China officially launched an emblem for border and coastal defense on Aug. 1. The emblem bears the national flag, shield, olive branches, the Great Wall, an anchor, and ocean waves. It represents security and stability of China's land borders, coastal areas and waters, which reflects the important strategic position and role of border control and coastal defense.
China's border and coastal defense forces undertake the new mission of safeguarding national territory, sovereignty, security, unity, stability and development, namely the six core national interests clearly defined in the White Paper on China's Peaceful Development issued by Chinese government last year.
China faces diversified security challenges, especially in maritime space.
At present, China is facing both traditional and non-traditional security challenges which are intertwined with each other. The maritime security challenge is most serious. On the one hand, tensions over islands sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are heating up. On the other hand, strategic security competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Japan has staged the farces of buying and landing on the Diaoyu Islands one after another. The Philippines and Vietnam have made constant attempts to nibble China's islands sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. Even the United States has tried to create waves in China's surrounding waters by means of its Asia-Pacific strategic adjustment.
China's border and coastal defense forces should hold the shield to protect core national interests while clinging to olive branches to maintain friendly relations and mutual trust with the neighboring countries. China should cooperate closely with these countries in the fields of port administration, cross-border transportation, maritime safety, fisheries cooperation, environmental protection and disaster prevention, building smooth land and sea routes for win-win cooperation between China and neighboring countries.
Both the shield and olive branch are indispensable for safeguarding core national interests. They are equally important and cannot be replaced.
China has a clear and consistent stance on border and costal defense. It does not take even an inch of another country's territory and shows full respect for other countries' maritime rights and interests. China advocates resolving territorial disputes through friendly negotiations and actively promotes cooperation in win-win areas of mutual benefits. By the same token, China does not allow even the slightest violation of its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and will counterattack those moves resolutely.
By introducing the emblem, China has sent a clear signal to the outside world that its border and costal defense forces will continue to hold both the shield and olive branch.
