The document states that the "traditional mentality that land outweighs sea must be abandoned". While it reiterates a long-held stance that China would continue to pursue a security policy that is defensive in nature, the White Paper hits out at foreign countries "busy meddling" in South China Sea affairs, and neighbouring nations that take "provocative" actions on China's reefs and islands
With the constant expansion of the maritime battlefield, it is no longer effective for national maritime safety to just concentrate on the defence of coastal waters," Senior PLA Colonel Wang Jin said at the launch of the White Paper.