BEIJING, Dec. 29 – “The US cannot seek to resume dialogue and exchanges with China in an all-round manner, while at the same time constantly damaging China's interests, let alone confusing the whole story and blaming China for the cancellation of some military exchanges,” said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.
The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to make comments on the claim recently made by a US deputy assistant secretary of defense, who said that China's suspension of the military dialogue mechanism due to Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to Taiwan was not conducive to timely communication between the two militaries to dispel doubts and reduce misjudgments.
The spokesperson stated that China's cancellation of three exchanges between the two militaries was a necessary countermeasure against the US who wantonly created major crisis and caused serious damage to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. “The cause and effect are clear, and the US side knows that,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, the US has issued a number of negative policy documents and bills concerning China in succession recently, made uproar about great-power competition, hyped up the so-called "China threat", which grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, damaged the basis and atmosphere for communication and exchanges between the two militaries.
“Chins attaches great importance to the development of China-US military relations, and the communication between the two militaries at the working level has never been interrupted,” said the spokesperson. “However, the US side cannot seek to resume dialogue and exchanges with Chinese side in an all-round manner, while at the same time constantly damaging China's interests, let alone confusing the whole story and blaming China for the cancellation of some military exchanges. This is definitely intolerable.”
He also pointed out that if the US really wants to conduct positive and constructive dialogue and exchange with China, it must show sincerity with practical deeds, earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and actively create conditions and atmosphere for bringing bilateral military relations back to the right track.