaceful development," the paper said.

The paper also reviewed the three decades of China's defense expenditure, saying it stayed at "a reasonable and appropriate level."

Although China's defense expenditure increased from 1988 to 2008, the total amount and per-service-person share of China's defense spending remained lower than those of some major powers, the paper said.

The paper also for the first time devoted separate chapters to the army, navy, air force and second artillery force, introducing their capacities and functions.

"China will never seek hegemony or engage in military expansion now or in the future, no matter how developed it becomes," the paper said.