Foreign and Military Affairs

China says its naval drills no cause for alarm

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-29 20:32

BEIJING - Recent drills by the Chinese navy are routine and not connected to tension over the South China Sea, the country's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, calling for people to view ?the exercises in a "rational" way. ?

"What needs explaining is that a series of recent naval drills are routine and planned annually and have no connection with the situation at present in the South China Sea," ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a news conference, according to a transcript posted on the ministry's website(www.mod.gov.cn).

"We have seen that some reports have been excessively speculative and overly interpretative. We hope that everyone can objectively and rationally view these normal naval exercises," he added.

China says that it needs to upgrade its forces and that its plans are not a threat to any country, pointing out that its defence budget is far smaller than that of the United States.????

Yang said US-Philippines defence cooperation "ought not to be directed at any third party, nor damage the interests of any third party".

"We hope that relevant countries can put regional peace and stability at the forefront and do more to benefit regional peace and stability," he added.

On Monday, the US Senate passed a resolution that deplored China's "use of force" against Vietnamese and Philippine ships in the South China Sea.

Yang repeated Beijing's stance that the United States should stay out of the matter.

"The peace and stability of the South China Sea accords with the common interests of all countries in the Asia Pacific, including China and the United States," he added.