The increased part of China's defense expenditure has primarily been used for increasing the salaries and allowances of the military personnel, further improving the social insurance system for servicemen, supporting the structural and organizational reform of the military, increasing investment in the development of high-caliber talents in the military, and moderately increasing equipment expenses, the white paper explains.

    On the issues of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, the white paper says that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery has become one of the major factors affecting the international security situation.

    China maintains that the international community should safeguard the international regime of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and "persist in multilateralism," says the paper.

    It says that China pursues a policy of not supporting, not encouraging and not assisting other countries to develop WMD, resolutely opposes the proliferation of WMD and actively participates in the diplomatic efforts of the international community to deal with non-proliferation issues.

    "China's non-proliferation export control measures are basically in conformity with the current international practice," it adds.

    "At present, the key to pushing forward the international arms control and disarmament process is to break the deadlock at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva," it points out.

    China supports the Conference on Disarmament in its efforts to start substantive work on four topics, namely nuclear disarmament, the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states, and prevention of an arms race in outer space.

    "In the current situation, the importance and urgency of providing security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states has become more prominent," the white paper says. "China supports the negotiation and conclusion of an international legally binding instrument on this issue."

    According to the white paper, "uncertain factors linger in the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula" and as a result, the foundation for the Six-Party Talks involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, China, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan "is not solid enough."

    The white paper also makes detailed introduction of China's military reform with Chinese characteristics, management of the defense assets, military service system, national defense mobilization and reserve force building, science, technology and industry for national defense, and relations between the armed forces and the people, as well as the country's security cooperation with the international community. Enditem

Opinion:

China's defense sector has been more and more open China strengthens building Navy, Air Force, Second Artillery China to continue to pursue new security concept for world peace Defense white paper elaborates on government security strategy Chinese military speeds up informationalization Increased part of defense expenditure mainly compensatory Chinese military steps up training for talented soldiers