BEIJING, July 20 (RIA Novosti, Alexei Yefimov) - China expressed sharp criticism and strong protest against the 2005 Chinese Military Power Report published by the Pentagon. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry sources, Yang Jiechi, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, invited the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in China to his office and expressed a formal protest.
During the meeting, Jiechi said the report contained unfounded allegations related to the modernization of China's defenses. He also said the authors of the report were wrong to claim that China had become the third country in the world in terms of military expenditures.
The vice foreign minister said statements alleging that China's military modernization threatens the military forces of the U. S. and other countries in the Asian-Pacific region and that Taiwan has to take defensive measures in this situation are nothing but attempts to justify U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
He said the report distorted the real facts, actively promoted the so-called "Chinese threat," and was nothing but a rude interference in China's internal affairs and the relations between the People's Republic of China and other countries.
Minister Jiechi said the increase in military expenditures was mainly related to the improvement of living conditions for Chinese military personnel. "Being a sovereign state, China has the right to modernize its military forces with the goal to protect and ensure the sovereignty, security, and integrity of the country," the diplomat said.
According to Yang Jiechi, in 2004, China spent $25.6 billion on defense, whereas the U.S. spent $456 billion during the same period.
"How dare the United States criticize China's defense policy in a situation like this," the Chinese diplomat said.
Yang Jiechi also said China's military cooperation with other countries was not aimed against third parties. The diplomat urged the U.S. to respectfully face reality, correct its mistakes, and stop unreasonably criticizing China and interfering with its internal affairs.
"The Americans must appreciate the progress reached in bilateral relations in recent years and take steps to promote the development of bilateral ties rather than destroying them," the diplomat said.
