A Strategic Concept of Active Defense 

The concept of active defense underpins the CPC's military strategy and guides China's decision-making in relation to the use of military force.

It was developed by the people's military in the long years of revolutionary wars. It calls for a balance between a strategic defensive posture and offensives in battles and campaigns, and focuses on self-defense, that is, the use of military force only for defensive purposes and only when we are attacked. In other words, "we will not attack unless we are attacked; if we are attacked, we will certainly counterattack."

As a socialist country, China promotes peace in international relations and pursues peaceful development, and it is natural that our defense policy is defensive in nature. The concept of active defense should be enriched by taking into account contemporary imperatives, so that we can deter wars, respond to any crises that may emerge, and win wars when they do occur.  

積極防御戰略思想

積極防御戰略思想是中國共產黨軍事戰略思想的基本點，是中國指導軍事斗爭和軍事力量運用的根本方針。在長期革命戰爭實踐中，人民軍隊形成了一整套積極防御戰略思想，堅持戰略上防御與戰役戰斗上進攻的統一，堅持防御、自衛、后發制人的原則，堅持“人不犯我、我不犯人，人若犯我、我必犯人”。中國是社會主義國家，奉行和平外交政策，堅持走和平發展道路，從根本上決定了在戰略上始終是積極防御。堅持積極防御戰略思想，必須從時代條件出發，豐富和完善積極防御戰略思想的內涵，更加有效地塑造態勢、管控危機、遏制戰爭、打贏戰爭。