China Files Formal Complaint with U.S. over New Pentagon Report on China Military Power

Sept. 13, 2020 (EIRNS)—The Chinese Defense Ministry has lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. regarding the Pentagon’s report to Congress “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2020,” released at the beginning of September. “The Chinese side expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the report and lodged solemn representations to the United States,” said ministry spokesperson Wu Qian. That report states an extremely aggressive American posture towards China, complete with pre-war rhetoric.

Wu said the U.S. has long been recognized as the troublemaker and violator of world peace and order, citing Iraq, Syria and Libya as examples and pointing out U.S. military operations have resulted in over 800,000 casualties and millions internally displaced. He said the U.S. should review its own behavior and contribute to the sound development of the bilateral relations.

Reiterating China’s firm stance on the one-China principle, Wu attributed the tensions in the Taiwan Strait to the Democratic Progressive Party’s refusal of national reunification and what he called foreign interference in Taiwan affairs. “ ‘Taiwan Independence’ is a dead end,” said Wu, warning that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will take all necessary measures to defeat any plots that attempt to separate Taiwan from China and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Meanwhile the Department of Defense is preparing to turn the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau (population 18,111) into a military hub targeting China. The Army announced Sept. 11 the deployment of a contingent of soldiers to the island with their equipment “to demonstrate defensive capabilities in support of the Compact of Free Association agreement and commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” Soldiers from the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, based in Washington State, maneuvered from Guam to the Republic of Palau as part of the regional exercise Defender Pacific 20, with their artillery rocket systems. “This bilateral effort with the Republic of Palau allowed us to validate our strategic reach and assure our partners and allies of our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Col. Brandon Anderson, 17th FAB commander.

This followed by a few days the Army reported that a C-130 had arrived at Palau’s Angaur Airfield to validate an airfield upgrade project by a U.S. civil-military engineer joint task force. “The deployment of forces onto a newly certified airstrip demonstrates our ability to rapidly project joint combat power across the Indo-Pacific Command and reinforce international rules-based order,” Col. James Bartholomees, U.S. Army Pacific Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, declared. “This new runway demonstrates America’s investment in our important alliances and partnerships and our overall commitment to the people of Palau.”