Cooperation is the only right choice for China and the United States, and the U.S. side should rationally view the development of China and the Chinese military, a military spokesperson said Thursday.
Ren Guoqiang, the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when commenting on the U.S. side's recent claim that China is the "number-one pacing challenge" to the United States.
The U.S. side's remarks have reflected its Cold War mindset, said Ren, adding that its stunts of creating enemies and playing up threats serve only to create excuses for sustaining its hegemony.
China firmly opposes the remarks as they conform to neither the facts nor the common interests of the two countries and the world, Ren noted.
"No one and no force can stop the Chinese people from striving for a better life," said Ren. "The Chinese military is determined to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and it always has such capabilities."
The Chinese military develops sound military relations with its foreign counterparts, participates in global security governance and continues to provide public goods in the field of security such as international peacekeeping, escort missions in high seas and global anti-epidemic supplies.
China urges the U.S. side to properly handle the relations between the two countries and the two militaries and work with the Chinese side toward the same goal, Ren added.
