Didn't Fight 'Single War' Nor 'Invaded a Single Square' of Foreign Land, Says China

Beijing: China on Friday said it has not provoked a "single war or conflict" or "invaded a single square" of foreign land, skirting any reference to the 1962 war with India.

"China has always been dedicated to resolving territorial and maritime delimitation disputes through negotiation and consultation," stated an official white paper released here, four days ahead of the country set to celebrate its 70th anniversary of the leadership of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) on October 1.

"China safeguards world peace through real actions. Over the past 70 years, China has not provoked a single war or conflict, nor invaded a single square of foreign land," the paper titled 'China and the World in the New Era' said.

The white paper, while highlighting the CPS's "peaceful rise" made no reference of the bloody 1962 war with India and the vast tracts of land, especially in the Aksai Chin area, occupied by China.

The Sino-India border dispute involving 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) remained unresolved. China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which India contests.

So far, the two countries held 21 rounds of Special Representatives talks to resolve the border dispute.

Besides the 1962 war, India and China had a major military standoff at Doklam in 2017 when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to lay a road close to India's narrow Chicken Neck corridor connecting with the North-Eastern states in an area also claimed by Bhutan.

It was finally diplomatically resolved after which both sides pulled back their troops.

China also had a major military conflict with Vietnam in 1979. China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

"China has achieved full resolution of land border delimitation problems with 12 of its 14 neighbouring countries, and delineated the China-Vietnam maritime boundary in the Beibu Gulf," the white paper said, noting that since reform and opening up in 1978, the country has cut its armed forces "by over four million".

The two-million strong Chinese military still remain the world's largest.