Denouncing a recent report by the US, which shed light on the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PAL), its modernisation plans, and China's development of nuclear weapons, the Chinese defence ministry said the report, titled 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China' "desperately slandered" the Chinese military and "exaggerated" the military threat posed by China.
The ministry accused Washington of fabricating false narratives against the PLA and said the report "misinterpreted China's defence policies, speculated about China's military capacity development, flagrantly interfered in China's domestic affairs, desperately slandered the Chinese military and exaggerated the so-called military threat posed by China.”
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China "strongly deplores and firmly opposes" all these statements, news agency Xinhua quoted defence spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang as saying.
He said for over 20 years, the US has been publishing such deceptive and hypocritical reports year after year, only seeking excuses for the development of its own military capacity and misleading public opinion.
"We urge the US to stop fabricating false narratives, rectify the erroneous perception of China, and push for the healthy, stable development of bilateral and military relations."
Zhang alleged that the 'war-addicted' US has become the biggest destroyer of international order and the greatest threat to global security.
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He further said China is developing nuclear weapons to safeguard the country's strategic security. But the US, which has the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world, sticks stubbornly to the policy of first use of nuclear weapons, undermining international and regional peace and stability, he added.
He also expressed the hope that the US would adopt a more positive, rational attitude toward China and the development of the Chinese military, and create bonds between the militaries of the two countries that do not involve conflict or confrontation but champion openness, pragmatism and cooperation.