中国的国际政策和军事战略始终是积极防御，这是中国根据自己的国际关系准则和外部安全环境做出的基本战略选择，也是优秀的中国军事传统在新时代的延续和升华。

China’s international policy and military strategy have always been those of positive defense¹. This is the basic strategic choice China has made according to its norms governing international relations and to its external security environment. It also reflects the continuation and distillation² of China’s outstanding military tradition in the new era.

中国军事传统的基本特色是谋求和平。对内主张坚决维护国家统一，反对民族分裂；对外一贯奉行睦邻友好的方针和防御战略，以“非攻”球和睦，以自卫保安宁。万里长城所象征的就是这种防御观念。中华人民共和国自建立之日起，就始终坚持在统一中求强盛，在强盛中求和平，在和平中求发展。随着时间的推移，人们越来越清楚地看到，中国有决心和能力保卫自己多国家安全利益，中国是维护地区与世界和平的重要力量。

China’s military tradition is characteristically one of seeking peace. Under this peace-seeking policy, internally, we resolutely³ defend national unity⁴ and oppose to any attempt at national separation; externally, we follow a good-neighborly policy and a defensive⁵ strategy, seeking friendly and harmonious⁶ relations through what is known as the “non-offensive” approach and securing peace through self-defense. The Great Wall is symbolic⁷ of such a defensive concept. Ever since its founding, the People’s Republic of China has been consistently seeking prosperity through unification, seeking peace through prosperity, and seeking development through peace. With the passage of time, it will be even more apparent to the world that China is determined⁸ to defend its national security and is capable of doing so, and that China is an important force in safeguarding regional and global peace.

中国的社会主义制度和独立自主的和平外交政策，也决定了中国奉行积极防御的国防政策和军事战略方针。中国不搞霸权主义，不搞强权政治，不对外搞军事扩张。中国的战略疆界不会超出其自然疆界，中国军事力量的发展也不会超出防御和自卫的需要。中国多次进行裁军，充分显示了中国军事战略的和平宗旨和防御性质，同时也反映了在和平与发展的时代主题下，中国的理性战略思维和新的安全观念。

Meanwhile, China’s socialist⁹ system and independent foreign policy of peace have determined the country’s national defense policy and military strategy to be one of active defense. China doe not seek hegemony and power politics, neither does it expand its military influence overseas. China’s strategic frontier will not go beyond its natural borders. Likewise, China’s military force will not develop in excess of its need to defend the country. China’s repeated disarmament has fully¹⁰ demonstrated to the world the peaceful orientation¹¹ and defensive nature of China’s military strategy, as well as China’s rational strategic military thinking and updated concept of security under the theme of our times, that is, peace and development.

中国的裁军决策是由中国主动做出的，不是屈服于任何人的压力而被迫作出的；是自觉的，不是盲目的；是以对中国的发展、亚太地区安全以及世界持久和平高度负责的精神而采取的建设性举措。中国的裁军行动是单方面的，没有设置任何前提，不与他国相联系，不把裁军作为迫使他国同时裁军的筹码或先决条件。中国的裁军不是象征性的，而是实质性的，是大幅度的。中国以自己多裁军实际行动表达了中国不参加军备竞赛、努力缔造和平的诚意。

China’s disarmament decision is made out of its own will, rather than under any external pressure. It is a conscious act, rather than a blind move; it is a constructive¹² act taken out of a high sense of responsibility for China’s own development, the security of Asian-Pacific region and the sustainable world peace. China’s disarmament act is unilateral, carrying no prerequisite¹³, having nothing to do with any other country. China has no intention whatsoever¹⁴ to use disarmament as a means or prerequisite to force other countries to reduce their military troops with China. China’s disarmament is not symbolic, but actual and substantial. China has shown to the world with its initiative in disarmament, its non-engagement in arms race and its sincerity¹⁵ in building a peaceful world.