Military: US report distorts China's strategic intentions

The Chinese military resolutely opposes the Pentagon's new report on China's military development, calling the annual report inaccurate and irresponsible, and stating that it distorted China's strategic intentions, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said late on Thursday night.

The US Defense Department claimed in the report delivered to the US Congress that the Chinese military has been stealing defense secrets from the US, and it is being more aggressive in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits. The People's Liberation Army might also build new military bases around the world to expand its military presence, it claimed.

Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesman of the Chinese Defense Ministry, slammed the report's claims, calling them irresponsible and contradictory of the facts.

Ren said the report distorted China's strategic intentions, and recklessly commented on China's rightful military development and necessary actions to protect its sovereignty and security interests. "The Chinese military resolutely oppose these claims," he said.

The US has been publishing the annual report－Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China－since 2000, and "it has damaged Sino-US mutual trust, and harmed the atmosphere for developing the two countries' military relations and bilateral ties," Ren added.

He urged the US side to "rationally and objectively view China's defense and military construction, stop publishing similar reports and take concrete actions to ensure the stable development of Sino-US military relations and bilateral ties".

As for the report's comments regarding Taiwan, Ren said Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and "China's reunification will, and must be, fulfilled".

"China urges the US side to abide by the one-China policy and the three joint communiques, and properly handle the Taiwan question," he said. "China's military has the will, confidence and ability to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as maintain peace and security in the Taiwan Straits."

Regarding the report's comments on the PLA's activities in the South China Sea, Ren said China is peacefully resolving disputes in the region by negotiating directly with related parties.

"Countries in the region have the confidence, wisdom and ability to handle differences, maintain peace and promote prosperity," he said. "On the other hand, the US claims to be safeguarding peace, but is actually bolstering its military presence, and frequently sends warships and aircraft to provoke tension in the South China Sea."

"These actions have seriously damaged regional peace and security, as well as the security interests of countries in the region," he said.

When commenting on the US' recent joint military drill with Japan, India, and the Philippines in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Thursday that the actions and policies of related parties should "support peace, stability and development in the region, not be against it".

Ren from the Defense Ministry also reiterated in his statement that China resolutely follows the path of peaceful development and upholds a defense policy that is defensive in nature.