The Chinese Ministry of National Defense has reiterated that China has no intention of challenging any country, emphasizing a commitment to peaceful development.
Spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated during a press briefing that the United States is its own worst enemy, responding to inquiries about the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2025. The NDAA outlines a defense budget of up to $895.2 billion and identifies China as a major challenge to U.S. national security.
“The U.S. military expenditure has topped the world for a long time and continues to increase rapidly each year,” Zhang remarked. “This trend exposes the belligerent nature of the U.S. and its obsession with hegemony and expansion.”
Zhang pointed out that many current wars and conflicts are a result of U.S. policy failures. He noted that military operations launched by the U.S. since 2001 have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of injuries, and the displacement of tens of millions of people. “The U.S.’ abuse of force not only harms the world but also accelerates its own decline,” he added.
The spokesperson criticized the NDAA for amplifying the so-called “China military threat” as a pretext to boost U.S. military spending and maintain global dominance. “This grossly interferes with China’s internal affairs and undermines world peace and stability. We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to it,” Zhang asserted.
Highlighting the importance of cooperative development, Zhang stated, “Our planet is big enough for both China and the U.S. to develop individually and collectively.” He reaffirmed China’s dedication to a defense policy that is defensive in nature, emphasizing that China does not engage in an arms race and consistently acts as a defender of world peace.
Zhang urged the U.S. to abandon its Cold War mentality and zero-sum mindset. “We call on the U.S. to shed its obsessive delusion of containing and outcompeting China to avoid undermining bilateral and military-to-military relations,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Zhang vowed that the Chinese military would take resolute countermeasures against any infringements or provocations. “With stronger capacities and more reliable methods, we will safeguard our national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” he declared.
Reference(s):
Worst enemy of the U.S. is itself, says Chinese spokesperson
cgtn.com
