China urges U.S. to stop provocations to avoid maritime, air accidents

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to stop all dangerous provocations, saying that it is the fundamental solution needed to avoid maritime and air accidents.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the comments at a press conference in response to a media inquiry regarding the 17th China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks, which was held earlier this month.

During the talks, China urged the U.S. side to fully recognize the root cause of maritime and air security issues.

The root cause of the China-U.S. maritime and air security issues lies in the U.S. military's harassment and provocations on China's doorstep, engaging in prolonged, extensive and high-frequency activities in the maritime and aerial areas surrounding China, according to Wu.

"The actions taken by the Chinese military per laws and regulations are legitimate, reasonable, professional and restrained," Wu said.

He urged the U.S. side to stop abusing international law, cease all dangerous provocations, and strictly discipline its troops on the ground.

Also at the press conference, Wu said the two militaries are steadily restoring dialogues and consultations on the basis of equality and respect, and are maintaining communication and coordination on mechanisms such as the China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings.