A necessity in a complex global landscape

In the current complex and changing international environment, keeping calm and stable is the best choice for development. China should stay low-key and focus on its own development and national defense.

The growth in global defense spending is an inevitable trend, with the European Union projecting around 800 billion euros ($841 billion) in defense spending over the next four years. Many other countries are boosting their military investments too.

China's defense spending growth is necessary. The growth rate remained in single digits in recent years, accounting for about 1.5 percent of China's GDP, far less than those of NATO member countries. Given China's population and national scale, such growth is reasonable.

Peace is ingrained in the Chinese nation's ethos, and the development of military power is aimed at securing national security. Regarding the Taiwan question, external interference is unwarranted as it is China's domestic affair.

In addition to safeguarding its own security, China, as the world's second-largest economy, its security and development is also vital for regional and world peace.

Facing global upheavals, China stays calm and conveys the fundamental message of peaceful development.

Liu Qiang is director of the Academic Council and a senior research fellow at the Shanghai Center for RimPac Strategic and International Studies.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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