US urged to respect China's core interests

The Chinese military urges the United States to respect China's core interests and major concerns, correct its wrong remarks and acts and behave in the interest of relations between the two nations and two militaries, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Senior Colonel Tan Kefei said at a news conference in Beijing that maintaining and developing a healthy, stable military-to-military relationship is in the interests of both China and the US and is a shared hope of the international community.

"Recently, some people in the US military made wrong, irresponsible remarks pertaining to China. We strongly oppose such moves. The fundamental roots of the grim situations and serious difficulties in the bilateral ties are that the US side is obsessed with its hegemonism, Cold War mentality and zero-sum games. It doesn't accept and cannot cope with China's rise, regards China as a strategic rival and security threat, and makes all-out efforts to contain China," Tan said, adding that such acts by the US have severely compromised China's sovereignty, security and interests.

Tan said China's armed forces are determined to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, security and interests, as well as peace and stability in the region and the world.

China sticks to a peaceful development path, and its military policies are defensive in nature, he said. The nation is always a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a guardian of the international order, he added, citing China's participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions and its multinational escorts and humanitarian aid operations.

"It has been proved that China's defense development is an engine in the growth of the world's peaceful forces, and the Chinese military is a firm pillar of the peace, stability and shared prosperity of the world," Tan said.

Sovereignty undeniable

In response to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's statement that China's "claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea", Tan said China's sovereignty over certain islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea is undeniable.

The officer said China is dedicated to directly negotiating with related countries to resolve disputes on the basis of the respect of history and international laws, while the US, a nation outside the region, disrespects international laws and norms, flexes its muscles and makes trouble in the South China Sea under the guise of "freedom of navigation", and keeps interfering in efforts by relevant countries to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Responding to a request for comment on recent US exercises with its allies, Tan said China believes that international military exchanges should help to protect regional peace and stability and foster mutual understanding and trust, rather than target or damage the interests of any third party.

He emphasized that the US recently organized large military exercises targeted at other countries and ganged up with its allies to display force, resulting in instability in the region and deviation from the common pursuit of peace, cooperation and development by many nations in the area.

The spokesman urged relevant countries to "abandon the Cold War mentality and 'collective antagonism' and pay more attention to upholding peace and stability", adding that China will deepen its security collaboration with other nations and work together to handle challenges and threats to make the Asia-Pacific a stabilizer for the world.

Regarding Japan's recent statements and moves aimed at China, Tan urged Japan to reflect on its shameful history as an invader, draw lessons from the past and stop its groundless accusations against China. He said Japan should act to improve its trustworthiness to its neighbors and bolster peace and stability in the region.