paper saying Beijing would āsurely counterattack if attackedā by an enemy amid concerns from the US and neighboring countries over its developments in the South China Sea.The release of the document came shortly after Beijing lodged a complaint against the US for flying a surveillance jet over disputed territory in the South China Sea, where China is building artificial islands.
Chinese state media reported that the white paper, issued by the state council, the countryās cabinet, underscored that Beijing was committed to world peace and believed that a world war was unlikely. But it added that āsmall-scale wars, conflicts and crises are recurrent in some regionsā. The state-owned news agency Xinhua highlighted one particular phrase, which appeared in the āStrategic Guideline of Active Defenceā section: āWe will not attack unless attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked.ā
Much to the concern of its neighbours and the US, China, the dominant powerhouse in the region, has been building artificial islands and buildings in the disputed South China Sea, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims.
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