Xinhua Insight: The West needs to discard 10 biases against China (2)

AS NO. 5: CHINA'S INCREASED MILITARY SPENDING THREATENS WORLD

To help better understand China's military spending, it may be advisable to first listen to U.S. President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address. "We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world," the U.S. president said. "No nation attacks us directly, or our allies, because they know that's the path to ruin."

On the contrary, China's military expenditure has long been at a low level, putting the building of national defense under great pressure. The current defense spending rise reveals tremendous restraint by China.

The blame by some major countries on China is, no doubt, out of ulterior motives.

China implements an active defense military strategy. It will never attack others unless being attacked first and it will not waive the power to strike back if it is under attack from others.

The peaceful development of China has significantly reduced the risk of a world war.

BIAS NO. 6: IRRATIONAL NATIONALISM IN CHINA

In a sense, many localities in China are turning into "cities of immigrants" where more foreigners are investing and living in. Chinese people always welcome them, despite the fact that Chinese have suffered century-long humiliation inflicted by foreign aggressors since the outbreak of the Opium War in mid-19th century till the founding of the New China.

Today, the comprehensive strength of the country has become increasingly stronger and the national pride and cohesion are also rising.

However, Chinese people are keeping a sober mind and understand that patriotism should be expressed in a rational, peaceful and inclusive manner and they are making their patriotism a motive to work hard and seek peaceful development.

China will never allow the emergence of any extreme nationalism, knowing that such mentality will put the nation in peril. It is incompatible with the CPC's peaceful ideology.

Moreover, the inclusive trait in Chinese culture is a powerful antidote to the parochial nationalism.

BIAS NO. 7: NO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CPC-RULED CHINA

People holding this view should visit China to see the fervor during Christmas or observe the devout prayers at mosques. If the government had really oppressed religions, such scenes could never occur.

The Chinese government's respect for religious freedom lies, to a great extent, in this country's profound culture and traditions. Historically, hostility between different religions hardly existed in China, not to mention a religious war. Such respect is also stipulated in the law to protect people's religious freedom.

According to international consensus, the choice of whether to worship and what to worship adheres to a country's law. If an individual commits crime or conducts terrorist activities in the name of religion, they must be handled in accordance with the law.

BIAS NO. 8: CHINA HAS NO INTERNET FREEDOM

China has more than 600 million Internet users, the most in the world, and has fostered such Internet giants as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.

If one understands Chinese and lives in China, he or she will find diversified topics on Chinese websites and heated online discussion. As a political stage that welcomes overseas media, the ongoing annual sessions of the country's national legislature and political advisory body have also drawn a huge amount opinions and suggestions from Internet users.

As a sovereignty, China doesn't allow the Internet to be outside the law. Overseas Internet companies are only permitted to enter the Chinese market if they obey Chinese laws. The Chinese government has tightened management on illegal remarks posted on the Internet and it won't tolerate the West using the Internet to set agendas to interfere in China's economic and social development.

Many countries have laws to manage the Internet and China will improve its network management.

BIAS NO. 9: CHINA PURSUING MILITARIZATION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

Islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named and used by the Chinese, and China was the first and continues to exercise sovereignty over these islands.

As a matter of fact, peace, security and stability are the common wishes for all countries in the region. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are actively and steadily pushing forward consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Since the United States presented its Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, the region that had been generally peaceful for many years has fallen into tumult. U.S. aircraft and ships have perennially conducted surveillance on countries in the region with increasing frequency, escalating regional tension. This is the greatest danger for "militarization" in the South China Sea.

China has never held back freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Ironically, the United States urged China to obey the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the United States itself is unwilling to accede into.

BIAS NO. 10: "BELT AND ROAD" GEOPOLITICAL TOOL

The Belt and Road Initiative doesn't solely belong to China. It rather belongs to the whole world.

Without exclusivity, the initiative is a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes and radiating across the oceans to America. Any interested country or region can join the network.

China's efforts to push forward progress for the Belt and Road Initiative, set up Silk Road Fund and call for the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have received positive responses from many countries. Future cooperation will be conducted under the principle of joint consultation, construction and benefits so as to realize common development and prosperity. Endi