BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- China strongly opposes the false remarks about China-related issues made by certain US military officials, which interferes in China's domestic affairs and hypes up the confrontation between China and the US, said a Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday.
According to media reports, the US Navy Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command , recently made a series of negative remarks on China-related issues at the Aspen Security Forum , making negative comments on China's positions and practices on issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the South China Sea.
When asked for comments, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, told the press that the Taiwan question, and Hong Kong- and Xinjiang-related issues are purely China's domestic affairs, brooking no interference of any external forces. The arbitrary interference of US officials defies and tramples on the international law and basic norms of international relations.
Regarding the South China Sea issue, the United States, as an extraterritorial country, often flaunts its military power in the South China Sea under the guise of "freedom of navigation", provokes and disrupts the situation therein, and undermines the efforts of regional countries to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. Facts have long proven that the US is the "trouble-maker" in the South China Sea and the greatest threat to regional peace and stability, Tan said.
Senior Colonel Tan pointed out that, at present, the relationship between the two countries and their militaries is at a critical juncture, and its future is of great concern to the two peoples and the international community. "China urges the US side to earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns, abide by the One-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, be cautious in words and deeds, and do more things conducive to the development of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries," Tan said.
It is well known that the US military still frequently launched wars and military operations around the world after the end of World War II. Since 2001, wars in Iraq, Libya, Syria and elsewhere have killed more than 800,000 people and displaced tens of millions. In stark contrast, the Chinese military has always held high the banner of win-win cooperation and participated in international peacekeeping, maritime escort, humanitarian assistance and disaster reduction operations on many occasions, actively promoting the reform of the global security governance system , firmly guarding fairness and justice, and promoting the peaceful development.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese military has been actively engaged in international cooperation with the militaries of relevant countries. "The Chinese military will, as always, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, make new and greater contributions to the building of the community with a shared future for mankind," Tan added.