How Chinese military became a firm force for maintaining world peace

Editor's Note: As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, CGTN presents "Forging a Peaceful Future," a special series of in-depth news analyses. These stories delve into history, explore the post-war world order and highlight how China's past has shaped its sustained contributions to global peace today.

During his state visit to Greece in 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Acropolis Museum in Athens. He paused before a relief of Athena Promachos, the goddess of wisdom and warriors, and talked about the old Chinese maxim, "To stop violence is the true meaning of martial virtue."

The phrase comes from the Zuo Zhuan, an ancient book regarded as a commentary on China's chronicle of the Spring and Autumn period. After defeating the State of Jin in 597 BC, the State of Chu's minister Pan Dang urged King Zhuang to display the spoils so that "future generations will not forget our military glory."

The king replied, "Real military achievement lies in ending war, not waging it."

In today's turbulent world, China has woven that maxim into its modern security doctrine: "One should always remain strategically clear-sighted about possible war risks, be ready to fight at any time."

"We must adhere to the path of peaceful development, but we must never give up our legitimate rights and interests, and we must never sacrifice our core national interests. No foreign country should expect us to trade our core interests, and no foreign country should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit of damaging our sovereignty, security and development interests," Xi said.

A classical thread in contemporary strategy

Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" counsels that the highest form of generalship is "to subdue the enemy without fighting."

For millennia, Chinese politicians have concluded that "though a state be great, if it loves war it will perish," while "a war waged to end war may be justified." Thus, being able to fight becomes the prerequisite for being able not to fight.

China will hold a massive military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3.

"We hold the military parade to show our firm determination to pursue the path of peaceful development, our strong will to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our great capability to safeguard world peace and tranquility," said Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei at the first press conference of the commemoration event.

"In terms of peace and security, China has the best track record among all the major countries of the world. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, our country has never waged a single war, never encroached upon an inch of foreign land, and never started a proxy war. We are the only major country to write a peaceful development path into our Constitution," Hong said.

Hong also noted that, among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, China contributes the largest number of peacekeepers.

Guardians of the global commons

2025 marks the 35th year of Chinese participation in UN peacekeeping. More than 50,000 Chinese service members have served in over 25 missions across the globe: clearing mines, treating the wounded, escorting humanitarian convoys, and protecting civilians.

The Chinese Navy's escort operations began in 2008. By 2024, Chinese naval escort fleets had escorted nearly 7,300 Chinese and foreign ships in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, completing 1,600 escort missions. The primary goal of escort operations is to safeguard national strategic interests and international humanitarian obligations, and to ensure the security of vital transport routes.

Furthermore, escort fleets are tasked with increasingly diverse missions, including visiting other countries, conducting joint exercises with other navies, and evacuating and protecting Chinese citizens. The Chinese Navy, exemplified by the escort fleet, is becoming a vital force in maintaining world peace and regional stability.

Military expert Zhang Junshe said, "The Chinese Navy's 16 years of continuous escort operations in the Gulf of Aden once again demonstrate that the development of the Chinese military is a boon, not a threat, to world peace. The stronger the Chinese military's capabilities, the more public security goods it will provide to the international community."