'China will never seek hegemony by force of arms'

Beijing, Jan 13(ANI): China will never seek hegemony by force of arms and compete with the United States and other Western countries despite the landmark first test flight of the radar-evading J-20 stealth fighter jet, an expert has said.

Rear Admiral Yang Yi, former director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the People's Liberation Army National Defence University, said that China is aiming to develop and maintain appropriate military capabilities in order to protect its national security and interests.

"China will never seek hegemony by force of arms... China adheres to peaceful development and China pursues a national defence policy that is purely defensive in nature, posing no threat to any country," Yang wrote in an article for the China Daily.

"The development of China's weaponry system is totally based on national defence and to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is not aimed at any other country or any specific target... China will not enter into an arms race with the United States," he added.

China had confirmed on Tuesday that it held its first test-flight of the J-20 stealth fighter jet. (ANI)