China Slams US Report On Its Military As A 'Gross Distortion'

BEIJING — China slammed a newly released U.S. report on Beijing's growing military power as a "gross distortion," saying Thursday that it could damage military relations between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang lashed out at the report as "interference" in China's affairs and said his country had formally complained.

"It is a gross distortion of facts and interference into China's internal affairs. China resolutely opposes it and has made solemn representation to the U.S. side," he told a regularly scheduled news conference.

A U.S. Defense Department report released in Washington _ the first under the Obama administration _ said Beijing's rapidly growing military strength is shifting the military balance in the region and could be used to enforce its claim in disputed territories.

China's objections were strong, signaling what continues to a bumpy start with the new U.S. administration. The two governments have tried to minimize differences, but frictions already have surfaced, including this month's confrontation between a U.S. naval ship and Chinese vessels and China's concerns over the weakened U.S. economy.

The report, an annual assessment for Congress, said China continues to develop weapons that threaten longtime rival Taiwan, even though tensions between the two sides have been reduced significantly. The report also said China is developing longer-range capabilities that could have an effect beyond the Asia-Pacific region.

The U.S. "welcomes the rise of a stable, peaceful and prosperous China and encourages China to participate responsibly" in world affairs, the 66-page report said. "However, much uncertainty surrounds China's future course, particularly regarding how its expanding military power might be used."

Qin said China has pursued peaceful development and that its military policy is defensive in nature.

"We urge the U.S. side to respect this fundamental fact, drop the Cold War mentality and bias, stop issuing the so-called report on China's military power and stop making groundless accusations against China so as not to further damage the two countries' military relations," he said.

The military report comes in the wake of heightened tensions after Chinese vessels this month harassed a U.S. Navy surveillance ship in international waters in the South China Sea.

U.S.-China military-to-military talks just resumed recently after a five-month suspension over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan last year.

The report noted that the "pace and scope of China's military transformation have increased" in recent years with the purchase of foreign weapons and greater spending on new technologies and armed forces reforms. It said China continued to develop "disruptive" technologies such as anti-satellite weapons and satellite communication jammers.

China's military spending has jumped by double-digit percentages for nearly two decades. This year, China announced a 14.9 percent rise in military spending this year to 480.68 billion yuan ($70.27 billion), though it was a smaller increase than in previous years.

In January, China's Defense Ministry issued a policy paper saying the growth of its military was intended for defensive purposes and aimed at maintaining peace. The country's spending, which puts it on par with Japan, Russia and Britain, is still dwarfed by U.S. military expenditures, which are nearly 10 times as large.

Comments

[ilovevegas]

I don't trust China. The people are oppressed. If I need to buy something and its made in China I do without. So no Walmart for me its very hard to do unfortunately because products made in USA are almost impossible to find.

[zepfan81]

Don't you understand? It's America that is the cause of most of the world's evils. Without us the world will enter a new era of peace and we'll all hold hands and there will be no more wars or crimes because all of that is our fault.

[skialethia]

I read big chuncks of the Defense Department's Report on the PRC's military capacity, and if it's factual; their defense program is impressive­...and even mind-blowing.

I don't think it will help to add a few billion to our defense program. The Chinese are developing "smart" no-contact defense technology alongside their weaponry. China now has serious interests in the Middle East, and is importing oil from several countries, one of the top three of which includes Iran and no longer has a bone of contention with Russia. The Russians are also a huge Chinese supplier.

My advice is: Let's play nice...wit­h everyone.

[skialethia]

Correction: ...one of the top three of which "is" (rather than "includes) Iran.

[Asean4Obama]

China has never attacked a country in recent history and has excellent relations with all Asian countries. It holds over 1 trillion $ in US debts which is the best weapon they have.

If the EAEC (East Asia Economic Caucus) will be reallity one day (Asean +3) and they create an own currency covering China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Macau and the the Indochinese countries it will be the largest economy in the world.

Europe and the US have tried for years to block the EAEC from being formed and India and Russia have already observer status and Australia and New Zealand have signalled that they want to be part of it. The US and Australia have said for years that APAC should take the role and not the EAEC but it was rejected by most Asian countries.

Give it another 10 years and we have the Asian Currency Unit. The US is aware of this for many years.

All member countries have signed treaties with the Southeast Asian countries a none agression pact.

The Pentagon report is irrelevant.

[Perry Clease]

"China has never attacked a country in recent history"

Define what you mean by recent?

In the last 50 years they attacked Tibet, they attacked Vietnam.

[zepfan81]

And brief conflicts with Russia and India

[Ergon]

Gosh, the combined Chinese/Russian military budget is just half the $200 billion the Pentagon has earmarked for the War in Afghanistan.
Must be those $400 screwdrive­rs...

[zepfan81]

Wow, how surprising; a world power building up it's military. As Napoleon said let China sleep. For when China wakes, it will shake the world." If you think China, a nation with an old, rich culture and a billion people, and a growing economy isn't a threat, and simply a ploy by the Pentagon you're insane. Not saying the Pentagon doesn't want more funds, but it would be to our own detriment to think China is our "friend" and the world is going to enter this new phase of peaceful coexistence. Those who ignore the lessons of history are destined to repeat it.

[AmandaBC]

A threat to what? The US has more weapons than the rest of the world combined. It's about time other countries seriously think about their defence against the world's bully.

[zepfan81]

So did Germany from 1939-43, but guess what? They got into a fight with the Soviets and the U.S. who simply out produced them in manpower and manufacturing. China produces a lot of the goods we buy and have a nation of 1.5 BILLION people...d­o the math. Every major power in history has used its military to further its own interest. To think China is going to be any different is beyond naive.

[cardineau]

I, for one, hopes that China maintains a very strong defensive military. I would trust China to keep the peace 10 times more than the US. Whether the US China-phobes like it or not, China is an up and coming nation with a highly educated populace. Learn to live with it.

[zepfan81]

Sure they are. Is that why they have pushed the Sudan so hard on its human rights violations? Is that why they are just waiting to pounce on Taiwan? Look, I'm not saying America is perfect at all. I'm not even saying we're not hypocrites. But if you think China is going to be better you are insane. China cares about China...pe­riod. They won't do anything not in their interests.

[cardineau]

China could "pounce" on Taiwan at any time. It has not done so because Taiwan is a province of China whether you like it or not. Chaing Kai Chek (?) lost the war in case you and the US didn't know. China has had many opportunities to act like a world bully, but has not. As far as me being insane, you may have a point there. One of my ancestors in the settlement of fort Chartres Illinois was listed in the French census as illiterate and insane. But I must confess, if being insane is thinking like I do, I'll keep my insanity.

[sparafucilli]

Doesn't China know that it's budget time in the US of A? You know, that time when all the Industrial­-Military-­Media complex crystal ball gazers and soothsayers trot out their pet paranoid predictions (PPP) as their contribution to the Budgetfest.

[AmandaBC]

PART I

In the 1950s, the Pentagon alarmed the American people by claiming that the Soviets had more long-range b0mbers than the USAF and US Navy combined. This is now known as the "b0mber scare." Thousands of b0mbers were built as a result of that.

In the 1960s, the Pentagon once again scared Americans by reporting about advancements and the sheer number of Soviet ballistic missiles. This is now known as the "missile scare." Needless to say, after that, production of ICBMs stepped up dramatically.

In the 1970s/1980s, the Pentagon came up with another threat: the Red Navy. They were getting large and scary, and the news prompted for the construction of Reagan's famous 500-warship navy.

[AmandaBC]

PART II

In 1991, after the bloodless revolution in Russia, the Soviet Archives were finally open to the public and every historian around the world was finally able to cross-reference the Pentagon claim. Of course the US media never talked about it much, but in the rest of the world it was big news: the Pentagon claims were either gross exaggerations or outright fabrications. Unfortunately, the Pentagon is still playing the same game, counting on the fact that many Americans don't know and don't care about what's happening in the rest of the world. The yellowcake uranium, Saddam's phantom WMDs are great examples of that, or even the truly ludicrous claim according to which Shia Iran was providing weapons to Sunni Al Qaeda, which had anyone outside the US rolling on the floor laughing. And now, of course, the military industrial complex needs to further scare Americans into buying their useless shiny toys. China is a wonderful target and most Americans are gullible enough to believe any story. They certainly blamed the shifty Chinese over lead in toys, and, of course, the American companies that outsourced their products had NO IDEA what was going on in the factories. Like I said, you can make Joe Average believe anything..­.

[FZliveson]

PART ONE: China has a disproportionate number of male to female ratio in its population and too few jobs for these men. Part of the reason for this is the old-traditional male preference, which costs female babies their lives in many cases, even today.
The government do SOMETHING to keep young men occupied in a constructive fashion. If you will notice China has really not done much with its military, since the so-called Korean war in the 1950s.

The comment in the article: "...China continues to develop weapons that threaten longtime rival Taiwan" is laughable because if the Peoples Republic of China ever wanted to take over Taiwan (formerly Formosa) they could do so in 72-hours. But that is unnecessary. They are getting along pretty well right now...no saber rattling I've heard in a long time.

China's fast-growing technological capabilities and vastly more productive education system produces engineers at a rate far far greater than the USA. We cannot say "that's not fair" if they develop weapons and other technologies, we don't like and therefore call them "threateni­ng." Time to eat some humbe pie and join the rest of the world in seeking peaceful coexistence in place of dominance.

I

[JoeBlough]

"peaceful coexistence " has never turned a profit.

[FZliveson]

PART TWO: IF the world is ever going to break the long tradition of going to war to conquer, seize, plunder and dominate, it will only come from diplomacy and cooperation. While Obama mouthed this context in his campaign, I don't see things heading in that direction. It is hard to say whether it is from "funny-business" from renegade people in the military or intelligence (a la Lake Ponchatrain and No Name Key, anti-Castro training in the 1960's) or a hidden Obama agenda or incompetence on his part.
The world is too burdened by financial machinations right now and there is a need for restraint, diplomacy and mutual respect if there is any intention of climbing out of this mess.

Here's a site on the male-population comment
http://www.iiasa.ac.at//Research/LUC/ChinaFood/data/pop/p_23e_m.htm)

[JoeBlough]

Don’t upset China. If they put sanctions on us, we will be really hurting. They own us financially.

[klaatu barada nikto]

that makes no sense

[OntheContrary]

The report is Pentagon ways to get more money for their military budget. This is so predicable. How else to justified for more money if you don't put fear out. No wonder we are bankrupt. This is so stupid imo. China is not our enemy. The cold war is over. Concentrate on our borders, withdraw our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and scale back our overseas bases. It is not needed.

[TJCole]

Wait till the Red Chinese are holding your mortgages under Geithner's sell out of America toxic asset plan...!

[Puzzles]

I bet at other times you call them yellow.

[victorsays]

American are afraid of the Chinese because China is the only country that can challenge white supremcy in global affairs. After 200 years of Western imperialism and war, it still surprise me how people can point the finger at China. US has been in more wars in the past ten years than China in the past 60 years. US has 730 foreign military bases, China has 0. US has 300 million people. China has 1.3 billion in roughly the same area size. US war budget is 700 billion. China 60 billion.

On a per capital basis, China is not spending enough to protect themselve against US militarism and aggressions. If China was weak, she would surely be next Iraq. Who is threatening who now? China has military bases surrounding China constant spying on them at their border. War hawks are beating the war drum against Iran, China, Venezuela.

US and Britian went into war on a lie and no one has been punish. hell people don't even care about that lie anymore. It goes to show the short term memory of Americans.

How can you say with a straight face that China is threaten the US? Since when? China has enough problem to deal with.

[JoeBlough]

Lashing out with mindless war is part of the American Fabric. That’s why people lose interest. And it’s good for profits!