China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday urged Japan not to align with U.S. plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, citing regional security risks.
The warning was delivered by Zhang Xiaogang, the ministry spokesman, during a regular press conference.
When asked about recent reports that the U.S. army secretary had discussed the deployment of a multi-domain task force with Japan's defense minister, Zhang expressed serious concerns. Analysts have suggested that this may involve the installation of the "Typhon" intermediate-range missile system in Japan.
"We are closely monitoring the situation. The U.S. deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region could escalate arms race, posing a severe threat to regional security and disrupting the global strategic balance and stability. China is firmly opposed to it. The Asia-Pacific needs peace and prosperity, not confrontation and conflict. We urge the U.S. side to halt the dangerous move that heightens regional tensions. Meanwhile, we would like to make it clear to Japan that it needs to exercise caution, not to invite a wolf into the house and pander to the U.S. side. Otherwise, Japan will be placing itself in a dangerous position. China would respond firmly and strongly, based on how the situation develops, and in accordance with its own needs," said Zhang.
China warns Japan not to align with U.S. in deploying missiles in Asia-Pacific
China warns Japan not to align with U.S. in deploying missiles in Asia-Pacific
China warns Japan not to align with U.S. in deploying missiles in Asia-Pacific
President Xi Jinping's participation in the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the 19th G20 Summit, and his recently concluded state visits to Peru and Brazil will usher in a new chapter of South-South cooperation, experts said.
Xi returned to Beijing on Saturday following an 11-day, two-nation tour of Latin America.
At the 19th G20 Summit in Lima, Peru, Xi called for building a world economy characterized by cooperation, stability, openness, innovation, and eco-friendliness. This is widely seen as a reflection of China's strong commitment to fostering a fair and equitable global governance system.
Xi summarized the reasons behind the 'Asia-Pacific Miracle' and urged Asia-Pacific economies to uphold true multilateralism, build an open and integrated cooperation framework, foster green and innovative growth momentum, and embrace a universally beneficial and inclusive development concept. "President Xi stressed the importance of creating an open and integrated Asia-Pacific cooperation pattern. This reflects a commitment to the openness and inclusiveness of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation, ensuring it is open to all economies. On the other hand, on the momentum of green innovation cooperation, President Xi has made many profound expositions on integrating green innovation, a trend of our times, with the shift toward digitalization and intelligence. Lastly, he emphasized establishing a concept of universally beneficial and inclusive development. This aligns closely with the new development concepts of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing that we advocate in China," director of the Department for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.
During Xi's state visit to Peru, the two heads of state attended the opening ceremony of Chancay Port via video link. As a flagship project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Peru, the port is the first smart and green port in South America, significantly reducing transoceanic shipping times. Meanwhile, the port is the starting point for a new land-sea corridor connecting Asia and Latin America, fostering a three-dimensional, diversified, and efficient interconnection framework.
"The shipping time from the Chancay Port to Shanghai, China, is just 23 days, significantly reducing maritime shipping time. Meanwhile, we see that neighboring countries, including Brazil and Chile, have begun planning road network connections with the Chancay Port. This will allow Peru to play a very important role in the region in the future. Furthermore, this new shipping route not only diversifies trade between China and Peru but also creates greater opportunities for trade diversification between China and Latin America as a whole," said Yue Yunxia, deputy director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
During Xi's state visit to Brazil, the two heads of state announced elevating their bilateral relationship to a China-Brazil community with a shared future, aimed at fostering a more just world and a more sustainable planet.
"I think the important thing is that it provides a new model for China-Latin America relations, which will likely play a leading role for China and the entire Latin American region in the future. Moreover, I think the collaboration between China and Brazil will undoubtedly drive the trend of unity among developing countries, particularly those in the Global South. On a global scale, this cooperation between China and Brazil will certainly accelerate the overall rise of developing countries," said Sun Yanfeng, executive director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
Xi's Latin America trip opens up new chapter of South-South cooperation: experts
