China
US Defense Department's Fabricated Chinese Threat
by Stephen Lendman
The whole world knows China threatens no other nation. Its foreign policy is polar opposite America's.
Like Russia, it deplores war. It promotes peace, stability and mutual cooperation among all nations.
It prioritizes economic growth and development. Its accomplishments over the past three and a half decades reflect one of the great success stories in modern times - enough to roil officials in Washington.
It's becoming the world's preeminent economic power by any measure. It's a powerhouse independent nation. Allied with Russia, it's a major deterrent to US global hegemony.
A new Defense Department report is titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2015."
It makes outlandish claims saying:
"The People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to pursue a long-term, comprehensive military modernization program designed to improve its armed forces’ capacity to fight short-duration, high-intensity regional conflicts."
"Preparing for potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait remains the focus and primary driver of China’s military investment."
"China views modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as essential to achieving great power status. (It stokes) regional tension…to advance its interests."
"(T)he United States will continue adapting its forces, posture, and operational concepts to maintain a stable and secure Asia-Pacific security environment."
Washington's so-called Asia pivot constitutes the most significant threat to regional peace and stability - especially allied with Japan's increasing militarism.
It reflects America's aim for dominance in a part of the world not its own. Containing, isolating and weakening China is official US policy by whatever options work best.
The DOD report criticized Beijing's South China Sea activities. It took issue with its right to construct artificial islands comprised of 2,000 acres in its own waters, among other issues raised.
On May 10, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded to Pentagon claims saying:
"The US report makes willful speculations and comments on China's military growth in defiance of the facts."
"By hyping up 'China's military threat and the lack of transparency in military strength," the report questions China's normal defense building and strategic intention,and makes inappropriate remarks on China's justified actions of safeguarding territorial sovereignty and security interests in the South China Sea."
"The Chinese side hereby voices strong opposition to this.
China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and remains a staunch force in maintaining peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific and the world."
"China's national defense building, a right China is entitled to as a sovereign state, is for the sole purpose of safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
"It is hoped that the American side would abandon the cold-war mentality, view China's military development with objectiveness and reason instead of prejudices, stop issuing such kind of report or doing and saying anything that jeopardizes bilateral relations and military-to-military mutual trust, and make tangible moves to ensure the sound and steady development of state-to-state and military-to-military relations between China and the US."
The Pentagon report ignores America's global empire of bases in around 150 countries - with nuclear weapons targeting China, Russia, Iran and other nations menacingly.
It said nothing about multiple raging US direct and proxy wars - endless ones against invented enemies threatening no one.
It bears repeating. China prioritizes peace, stability, economic growth and development. It targets no other nation militarily.
Its defense budget is a small fraction of America's outsized one - much of it directed for war-making.
China remains at peace with all its neighbors. America is a global belligerent - waging endless wars of aggression for unchallenged dominion over planet earth and space.
It's heading for direct confrontation with Russia and China. It wants its major geopolitical rivals eliminated. It's risking potential nuclear war madness.
It's drawn Moscow and Beijing more strategically, economically, politically and militarily closer together.
Their deepening alliance is humanity's best defense against reckless US imperial adventurism - a monster threatening everyone.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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