Beijing refutes US' China 'self-isolation' claims

A high-ranking Chinese military official on Saturday refuted US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's "self-isolation" claims about China.

"Carter's claims are incorrect and do not accord with the actual situation," Xinhua news agency quoted Guan Youfei, director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese Central Military Commission, as saying.

Guan's comments came after Carter's claims at the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue here that China's military activities in the South China Sea would isolate it.

Guan said the US should learn lessons from the wars it had waged in the Asia-Pacific region after World War II and play a constructive role in the region.

Guan urged the US to keep its security pledges, withdraw troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, stop arms sale to China's Taiwan and refrain from holding military drills on the Korean peninsula.

Guan said China has made great efforts in promoting international and regional security cooperation since its reforms and opening-up, and China's achievements in areas such as peacekeeping, disaster relief and naval escort missions are obvious.

China will continue to enhance cooperation with other Asia-Pacific countries under the Belt and Road initiative in various fields, the Chinese military official said.

The US defense secretary had earlier made similar accusations against China in a speech delivered at the US Naval Academy. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had responded, saying such claims reflected "American-style mentality" and "American-style hegemony."

--IANS

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