The white paper on China's national defense in 2008 is "updated, practical, consistent and systematic", said a spokesperson here on Tuesday.

The Information Office of China's State Council on Tuesday issued a white paper titled "China's National Defense in 2008". Hu Changming, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense summarized the following four features of the white paper at a press conference:

-- Updated

The white paper stands on the new starting point after 30 years of reform and opening-up.

"It focuses on the complicated and changing situation and elaborates on the new characteristic of interaction between China and the world in the present day," Hu said.

In addition, it also gives a scientific judgement of current regional and international security environment and a detailed update on recent development of defense and military building, he noted.

-- Practical

"Based upon the practice of defense and military building, the white paper updates the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) military training, political work, equipment building and logistic support through main military activities such as fighting against freezing rain disaster, relief operation after the Wenchuan earthquake, security tasks for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games," he said.

-- Consistent

"Maintaining the same structures and style of previous edition, this white paper reiterates China's principles and positions on major issues with an emphasis on the unswerving adherence to the defense policy which is purely defensive in nature and the military strategic guidelines of active defense," he said.

-- Systematic

Combining theory and practice, history and reality, the white paper gives an all-directional account of defense and military building in all fields.

"The white paper devotes a whole new chapter to each service and arm, namely the army, navy, air force and the second artillery force to better elaborate on their respective historic development, structures and organizations, and force building," the spokesperson noted.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)