China criticized the US report on the Chinese military

Geng Yansheng said that China has sent a note of protest to the United States regarding the Pentagon's report on the development of the Chinese military.

Yesterday, the US Department of Defense released its annual report on the Chinese military, pointing out the threat it allegedly poses and its insularity.

The 83-page report also indicts China for its moves to preserve sovereignty and other rights, which China's Xinhua news agency calls justified moves, and questions China's defense policy.

Geng said China has always followed the path of peaceful development and adhered to a military strategy that is defensive in nature.

China's military build-up aims to meet the country's needs to preserve sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and it is part of its rights and is not directed against any other country, Geng said.

The spokesman said that since last year, some neighboring countries have been provoking disputes that threaten China's territorial integrity and its maritime rights, emboldened by those who support them.

Geng expressed strong opposition to the rhetoric used regarding mainland China's threat to Taiwan, and said it undermined relations with Taiwan that have improved greatly in recent years.

Such a report from the American side is contrary to the American effort to build a healthy, stable and responsible relationship between the two militaries, and harms mutual trust, said the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Defense.