General Luo Yuan is back!

After a couple of months hiatus – which strangely started on 25^th Jan, General Lou is back in the news, and this time singing from Deng Xiao Ping’s hymn sheet.

No longer is he the cutting edge of the PLA’s more assertive stance, as he was in 2010. This time, he’s the poster-boy for the modest Deng policy of hiding one’s capabilities and not drawing attention to one’s self. This old strategic chestnut is now en vogue again in CCP circles, so as to detract from the ever-increasing demands for real political change that is sweeping the world in the form of the Jasmine Revolutions.

Here’s in latest interview from China.org.cn

China is no threat to the U.S.: General

The state of Sino-U.S. ties will be decided by the U.S., because China has always maintained a constructive attitude and is committed to preserving a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century, Major General Luo Yuan told China.org.cn on during the CPPCC session.

China will not change its policy towards the U.S. as its national power grows, said Luo, who is deputy secretary general of the China Society of Military Science and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. China's traditional culture and national character emphasize modesty and prudence, and China will neither seek hegemony, nor pose a threat to the United States, he added.

"We are very clear about our realities," said Luo. "I have visited former revolutionary base areas in remote and border areas and found that people there are still living in poverty." He said that as a visiting scholar abroad he saw quite clearly that China still lags far behind western countries. Those who see China as a threat to the United States and believe that China is competing for world leadership with the U.S. should go to western China and have a close look at how people live there, Luo said.

Well-informed Americans understand that China is not capable of posing a threat to the United States, Luo said. "Those who say China is a threat to the U.S. are just playing the ‘China card' to achieve other goals, such as increased military spending, shifting the public's attention from domestic issues and avoiding blame at home, or forming alliances with other counties."

According to the Major General, there is no country in the world capable of constituting a military threat to the United States. "China has never sent surveillance aircraft and ships to the U.S. East Coast or West Coast, but the U.S. regularly carries out surveillance activities in the South China Sea and East China Sea." Those who know China understand that China neither wants to nor has the power to pose a threat to the U.S., Luo added. "The China threat theory is utterly absurd."

But Americans who know little about China see China as a monster because China is a socialist country led by a communist party, said Luo. They believe there is a structural conflict between China and U.S. Moreover, they don't believe China can develop peacefully without seeking hegemony, because there is no precedent. Previously all big powers achieved their goals through waging wars or pillaging.

When asked how to enhance mutual trust between China and the U.S., Luo said China should address American doubts and explain its military strategy to the world, as well as demonstrating by its actions that it is pursuing peaceful development.

Is the U.S. encircling China?

During her visit to the Asia Pacific last October, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that the U.S. was not seeking to contain China.

But the U.S. has strengthened its military cooperation with Taiwan; it has also enhanced ties with its five military allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and its alliances with Japan, S. Korea and Philippines cover both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. It has gained access to military bases in many South Asian countries and has built a strategic partnership with India; it has also built a dozen military bases in Central Asia under the pretext of fighting terrorism. The U.S. has also tried to woo Mongolia, Luo said.

Is the U.S. encircling China? Please take a look around China, Luo said. "The U.S. constantly urges China to increase transparency in its military strategy. We would also like them to explain to us their military intentions."

Americans believe that their values are best and they are determined to spread them across the world and maintain their dominant position in the world. Because China's social system, ideology and cultural traditions differ from theirs, they are unwilling to allow China to fully integrate into the international community, but they cannot ignore 5000 years of Chinese civilization, Luo said.

Three barriers to Sino-U.S. military ties

Major General Luo said that China has made great efforts to develop sound and stable military ties with the United States: China publishes a defense white paper every two years and has participated in the UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism and the Conventional Weapons Registration System. China has also invited many U.S. high ranking military officials to visit China, including Robert Gates, who visited the Second Artillery Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) during his recent China tour.

But three issues still hamper Sino-U.S. military relations: arms sales to Taiwan; frequent reconnaissance missions by U.S. ships and aircraft in China's waters and airspace; and U.S. legislative limits on military exchanges with China, Major General Luo said. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Delay Amendment set restrictions on military exchanges with China in 12 areas.

Sino-U.S. relations in 2011

Luo said Sino-U.S. relationship should improve and develop smoothly this year as the U.S. has just held mid-term elections and the general elections are some time off. But accidental factors could not be avoided, such as the Taiwan issue and the Korean Peninsula issue, Major General Luo said. "If the U.S. sells F-16 CD fighter aircraft to Taiwan, it will definitely harm Sino-U.S. relations."