China strongly protests Pentagon report

BEIJING: China has strongly protested against a Pentagon report which claims Beijing's rapid miltary build-up poses a credible long-term threat to the United States.

"The US Defense Department's report, which exaggerates China's military strength and expenditure and continues to spread the 'China threat theory', is based on 'Cold War mentality' and ulterior motives," said foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

"This seriously violates principles governing international relations and rudely interferes in China's internal affairs.

"The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this," the spokesman added, in a statement posted on the ministry's website late Wednesday

The Pentagon warned in its annual report Tuesday that the pace and scope of China's modernization of its strategic forces and other surprising military developments could pose a credible long-term threat to the United States.

China's ability to sustain military power at a distance is limited, but it has the greatest potential of any nation to compete militarily with the United States, according to the executive summary of the Defense Department report.