LONDON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China is not a threat to the West and the former's military buildup is the natural course for a rising country, according to one expert on defense and security in the Asia region.
"In my view, this fact (China's military build-up) does not mean that China represents a threat to Europe in any way, or that is China a threat in the West," Anthony Glees, professor and director of the Center for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, said in an interview with Xinhua.
"Rather China is acting as one would expect a great power to behave whilst also offering some stability and continuity in Asia-Pacific. As such China must be taken seriously," he said.
Glees said China has the right to ensure its security. "All states must attend to their own security and will do the things that states do to sustain their security."
"We should not expect China to act differently from how the United States acts or how, in a much smaller way now, Britain acts. We in the West will want to work to secure ourselves. We should not be surprised that the Chinese will also want to secure themselves. We will use the same tools," he added.
Glees said it is natural for all countries to think how to protect their own interests.
"What is crucial is that these goals do not generate conflict and are properly managed, and that sources of tension are defused before they become causes of conflict," he said.
As to the future, Glees said "the best thing to do is to work together for peaceful relations and prosperity, to be achieved through trust and confidence building measures."