BEIJING, December 25. /TASS/. The development of the Chinese armed forces is designed to meet the requirements of winning a defensive war, the Global Times writes in its editorial.

"It is the legitimate right and inevitable requirement of a sovereign state to strengthen national defense and military modernization, a necessity to address complex security challenges and fulfill China's international responsibility as a major country, and a foundation to safeguard national unity and dignity. This does not mean that China is seeking hegemony or challenging any other country. As China has repeatedly made it clear, no matter how developed it becomes, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence. The development of the Chinese military is designed to meet the requirements of winning a defensive war and deterring conflict. Its military growth matches the country's comprehensive national power and its security obligations and international responsibilities," the newspaper notes.

The editorial came in response to the Pentagon's recent report on the development of China’s armed forces. The paper points out that the US presented "a seemingly contradictory narrative." "On one hand, the report continues the misinterpretations and misconceptions of China's military power from the past few years, exaggerating China's ‘historic military buildup’ and fueling anxieties about the ‘increasingly vulnerable’ US homeland. <...> On the other hand, the report emphasizes that ‘under President Trump's leadership, relations between the US and China are stronger’," the Global Times writes.

"External forces have no right to make irresponsible remarks on this matter. China's military expenditure has remained below 1.5% of its GDP for many years, which is lower than the world average. It can be seen from the report that the failure to properly understand China remains a major obstacle for the US to develop a correct understanding of China," the paper adds.

The newspaper emphasizes that "it is crucial for China and the US to accurately understand each other's strategic intentions through dialogue." "However, for the US, it is even more important to move beyond the confines of Cold War thinking," the editorial notes. "China has consistently honored its commitment to peace and has never sought to build its own security at the expense of others," the Global Times concludes.