BEIJING (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to cease hostile naval and air force maneuvers against China.
Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry regarding a video meeting recently held by Chinese and American militaries under their Maritime Military Consultative Agreement mechanism.
Tan said that in maintaining military air and maritime safety of China and the U.S., the most fundamental solution is that the U.S. side desists from hostile maneuvers.
The U.S. navy and air force conduct reconnaissance, surveying and highly targeted exercises and training for long periods of time near China, and frequently carries out infringing and provocative maneuvers. This is the root cause of military air and maritime safety issues between China and the U.S., according to Tan.
Tan urged the U.S. side to abandon the zero-sum game mindset, develop an objective and rational perception of China’s national defense and military, and stop issuing hostile policies towards China.
The United States should abandon its hypocritical double standards and stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs in the name of freedom, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson, made the comments in response to statements from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who reportedly called on Chinese authorities to stop targeting Hong Kong’s free and independent media.
Zhao said since the implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security, Hong Kong has returned to the right path of development, and press freedom there has been better protected in a secure and stable environment with rule of law.
“This is a fact that cannot be denied by anyone without bias,” he added.
He said that supporting media freedom is just a false pretense used by the United States to serve its true agenda of destabilizing Hong Kong.