First of all, the white paper's judgment on the global security situation and that of the Asia-Pacific region fully reflects a new situation and new changes in the past two years. For instance, the new white paper spells out the basic views of the Chinese Government on the international security situation, looking at it from three important points. That is to say, world peace and security face more opportunities than challenges, the international community is increasingly facing comprehensive, diverse and complex security threats, and a revolution in military affairs is developing in depth worldwide.

Second, it gives a comprehensive analysis of the security environment. It underscores that the overall national security environment is favorable to China while also acknowledging that the national security still faces challenges. The growing links between domestic and international factors and interconnected traditional and non-traditional factors have made maintaining national security a more challenging task. The struggle to oppose and contain the separatist forces calling for "Taiwan independence" and their activities remains hard.

Finally, the new white paper summarizes for the first time the national security strategic thinking. This strategic concept calls for a harmonious society internally and a harmonious world externally, and seeks a comprehensive national security and lasting peace globally.

In presenting the policy for China's national defense, the new white paper provides the following provision, "creating a security situation that facilitates the security development of the nation," whereas the corresponding clause of the white paper in 2002 reads, "safeguarding world peace and opposing aggression and expansion," and the relevant clause of the white paper in 2004 reads "maintaining a sound international environment and adjacent environment." What is significant about the change in this wording?

It is a crucial task for China's national defense to safeguard world peace and to oppose aggression and expansion. And it is also one of China's fundamental national interests to attain sound international and neighboring environments for as long as possible. Nevertheless, the international community is confronted with increasingly comprehensive, varied and complex security threats. Moreover, with new circumstances and new characteristics emerging in the national interest, it is essential to prioritize a security environment favorable to China's peaceful development, as the national defense has to comply with and serve the national development strategy and security strategy. In addition, China's national defense should also play an active role in safeguarding global and regional peace and stability.

There is an additional clause in the new white paper on "realizing the all-round, coordinated development of the national defense and army building." Will you please brief us on the scientific development of national defense and army building, with respect to actual circumstances?

A scientific outlook on development is a guiding principle not only for efforts to build a relatively affluent society, but also for national defense and army building. The new white paper makes clear the guiding position of the scientific outlook on development in the national defense policy in the new era of the 21st century.

In carrying out and implementing the scientific outlook on development, all efforts should be made to promote the coordinated development of national defense construction and economic growth. This is in order to merge national defense and armed forces' modernization into the system of socioeconomic development and also to arrange in an all-round, scientific way of building the army in various fields, in an effort to press ahead with innovation in the military organization and increase efficiency through army modernization.