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TEHRAN, May 24 -China’s Defense Ministry has voiced regret after the United States withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major US-hosted naval drill amid their dispute over the South China Sea.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that closing the door would not promote mutual trust and cooperation.
“This decision by the United States is not constructive. Closing the door to communication at any time is not conducive toward promoting mutual trust and communication between the Chinese and US militaries,” the statement read.
It added that the United States had “ignored the facts and hyped up the so-called ‘militarization’ of the South China Sea,” using it as an excuse to take back invite to China.
“Being invited or not cannot change China’s will to play a role in protecting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and cannot shake China’s firm determination to defend its sovereignty and security interests,” it said.
The ministry called on China to abandon its “zero sum” mentality and appropriately handle disputes.
The Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC and previously attended by China, is billed as the world’s largest international maritime exercise and held every two years in Hawaii in June and July.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that it had made the decision in the wake of “strong evidence” that Beijing had deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to the Spratly Islands, claimed by several nations.
China’s air force bombers landed on the disputed islands as part of the country’s war games in the region over the weekend.
Beijing reiterated that its building of defense facilities was to protect the country’s legitimate rights, and had nothing to do with militarization.
In an editorial on its website, widely-read Chinese state-run tabloid the Global Times said there was no way China could trade its interests in the South China Sea for access to the exercise.
“If the US military increases its activities in the South China Sea, then our side will need to further strengthen its military deployments there,” it wrote.
Chinese officials have accused Washington of viewing their country in suspicious “Cold War” terms.
Speaking at a separate briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China has sovereign rights in the South China Sea and "it is not realistic for the US to use this kind of action to try to coerce Beijing."
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counterclaims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
The United States has dispatched warships to disputed areas of the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China's extensive sovereignty claims in the territory.
China has repeatedly criticized the US military presence in the region and suspects the military drills are part of efforts to contain Beijing.
Washington's military presence in the region, halfway around the world, has also led to worries about an increasing risk of accidental collisions that could spark a consequential wider conflict.
The United States presumes it would be limiting China’s maritime influence in the sea by invoking “freedom of navigation” rights.
Furthermore, the US has been taking sides with some of China’s neighbors in their territorial disputes in the busy sea, through which five trillion dollars in ship-borne trade passes annually.
China has accused Washington of meddling in regional issues and deliberately escalating the situation in the region.
Source: Press TV
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