China's rise poses no threat to world: media

 Although commissioning its first aircraft carrier, China poses no threat to any country in the world, a South African newspaper said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, China's first aircraft carrier was delivered and commissioned to its navy after years of refitting and repeated sea trials. "The launch of the first AC (aircraft carrier) serves as a marker on China's drive to build a blue-water navy," South African expert Kobus Van der Wath said in his editorial carried by the Business Day.

The expert is the managing director of the Beijing Axis, which is an international organization known primarily for its business and support services related to the investment and mining operation in China and Africa.

"The commission of the AC is seen as a symbol of a rising China assuming its rightful place on the high sea," said the expert.

"China's muscular rise is only a reassertion of its rightful position among the world nations, given that the country has the world's largest population and second-largest economy," he pointed out.

"However, the AC would pose no threat to any country in the world, and it is unarmed and has no aircraft," said the expert. "The Chinese world view is heavily seasoned by the belief that its global power and influence is far less than it could and should be," the expert said.

The history of China's naval exploration proves China has never launched sea invasion into any country, the expert noted.

"The 15th century Chinese admiral Zheng He sailed to Africa three times during his seven overseas voyages with each expedition consisting of hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of sailors," the expert said.

The South African expert stresses that Zheng He's leading ships were more than 100 meters long, the largest of the era, but they returned with no more than a specimen of a giraffe. "The fact that no slaves were taken and no colonies were established is held forth as proof that expansionist designs are not part of the Chinese character," the expert said.