China’s Greatest Challenge-.docVIP

China’s Greatest Challenge? 　　During the week-long Zhuhai Air Show， held mere days after the 18th Party Congress that unveiled the countrys new leadership， China presented an array of sophisticated new homegrown weaponry， including attack helicopters， unmanned aerial vehicles and surface-to-air missiles， as well as a quarter-scale model of Chinas second stealth fighter， commonly referred to as the J-31. Also， on November 25， China conducted the first landing of the J-15 fighter on its brand- new and only aircraft carrier. Broadcast on State television， the landing was hailed as a major step toward the extension of China’s ability to project its military might. Compared to the secretive test flight of the J-20， Chinas first stealth fighter， during a visit by US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in January， 2011， an action which led Gates to seek an explanation from Beijing， the recent public display of new weapon systems has been carried out in the open. Experts believe that this open-air approach to showcasing military technology is an indication of a more proactive stance in China’s future foreign and military policies. From Economic to Security According to Professor Yan Xuetong， director of the Institute of International Studies and editor-in-chief of the Chinese Journal of International Politics， the major feature of China’s new strategy in defense and foreign policy is the shift away from securing domestic economic growth toward safeguarding its overall strategic interests. “China’s defense and military development must be oriented towards China’s national security needs， incorporating the need for economic development，” reads the Partys influential work report， presented during the Party Congress in November， setting out the governments policy direction for the next five years. Since Reform and Opening-up in the 1980s， economic growth has been the priority of all government agencies， including those involved in defense and foreign policy. Fo