US and others should take China's sovereignty claims serious, says vice-foreign minister on eve of defence budget statement
Associated Press in Beijing
The Guardian.com, Tuesday 4 March 2014 05.18 EST
China supports resolving disputes through negotiations and its 2.3-million strong army, and does so for defensive purposes only, says Beijing. Photograph: Joe Chan /Reuters
China's military is prepared to respond to all threats to the country's sovereignty, its vice-foreign minister has said ahead of the expected announcement of another big increase in Chinese defence spending.
Fu Ying said China supported resolving disputes with other states through negotiations and its 2.3-million strong army – the world's largest. China does so for defensive purposes only, she added.
But Fu warned other nations not to test China's resolve, saying: "If some countries wish to provoke or wish to damage … regional peace and the regional order, then we must make a response, and an effective response at that.
"The point of this response, is to, on the one hand, maintain China's territory and sovereignty, and on the other hand to maintain the regional order and peace."
Other countries should take China's sovereignty claims seriously if they truly care about regional peace and security, she said, singling out the US by name.
Fu was speaking on Tuesday during a news conference on the eve of the Chinese legislature's annual session. Her remarks came amid festering disputes between China and its neighbours over the control of islands and sea lanes. Tensions between China and Japan over control of a string of tiny uninhabited islands in the East China Sea have escalated during the past 18 months.
China is to announce its latest defence budget on Wednesday. Spending on the armed forces rose 10.7% last year to 720bn yuan (£70bn), second only to the US.
Posted By: Yaiqab Saint
Tuesday, March 4th 2014 at 10:30PM
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