China urges U.S. to respect China's core interests, major concerns

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to respect China's core interests and major concerns, exercise caution in words and deeds, and do more things that are conducive to the development of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, a Chinese military spokesperson said Friday.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the statement in response to the negative remarks that John Aquilino, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, made recently in relation to China.

Tan pointed out that Taiwan question, and Hong Kong- and Xinjiang-related issues are China's internal affairs, and they brook no foreign interference.

Some U.S. military officials have repeatedly made false remarks on China-related issues, interfering in China's domestic affairs and hyping up confrontation between China and the United States, Tan said. "We firmly oppose this."

A healthy and stable relationship between the Chinese and U.S. militaries is in line with the common interests of both sides, he said, adding that China has made clear the principles to be observed when developing the relationship.

"We urge the U.S. side to earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns, abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, be cautious in words and deeds, and do more things that are conducive to the development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries," Tan said.

The spokesperson also lambasted the United States, a country outside the region, for flaunting its military power in the South China Sea under the guise of "freedom of navigation."

Facts have long proven that the United States is the "trouble-maker" in the South China Sea and the greatest threat to regional peace and stability, Tan said.