MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. The development of the Chinese army in the context of new challenges is aimed precisely at protecting the country's sovereignty and security interests, but, however powerful the Chinese army may become, Beijing will never seek world domination and global expansion, Beijing’s special envoy for Korean Peninsula affairs, Liu Xiaoming, told TASS in an interview when asked for comment on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent instructions to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to step up training for real combat operations.

"China’s work on its defense posture and efforts to strengthen the Chinese army pursue exclusively defensive aims to protect China's peace environment and to let our country make new achievements in economic development and improve the well-being of our people. In other words, the growth of the Chinese army is proportionate to the task of maintaining global peace," he said, adding that the Chinese army was actively involved in UN peacekeeping missions, in escorting ships in the Gulf of Aden and in other humanitarian operations.

"We are exerting great efforts to ensure the welfare of the entire world," Liu added.

"At present, new challenges are multiplying on the globe. Under these circumstances, we need to pay attention to the fact that China has not achieved its unification thus far. In a situation like this, it is crucial to be certain that the development of the Chinese army is aimed precisely at protecting our sovereignty and security interests. Let me stress once again: No matter how strong the Chinese may become, we shall never pursue world domination or world expansion. We will exert our efforts to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, shared prosperity, openness, inclusiveness and a beautiful environment," he stressed.

Liu noted that the Chinese president recently "visited the Chinese army's Southern Theater Command area and, in his speech there, pointed to the importance of implementing the Communist Party's ideas for strengthening the Chinese army in the new era, adhering to the military and strategic course of the new era, intensifying the military’s training for real combat operations, accelerating the reform and upgrade of the Chinese army and resolutely implementing the tasks set by the Communist Party and the people."

Liu stressed that China was following a path of peaceful development and pursuing a defensive defense policy and had always made great contributions to defending global peace, promoting international development and protecting the world order. He stressed the Chinese people’s commitment to peace.

"In the 70 years since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, we have never actively provoked a single war and have never conquered an inch of other people's land," Liu said.