FM: Pentagon report on China's military 'groundless'
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-20 21:16

China on Wednesday blasted a Pentagon report asserting that its fast-modernizing military could pose a threat to the region, saying that the United States, the world's biggest defense spender, had no ground to stand on.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Yang expressed China's strong displeasure and firm opposition to a Pentagon report asserting China's fast-modernizing military could pose a threat to the region, saying "The report groundlessly attacks China's military modernization and makes unwarranted charges about China's normal national defense building and military deployments," in a statement. [Xinhua]

The U.S. Department of Defense report, made public on Tuesday, reflects concern in Washington over China's growing military and economic might, and in particular the fear that a changing balance of power in Asia could threaten Taiwan.

"The report groundlessly attacks China's military modernization and makes unwarranted charges about China's normal national defense building and military deployments," Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said.

Yang, on behalf of the Chinese government, summoned David S Sedney, minister of the US Embassy to China, to lodge a protest about the report.

It "ignores the facts, spares no effort to spread the 'China threat theory', rudely interferes in China's internal affairs," Yang was quoted as saying on the Foreign Ministry's Website, www.fmprc.gov.cn.

The Pentagon report said Beijing's military buildup had already begun to change the regional balance of power but added that its ability to project conventional power was limited and that China lacked the capability to retake Taiwan by force.

In March, China's legislature - the National People's Congress - passed an anti-secession law authorizing the use of "non-peaceful means" to bring it back into the fold should the island move toward formal independence.

The Taiwan issue puts the United States in a quandary, with Washington having vowed to help the island defend itself, but also recognizing Beijing as China's sole legitimate government.

Yang noted that the U.S. military budget was almost 18 times that of Beijing's military budget of about $26 billion. But the Pentagon claimed that China's military spending in 2003 might be as high as $65 billion.

"What authority does the United States have to gesticulate about and make improper comments on China's defensive national defense policy and measures?" he said.

He called on the United States to "respect the facts, correct its errors, stop gratuitously attacking China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop its words and deeds that damage Sino-U.S. relations."

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing dismissed the Pentagon report and said China's rise would be peaceful.

"China, remember, will continue to pursue a path of peaceful development," Li said at a ceremony to establish the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Beijing.

"China not only poses no threat to anyone, we also are willing to establish friendship and all kinds of win-win cooperation with other countries to push forward cooperative development," he said in response to a question about the report.