BEIING, Oct. 28 -- Someone in the US attempted to exaggerate and hype up the "China military threat" through excessive praise out of ulterior motives with the real intention to fabricate pretexts for military expansion and maintain global military hegemony of US, said a Chinese defense spokesperson at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when being asked to comment on a recently released strategic guidance of the US Navy, in which the Secretary of the US Navy claimed that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has radically expanded both its size and capabilities, growing to become the world’s largest fleet, and that China represents the pacing challenge.
Snr. Col. Tan said that the US, for some time, has mistakenly viewed China as the biggest competitor and systematic challenge, and imposed the so-called "maximum pressure" policy on China. "Such a risky move to strive for victory through force suppression will not only increase the risk of confrontation between the two countries and two militaries and threaten regional and world peace and stability, but also eventually hurt everyone involved, including the US itself. The recent collision incident involving a US nuclear-powered submarine is a clear proof", Tan stressed.
He reiterated that China firmly upholds a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and will never follow the beaten track of big powers in seeking hegemony.
"The old engine in the Cold War will never catch up with the new journey of world peace and development", Tan solemnly urged the US side to reject the outdated Cold War mentality and zero-sum game concept, embrace a more objective and rational perception of China’s national defense and military building, and play a constructive role in maintaining the international and regional peace and stability.