The Chinese army has always been a staunch force in safeguarding world peace. and China has never engaged in aggression or expansion, said Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
The Senior Colonel made the remarks in response to a speech given by Pete Hegseth after being sworn in as the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, in which he made it clear that the United States would restore the warrior ethos and work with allies and partners to deter "aggressive actions" in the Asia-Pacific by China.
"We firmly oppose the groundless accusation made by the U.S. side. China always pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and upholds the military strategy of active defense. The Chinese army has always been a staunch force in safeguarding world peace. The Chinese people cherish peace, and we have never engaged in aggression or expansion, but we will never give up our legitimate rights and interests, and we will take firm countermeasures against all threats and challenges," said Zhang.
"What must be emphasized is that major country competition should not be the underlying logic of the times. Instead, a steady, sound and sustained China-US diplomatic and defense relationship will serve the common interests of the two countries and meet the general expectation of the international community. Standing at a new starting point, we hope the U.S. side will work with China on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to deepen state-to-state and army-to-army exchanges and cooperation, so as to inject more certainty and positive energy into the world," he said.
Chinese army always staunch force in safeguarding world peace: spokesman
A Pakistani scholar has stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving the conflict between the United States and Iran, as the two sides remain deadlocked over access to the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program.
In recent months, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran, pushing diplomacy as a path to ending the conflict.
In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rabia Akhtar, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lahore, affirmed Pakistan's role as a mediator but stressed that whether an agreement is reached and implemented ultimately rests with the two countries.
"Pakistan's role is valuable because keeping a channel open gives the parties somewhere to take those agreements. A mediator can clarify a proposal, explore a sequence of reciprocal steps, and help each side understand what the other might accept. But a mediator cannot make the commitments on their behalf. Ultimately, Washington and Tehran have to decide that an agreement serves their interests and that they are prepared to implement it," she said.
Throughout the conflict, she noted, leaders have publicly deployed strong rhetoric against the other side. Akhtar called on both parties to withdraw from such practices, as they make reaching an agreement all the more difficult.
"There's also the domestic political problem. If you have told your public that anything short of the other side's surrender will be a defeat, you have made your own diplomacy much harder. Leaders need room to explain that a negotiated outcome can protect national interest. And quiet diplomacy helps because it allows options to be explored before every proposal becomes a public test of resolve," she said.
As the need for dialogue over conflict grows, Akhtar highlighted the potential role of China's Global Security Initiative (GSI), which focuses on addressing the world's growing security challenges through cooperation, dialogue, and shared responsibility, and offers a framework for managing crises.
"So for me, the GSI's emphasis on dialogue is relevant to what happens between crises as well as during them. So we need communication that survives political disagreements and commitments, that gives both sides a reason to exercise restraint. We cannot simply wait for trust to appear before we start talking. We have to use dialogue to establish whether commitments can be tested and whether restraint can be reciprocated," the scholar said.
Dialogue essential to resolving US-Iran deadlock: Pakistani scholar
