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'Military buildup' unnecessary
'Military buildup' unnecessary
By Jia
Cheng,
Global
Times (China)
The assistant secretary of US defense for Asia was quoted Tuesday as saying China's military buildup far exceeds its defensive needs, a statement called groundless by a Chinese military expert.
Wallace Gregson told Voice of America (VOA), "It has become increasingly evident that China is pursuing a long-term, comprehensive military buildup that could upend the regional security balance." "The types of weapons threaten to undermine the basic norms that have bolstered East Asian peace and prosperity, such as open access to sea lanes for commerce and security assistance," he added.
"Gregson's comments were baseless. The development of China's military equipment is only used to maintain security and stability for the nation, which is not prepared to take actions of aggression," Li Daguang, a military expert at the PLA National Defense University, told the Global Times.
The comments on the development of China's military came shortly after last week's China-US defense talks, which were chaired by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the PLA Ma Xiaotian and US UnderSecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy.
The talks were seen as efforts to resume military discussions between the two countries after China froze defense relations earlier this year in protest of a US arms sale to Taiwan.
Although the talks were described as "candid" and "frank," the two militaries are still at odds over some issues.
ENDS
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