BEIJING, May 31 – “China attaches importance to the development of China-US military relationship and the communication at all levels. In fact, the contacts and exchanges between the two militaries have not been interrupted,” said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, when answering a media query on Wednesday.
The US Pentagon reportedly said China has declined its request for a meeting between the two countries’ defense chiefs in Singapore. Besides, the US also claimed that China has repeatedly rejected US requests for exchanges at various levels between the two militaries in recent years.
“What I want to stress is that dialogue and communication can't be carried out without principle and bottom line. The United States is fully responsible for the current difficulties in China-US mil-to-mil exchanges,” noted Senior Colonel Tan Kefei.
The spokesperson also pointed out that the US, on the one hand, claims to be committed to enhancing communication; while on the other hand, it creates obstacles in disregard of China's concerns and seriously undermines mutual trust between the two militaries. This is not the right attitude to communication.
“At present, the US side should take concrete actions to show its sincerity and correct its wrong practices, so as to create necessary conditions and atmosphere for dialogue and communication between the two sides,” stressed the spokesperson.
