Increased military budget meets needs of the times

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) march during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, in Beijing, Sept 3, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

China is willing to join hands with other countries to build a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core, Premier Li Keqiang said in the Government Work Report he delivered on Sunday.

This embodies the Chinese leadership's vision for China's interaction with the outside world and its desire to help build a peaceful and stable world featuring fairness and justice.

The world is undergoing profound changes in both the political and economic arenas. It is facing multifaceted challenges ranging from terrorism to climate change, and injustice and unfairness still haunt international relations, with unilateralism and double standards continuing to raise their ugly heads from time to time.

However, headway has been made in resolving some global issues, including progress in the fight against the Islamic State terrorists in the Middle East, which shows the willingness of countries to accommodate each other's core interests and the spirit of cooperation are growing.

Under such a backdrop, China's stance of shoring up win-win cooperation is indispensible, as is its commitment to shoulder more international responsibilities, which will help build world peace, contribute to global development and safeguard the world order.

In this regard, its decision to expand its 2017 defense budget by about 7 percent is both appropriate and necessary, since building its military capacity is not only a necessary requirement for it to safeguard its own national sovereignty and security but also for it to better play its role as a responsible world power.

From Northeast Asia to the South and East China seas, China sees its security concerns being neglected and its maritime territorial sovereignty being encroached upon. It also feels an obligation to protect its rising interests overseas and participate in global peacekeeping missions.

All this indicates China is justified in building a modern military commensurate with its comprehensive national strength.