Beijing rejects Pentagon report assessing China’s expanding military power
China on Saturday rejected an annual Pentagon report that said Beijing is aggressively modernizing its military forces. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the report made irresponsible statements about China’s legitimate defense development and falsely claimed that the country presented a military threat.
“China is developing its limited military forces only to protect its national independence and sovereignty,” Hong said. “No country needs to worry if it harbors no hostility toward China.”
This year’s report, which was released Friday, describes an ambitious, fast-growing Chinese military program aimed at transforming the People’s Liberation Army into a modern force. It says its main goals include preserving Communist Party rule and preparing for possible hostilities with Taiwan.