Colonel Major Qian Lihua, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Defense Ministry, published an article after Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited China on July 10-13, 2011. In commenting on the transparency of China’s military, Qian said, “It must be pointed out that the openness of China’s military is an orderly openness, one that is equal, reciprocal, and in accordance with China’s security and interests. We will gradually increase the extent of openness based on the level of China’s military development and the need for military diplomacy; we will oppose blind openness that does not consider the realities. We advocate equal treatment and oppose forced and involuntary openness. We advocate mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and oppose unilateral openness seeking self interest. We insist on gradual openness on the premise of ensuring national military security, appropriately handling the relationship between openness and confidentiality. There is no such thing as ‘absolute transparency.”
Source: People’s Daily, July 16, 2011
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/1076/115150/15179956.html