China complains about Pentagon report, says it is 'pure guesswork'

[rooster59]

China complains about Pentagon report, says it is 'pure guesswork'

 

FILE PHOTO: A paramilitary policeman gestures under a pole with security cameras, U.S. and China's flags near the Forbidden City ahead of the visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, China November 8, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry has lodged a complaint with the United States about a Pentagon report that said China's military was likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, saying it was "pure guesswork".

 

The assessment, at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China's efforts to increase its global influence, with defence spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $190 billion in 2017.

 

China's Defence Ministry said in a statement late on Friday that the Pentagon report misrepresented China's strategic intentions and exaggerated the "so-called China military threat."

 

"China's military expresses resolute opposition to this and has lodged stern representations with the U.S. side," it said.

 

China is on the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national strategy, and has always been a contributor to world peace and protector of the global order, the ministry said.

 

"The Chinese military's strengthening of modernisation is to protect the country's sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as global peace, stability and prosperity," it said.

 

"The Chinese military's reform, weapons development and defensive capabilities in the internet space are just and reasonable. The criticism in the U.S. report is pure guesswork."

 

The Pentagon report said that while the People's Liberation Army had continued to extend operations, it was not clear what message Beijing was looking to send by carrying out bomber flights "beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities."

 

This year, China's air force landed bombers on islands andreefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region.

 

In January the Pentagon put countering Beijing, along with Russia, at the centre of a new national defence strategy.

 

China's Defence Ministry said the "peaceful construction work" in the South China Sea was its right as a sovereign country, and it criticised the United States for its freedom of navigation operations there.

 

It said the report by the United States harms mutual trust between the two countries, the ministry said.

 

"We demand the U.S. side abandons Cold War thinking, objectively and rationally views China's defence and military construction, stops issuing the relevant reports, and takes actual steps to promote and protect the stable development of military-to-military relations," it said.

 

While Washington and Beijing maintain a military-to-military relationship aimed at containing tensions, this has been tested in recent months, notably in May when the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise.

 

In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis became the first Pentagon chief to visit China since 2014.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-18

[Somtamnication]

Laughable response, considering their militarization of the Spratley islands and beyond as well as their very public secret document regarding the invasion of Taiwan in 2020.

 

When war does break out, it will be incredible and truly worldwide.

[flyingtlger]

Really?

 

 

[seajae]

in other words the report is spot on and the chinese dont like it becoming common knowledge, they really need to be shown they are not as good as they think they are, what they are doing in the sth china sea is another reason to push them, too much arrogance thinking they are more than they are

 

[Ron19]

A racist post has been removed.

[holy cow cm]

China always says: Why are you always picking on me? All we are doing is good for our interests as we own everything. 

Edited August 18, 2018 by holy cow cm

[Srikcir]

Trump needs to cancel Chinese military security clearances.

They're not being nice.

[AsiaHand]

6 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Laughable response, considering their militarization of the Spratley islands and beyond as well as their very public secret document regarding the invasion of Taiwan in 2020.

 

When war does break out, it will be incredible and truly worldwide.

I hope that China takes a lesson from The Soviet Union of the 1950s and 1960s during "The Cold War" era by keeping a cool head with both sides installing fail safe systems to prevent a global war.The US has 6800 nuclear warheads with 4018 at the ready..Neither side would win with Russia probably taking the spoils.

[from the home of CC]

 

2 hours ago, AsiaHand said:

I hope that China takes a lesson from The Soviet Union of the 1950s and 1960s during "The Cold War" era by keeping a cool head with both sides installing fail safe systems to prevent a global war.The US has 6800 nuclear warheads with 4018 at the ready..Neither side would win with Russia probably taking the spoils.

If there's WWIII and it goes nuclear, the 'spoils' will be glowing the dark for the next 300 yrs.  

[Scott]

A post has been removed.   The name of the US President is Trump.   Aberrant spelling of the name is trolling.  

[candide]

It's obvious that they are training against U.S. targets, but I don't see any reason to be shocked about it That's the role of an army to consider all possible options. They probably do it against Russian targets, and Russia also do it against Chinese targets. Just as it's obvious the U.S. army and others have been training for years against Chinese targets.

[jdlancaster]

I'm not sure why this is a big deal and why they respond... Of course they train to fight the US. We are their major rival and we train to fight them(and many others). This is not a secret and shouldn't be embarrassing. I would be embarrassed for China and it's leadership if they didn't train to fight one of their major rivals... Common sense... We do the same...