BEIJING (Xinhua): A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday (July 9) refuted the accusations made by the US Department of Defence over recent exercises conducted by the Chinese military in the South China Sea.
Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, said the US side had completely disregarded the facts and confused right and wrong in an attempt to drive a wedge between regional countries and seek profits from it.
"We are strongly dissatisfied with it and express our resolute opposition," Ren said when answering a reporter's question.
Ren said the Chinese side announced the exercises -- conducted in the seas off China's Xisha Islands -- on June 27. The exercises were part of the scheduled annual training plan and did not target any particular country.
Ren said the South China Sea situation has been stabilised and is turning for the better thanks to the joint efforts of China and countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations.
The United States, however, has been sending a large number of advanced planes and ships to the South China Sea to make provocations and show its military power, posing threats to regional peace and stability.
"We hope the US side can reflect on its behaviour, stop military provocations in the South China Sea and stop its groundless accusations against the Chinese side," Ren said.
Meanwhile, Beijing on Thursday urged Washington to discard its Cold War mentality and ideological bias, and work with China to move forward bilateral relations along the track of coordination, cooperation and stability.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the comment at a press briefing in response to remarks by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who said "China and Russia constitute our top strategic competitors," and that "we established a China Strategy Management Group and I directed the National Defense University to refocus its curriculum by dedicating 50 per cent of the coursework to the PRC."
"This US official's remarks and the 2018 National Defence Strategy he mentioned are fundamentally flawed and run counter to the trend of the times as they preach nothing but obsolete concepts of a Cold War mentality, a zero-sum game mindset, and hyped-up strategic competition between major countries," Zhao said.
He said China's policy toward the US is consistent and clear.
"We are committed to working with the US side for non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. At the same time, we are firmly committed to safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests," he said.
China urges the US to discard its Cold War mentality and ideological bias, view the world and China-US relations in the 21st century in a correct way, and work with China to move forward the bilateral relations along the track of coordination, cooperation and stability, Zhao added. - Xinhua
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