Beijing Calls Pentagon Report On China's Military Development 'Unfounded Speculation'

Faizan Hashmi Published January 16, 2019 | 07:54 PM

Beijing condemns the US Defense Department's new report on China's military development as a baseless speculation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2019) Beijing condemns the US Defense Department's new report on China's military development as a baseless speculation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the US Defense Intelligence Agency published a report on China's military development, in which Washington expressed concerns over China strengthening its military capabilities and modernizing its army. The report's authors, in particular, claimed that the country's growing military might might allow Beijing to control Taiwan.

"The relevant US report shows a disregard for facts. It is full of ideas that are characteristic of the Cold War and a 'zero-sum game,' and contains unfounded speculations about China's development path, strategic goals and strengthening defense capabilities. Some claims in the report are rather absurd, and we strongly oppose it," Hua said at a briefing.

According to Hua, Beijing believes that the healthy and stable development of relations between the Chinese and US armed forces is favorable for both countries and the rest of the world.

"[China] hopes that Washington will be able to assess the military development of [China] rationally and objectively," Hua added.

The spokeswoman also reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development.

The US authorities have repeatedly drawn attention to China's alleged military build-up and claimed that Beijing might act as a dominant force in the region. On January 1, US President Donald Trump signed legislation establishing a strategy for advancing US interests in the Indo-Pacific region, which, in particular, provided for countering China's strategic influence worldwide. According to the law, Washington should develop a strategy that will promote the freedom of navigation, the work with allies and the conduct of joint maritime training with them in the East and South China Seas, which are China's coastal area.