Defense ministry opposes US defense act

BEIJING - A spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry on Thursday voiced strong opposition to the content concerning China in a US defense authorization act.

"The content is a rude interference in China's internal affairs and harmful to our strategic mutual trust. We are strongly opposed to it," said spokesman Yang Yujun, referring to the US. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which contains controversial sections related to the Diaoyu Islands and arms sales to Taiwan.

One section says the act acknowledges Japan's administration over the Diaoyu Islands, and another calls for more arms sales to Taiwan.

"Someone wants to make a profit in a troubled situation on the Diaoyu Islands issue, and someone wants to bully people by flaunting his powerful connections. All these are futile efforts," Yang noted.

The spokesman also criticized a planned deployment of F-35 fighters to the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, in 2017, as revealed by US. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on December 18.

"The deployment of several aircraft is not worth making a fuss, from a military perspective. However, such actions, which deliberately highlight military security agenda and cause a tense situation in the region, go against the trends of the times and common will of the people of all countries," Yang said.

He added that he hopes relevant countries will do more to help maintain regional peace and stability.