China yesterday accused the United States of deliberately distorting the facts in a report on the Asian giant’s defence policy, warning Washington it had “severely damaged” trust between the superpowers.
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In its annual report to Congress on Chinese military activities, the department said on Friday China was expected to add substantial military infrastructure, including communications and surveillance systems, to artificial islands in the South China Sea this year.
According to China, the area is theirs and the countries in the area that also feel they have a right to stake a claim can not do anything to compete against the power of the military infrastructure China has created on the fake island.
“Moves such as deepening military reforms and the military buildup are aimed at maintaining sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and guaranteeing China’s peaceful development”, Xinhua quoted Yang as saying.
The Pentagon report comes at a time of heightened tension over maritime territories claimed by China and disputed by several Asian nations.
Skirting any references to allegations of increasing troops presence along the Sino-India border, the Defence Ministry accused the Pentagon’s annual report as misrepresentation of China’s military development.
“If it does, China would develop a “triad” of nuclear delivery systems dispersed across land, sea and air – a posture considered since the Cold War to improve survivability and strategic deterrence”, according to the report.
The Philippines has submitted claims in three areas: clarifying the legality of China’s nine-dash line that covers a large swathe of the South China Sea; the status of Chinese-occupied features such as reefs and their maritime entitlements; and China’s activities in what the Philippines considers its exclusive economic zone.
“This report documents the kind of military that China is building”, Denmark said.
The Pentagon report is also critical of China’s military facilities on islands in the South China Sea. China has deployed anti-aircraft missiles to Woody Island.
China reportedly asserted that it was seeking to defend, not disobey, the worldwide laws by refusing to participate or accept the results of the arbitration case initiated by Manila.
Xu pointed out how the Philippine Foreign Ministry, a day after taking the case to the United Nations in January 2013, had explicitly said the objective was “to protect (its) national territory and maritime domain” and talked about not surrendering its national sovereignty. It also prefers to settle the conflict through bilateral negotiations.
Manila insisted that China’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea are baseless and illegal.
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“The Philippines is not alone in believing the country is justified in the filing of the petition before the arbitral tribunal”. Beijing has vowed to ignore the ruling, which is expected later this month or in early June.
