Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the 2003 Annual Report on the China's Military Issued by the US Department of Defense

2003-08-07 00:00

Q: The U.S. Department of Defense issued its 2003 Annual Report on the China's Military on July 30th, what is your comment?

A: China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, adopts a defensive national security policy and sticks to the way of peaceful development. There is nothing to accuse of the national defense measures and military deployments of China as a sovereign state to safeguard its national security and territorial integrity.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Chinese government has adhered to the fundamental guidelines of "peaceful unification" and "One country, Two systems", exerting its utmost efforts with greatest sincerity to promote the peaceful unification across the Taiwan Straits. The forces for the independence of Taiwan present the most dangerous menace to the stability across the Taiwan Straits. The United States has expressed on many occasions its willingness to adhere to the three Sino-US Joint Communiquésand the one-China policy, oppose Taiwan's "independence". We hope that the United States will earnestly honor its commitments.

A handful of people in the United States exaggerates the Mainland's military power and expenditure, playing up the threat to Taiwan. Their purpose is to find an excuse to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan. Facts speak louder than words. The international community recognizes China as a positive power to the promotion of world peace and mutual development.