China’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that provisions included in the Pentagon’s annual military spending bill that President Biden recently signed into law “unreasonably exaggerates” the “so-called China threat.”
The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes amendments to expand the US military presence in the Asia Pacific and provide more military support to Taiwan.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters that the NDAA “grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and seriously damages China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests. The Chinese military is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this.”
Wu criticized the US alliance building in the Asia Pacific that’s being done explicitly to prepare for a future war with China in the region. The NDAA includes an amendment to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, which is part of the AUKUS military pact that the US, Australia, and Britain formed in 2021.
Wu had strong words for the US assistance to Taiwan, as it’s the most sensitive issue between the US and China. “The Taiwan issue is purely China’s internal affair and does not tolerate any external interference,” he said, adding that the US must stop its “provocative behavior of ‘using Taiwan to contain China.'”
The US severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 as part of its normalization deal with China but has continued to sell weapons to the island. In 2023, the US began financing military aid to Taiwan for the first time, a step that enraged Beijing. The 2024 NDAA continues military aid for Taiwan and contains other forms of assistance, including a requirement for the secretary of defense to create a comprehensive training program for the Taiwanese military.
Wu also commented on reports that the US was reclaiming a World War II-era airfield in Tinian, an island that’s a US Pacific territory about 118 miles north of Guam. The airfield on Tinian was used as the launching point for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“The United States has strengthened its forward military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region and increased regional tensions. Countries in the region should remain highly vigilant,” Wu said when asked about the US reclaiming the island airfield.
The US military needs to clear the jungle that’s taken over the Tinian airfield since it’s been abandoned. According to Stars & Stripes, the NDAA includes tens of millions of dollars in funding for the island, which is one of several World War II-era airfields the US is restoring across the western Pacific.
Romanticizing about ruling the Pacific? Some things don’t change,
more like scare-mongering to justify a higher budget
WE ARE GOING TO START WWIII. For the first time, a World War will come to the U.S.
Ever since the U.S. provoked Russia into invading Ukraine, this whole situation has been nothing less than terrifying to anyone who’s paying attention and has even a clue about what’s going on. We’re inching ever closer to global annihilation via nuclear war. But the sheeple in the world are asleep, oblivious to all this. Once the missiles are launched, it will be far too late. I guess humans won’t be satisfied until they’ve destroyed all life on Earth.
Ahhhhh! Run! Hide! The US is causing war everywhere! Hahaha. Jesus, kids. Hold onto your teddy bears and blankets. WWIII wil only happen IF the Russians and Chinese cause it to happen. Stop your bulls**t scare tactics, tankie!
Your comment is the epitome of pure evil. I’m actually far less afraid of things than most people, but if you’re not afraid of nuclear war, there’s something seriously wrong with you. And, Mr. Ugly American, it is your country, the evil empire, that’s the problem here, not Russia or China.
You can curl up in a ball over remote scenarios like a child. You can also call me an evil/ugly American if you wish. Russia and China are the aggressors in their sphere-of-influence. If you can’t see that (or if you can’t admit that) I pity you.
The risk of nuclear war is provided by Russia and China. They fall-back on those threats when it suits them, not the US. Maybe try to be a mature adult and see what the reality is?
Russia and China are the aggressors, not the U.S.? Wow, are you ever brainwashed! Whose military is in whose area of the world? The U.S. has around 1,000 military bases around the world; Russia has none, and China has, I believe one, and that one is near China.
Look in the mirror bub. It’s you and yours that are the problem, and the whole world agrees with that. You live in the empire, and empires are evil by definition and necessity.
OK, son. You keep pi**ing your pants about the nuclear war that Russia and China always seem to be threatening. When was the last time the US threatened nuclear war?
Happy New Year (in your bomb shelter)!
Sorry, Jeff, I know you didn’t ask for my advice, but it’s much better to just flush a toilet full of $hit rather than clean it. Flush it and let it clean itself. Nobody invented a better way to get rid of $hit. If someone is full of $hit, they’re not listening to your reasoning. You’re wasting your time. Besides, those you’re trying to reason with may be worse than brainwashed. They could be paid to brainwash me and you.
That’s true. But I’m taking some time off for the holidays and probably have too much time on my hands.
Does China understand that this has nothing to do with a threat? This is about the U.S. expanding its empire, nothing more. I hope that China isn’t so naive that it thinks that it can reason with the psychopathic evil empire called the U.S.