People鈥檚 Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers raise the Chinese flag during a memorial ceremony at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall on the annual national day of remembrance to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the massacre in Nanjing in China鈥檚 eastern Jiangsu province on December 13, 2018. (Photo by STR / AFP)
BEIJING, China 鈥� China outlined plans to build a modern, high-tech army in a national defense plan published Wednesday, while accusing Washington of undermining global strategic stability and warning against Taiwanese independence.
The first white paper since 2012 gives rare insight into the world鈥檚 largest army and Beijing鈥檚 military ambitions.
鈥淚nternational strategic competition is on the rise,鈥� the document says, adding that the United States has adjusted its national security and defense strategies and adopted 鈥渦nilateral policies鈥�.
The US 鈥渉as provoked and intensified competition among major countries, significantly increased its defense expenditure, pushed for additional capacity in nuclear, outer space, cyber and missile defense, and undermined global strategic stability鈥�.
The plan calls for more cutting-edge technology in the People鈥檚 Liberation Army (PLA) arsenal, admitting it 鈥渟till lags far behind the world鈥檚 leading militaries鈥�.
War is evolving towards 鈥渋ntelligent warfare鈥�, the national security plan says, citing a growing use of AI, big data, cloud computing and 鈥渘ew and high-tech military technologies based on IT鈥�.聽
China鈥檚 defense spending is second only to the United States, and it said earlier this year it planned to increase it by 7.5 percent in 2019.
Despite the ambitious plans, it insists the Chinese army is a 鈥渟taunch force for world peace鈥�.
But within its own borders it is less sanguine, promising to 鈥渃rack down鈥� on separatists in Xinjiang and Tibet.聽
Beijing is firmer still on the self-ruled island of Taiwan 鈥� which China views as its own territory 鈥� and makes 鈥渘o promise to renounce the use of force鈥� in bringing it back into the fold.
鈥淐hina must be and will be reunited,鈥� the paper reads. 鈥淐hina has the firm resolve and the ability to safeguard national sovereignty鈥� and will never allow the secession of any part of its territory by anyone.鈥�
It says Taiwan 鈥渟eparatists鈥� are the biggest threat to the peaceful reunification of the country.
鈥淭he PLA will resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China,鈥� it says.
The PLA has been focused on catching up with technology used by armed forces in the US and western Europe, and is reportedly building a third aircraft carrier as well as developing new generation destroyer vessels, fighter jets and ballistic missiles.