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PLA Major General: The More We Prepare for a War, the Farther Away the War Will Be from Us

One September 19, 2016, Huanqiu (the Chinese version of Global Times), Communist China’s official mouthpiece, published an article on the intention and motivation of the United States regarding the South China Sea dispute and the THAAD system in South Korea. The author of the article is Qiao Liang, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Major General who is also a professor at the PLA National Defense University in China.

Viewing the United States as a major enemy of the People’s Republic of China, Qiao Liang criticized the U.S. for continually making trouble using geopolitical means. The United States will build the THAAD system in South Korea in order to damage the China and South Korea free trade agreement. To drive capital out of China and get it to the US, the United States navy sent two aircraft carriers into the South China Sea. However, if China and the United States really get into a war, capital will leave both China and the USA, which is not consistent with the Americans’ interests and aspirations. Therefore, Americans will not fight a battle with China. China does not have to worry about a war. For the United States, the purpose of a war is to strive to maximize its national interests rather than occupy a territory.

If China wants to be a superpower, China should learn from the United States. We will take the Diaoyu or Huangyan Island back tomorrow if not today. But the historical opportunity for China to become the world’s largest economy and ultimately revive the Chinese nation could be gone any time. China cannot act “tough” as Putin does, because China relies on both imports and exports. However, we can also make trouble for the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, aiming at the soft underbelly of our opponents. China’s large foreign exchange reserves are a powerful geopolitical weapon. “As long as we think carefully, we should know how to manipulate it.”

Now China and Russia need to rely on each other to resist the United States. They will use a united front as that has helped the Chinese Communist Party grow from a small and weak to a big and strong Party.

The article concluded that, though China’s neighborhood situation is grim, there will be no war. However, Chinese military troops must be ready for a war at any time. The more we prepare for a war, the farther away the war will be from us.

Source: Huanqiu, September 19, 2016
http://mil.huanqiu.com/observation/2016-09/9455764.html