"Leadership" does not imply hegemony, Chinese delegation says at Shangri-La Dialogue

SINGAPORE,June3(Xinhua)--TheChinesedelegationonSaturdayrejectedU.S.SecretaryofDefenseLloydAustin"sunfoundedaccusationsagainstChinaattheShangri-LaDialogue,saying"leadership"doesnotimplyhegemony,statusisdeterminedbyacts,andactionsspeaklouderthanwords.

(资料图片仅供参考)

LieutenantGeneralJingJianfeng,deputychiefoftheJointStaffDepartmentofChina"sCentralMilitaryCommission,toldapressconferencethatbypeddlingtheso-called"Indo-Pacificstrategy,"Washingtonisattemptingtomaintainitshegemony.

AlthoughtheColdWarended32yearsago,theUnitedStateshasnotremovedresiduesoftheColdWar,suchastheFiveEyesintelligenceallianceandbilateralmilitaryalliance.Instead,ithasescalatedblocpoliticsandstokedconflictandconfrontationbylaunchingtheQuadrilateralSecurityDialogueandtrilateralsecuritypartnerships.

"Topursueitsselfishinterests,theUnitedStateshascoaxedandcoercedsomecountriesintoactingasapawnwiththefundamentalaimofmaintainingitshegemonicsystem,regardlessoftheaspirationforstabilityandorderbyregionalcountries,"hesaid.

RegardingtheTaiwanquestion,JingstronglyrefutedtherecentU.S.remarksonTaiwanforignoringfactsanddistortingthetruth.

TheUnitedStateshascontinuouslyweakenedandhollowedouttheone-Chinaprinciple,strengthenedtheso-calledofficialexchangeswithTaiwanandcondoned"Taiwanindependence"activities,hesaid.

TheUnitedStateshasalsoincreasedarmssalestoTaiwaninbothqualityandquantity,frequentlysailedthroughtheTaiwanStraittoflexitsmuscles,andgangedupwithothercountriestointerveneintheTaiwanquestion,Jingsaid.

HeemphasizedthatChina"smilitaryoperationsaroundtheTaiwanStraitaretargetedat"Taiwanindependence"separatistforcesandtheinterferenceofexternalforces,andarejustified.

ThegeneraladdedthatChinacannotbeblamedforchangingthestatusquo,astheU.S."exploitingTaiwantocontainChina"and"Taiwanindependence"separatistsrelyingonexternalforcesaretherealfactorscausingchangesinthestatusquo,exacerbatingtensionsandunderminingthestability.

NotingthattheTaiwanquestionconcernsChina"scoreinterestsandbrooksnocompromise,hesaidthattheChinesePeople"sLiberationArmyisfullypreparedandreadytofirmlydefendChina"ssovereignty,unityandterritorialintegrity.

Jingsaidthatinrecentyears,theUnitedStateshascontinuedtointerfereintheSouthChinaSeaissue,andtakenitasanexcusetosuppressothercountries.

Thisiscompletelycontrarytothewillandeffortsofregionalcountriestoseekpeace,pursuedevelopmentandpromotestability,hesaid.

JingstressedthatChinaadvocatesapeacefulsettlementofdisputesintheSouthChinaSea,addingthatregionalcountrieshavetheability,confidenceandwisdomtodealwiththeissue,andthereisnoroomforinterferencefromcountriesoutsidetheregion.

HesaidthattheUnitedStatesistherealmastermindbehindtensionintheSouthChinaSea.

Inrecentyears,theU.S.sidehasbeensendingwarshipsandmilitaryaircrafttotheSouthChinaSeatoprovoketroublesundertheso-called"freedomofnavigation,"hesaid.

TheUnitedStateshasalsointensifieditseffortstoincreasetemporaryandrotationaldeployment,establishadditionalmilitarybases,andcontinuetostrengthenitsmilitarypresenceintheSouthChinaSea,Jingsaid.

"Bydoingso,theUnitedStateswillonlycausemoresecurityrisksandincreasethepotentialforcrisis,"hesaid.

ConcerninganincidentovertheSouthChinaSea,inwhichtheU.S.sideclaimedthataChinesefighterjetconductedan"unnecessarilyaggressivemaneuver,"Jingsaidthemovewascarriedoutlawfullyandprofessionally,andwasonlyconductedafteraU.S.reconnaissanceplanedeliberatelyintrudedintoaPLAnavalroutinetrainingexercise.

ChinavaluesthedevelopmentofChina-U.S.militaryrelations,andexchangesbetweenthetwomilitarieshavenotbeeninterrupted,theChinesegeneralsaid,addingthattheUnitedStatesshouldbeblamedforcurrentobstaclestothedevelopmentoftherelations.

ItwillnotworkiftheUnitedStatesappealsforcommunicationwhileunderminingChina"sinterests,andclaimstostrengthencrisismanagementwhilecontinuingitsprovocations,Jingsaid.

ChinaurgestheUnitedStatestoearnestlyrespectChina"scoreinterestsandmajorconcerns,takeconcreteactionstoremoveobstaclestomilitary-to-militaryexchanges,andbringrelationsbetweenthetwomilitariesbackontherighttrack,Jingnoted.

CallingtheShangri-LaDialogueaplatformforpeacetopics,notahegemonyshow-off,JingsaidChinacomesforpeace,developmentandcooperation,whiletheUnitedStatesclearlyaimsforpromotingits"leadership,"smearingandsuppressingothers,andpreservingitshegemony.

CountriesthatadheretostrategicindependenceandpeacefuldevelopmentwillnotfollowtheU.S.stepsintotheoldpathofblocconfrontation,hesaid.

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