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China Refutes U.S. Report on Military Buildup
China yesterday refuted a U.S. Defense Department report warning of Beijing’s military modernization efforts and its potential threat to the region, Reuters reported (see GSN, July 20). “The report groundlessly attacks China’s military modernization and makes unwarranted charges about China’s normal national defense building and military deployments,” Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in a statement. The Pentagon document “ignores the facts, spares no effort to spread the ‘China threat theory,’ rudely interferes in China’s internal affairs,” Yang said. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said China’s intentions are peaceful. “China not only poses no threat to anyone, we also are willing to establish friendship and all kinds of win-win cooperation with other countries to push forward cooperative development,” he said. Beijing had little response, however, to news that Washington was considering civilian nuclear cooperation with India, another power in the region (see related GSN story, today). “We hope the relevant cooperation between China and India will benefit the safeguarding of peace and stability in the Asian region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement (Reuters/Yahoo!News, July 20). The White House yesterday also played down the potential threat posed by China, Agence France-Presse reported. “We’re committed to peace and stability in the region, but that should not be viewed as us viewing China as a threat,” said spokesman Scott McClellan. “We do have concerns about the size and pace of China’s military modernization, and it’s important for us to pay close attention to it,” he said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, July 20).
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