Beijing officials stormed Washington on Thursday after Defense Secretary Mark Esper criticized China and a Chinese dissident was seen prominently at the Republican National Convention.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Defense, accused recent tensions between the world’s two largest economies in the US and promised not to return.
“The US has continued to provoke and sow problems,” he told reporters during a briefing on Thursday. “The Chinese army will not dance to the tune of the US”
His remarks follow China’s launch of medium-range ballistic missiles into the South China Sea on Wednesday, 24 hours after it said a U-2 spy plane was sent into a no-fly zone over Chinese military exercises with live fire.
The Pentagon said the U-2 flight carried out in the Indo-Pacific region was “within the accepted international rules and regulations flying aircraft”, according to Reuters.
In a tin-swept swipe at Beijing on Wednesday, Defense Minister Esper in Hawaii said America “will not give an inch” to other countries.
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Esper said that Beijing sought to project its power worldwide and had not kept its promises to abide by international laws. China dismissed its claims as “baseless”, saying the US had withdrawn from international treaties and organizations that damaged global stability.
“China has always been the defender of standards for international relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a daily press release. “On the other hand, the United States has used international law when it is in agreement and removed it when it is not.”
Relations between the two powers have seriously deteriorated amid disputes over trade, human rights in Hong Kong, Beijing’s treatment of the coronavirus pandemic, transparency of Chinese technology companies and other issues.
One major area of conflict is the energetic South China Sea, where Beijing has made extensive territorial claims.
China denies militarizing the area, where about $ 3 trillion worth of trade passes each year, and says it has historic and sovereign claims on the waterway.
In July, Washington considered most of Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea unjustified and angered China by leading warships through the area, claiming its freedom of access to international waterways.
China also cited Wednesday’s decision by the US to impose sanctions on 24 Chinese companies involved in construction in the South China Sea.
“China’s relevant construction on its own territory is completely within the scope of sovereignty and has nothing to do with militarization,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao said in a daily press release.
Add that China would take “appropriate measures” to protect its rights, but did not outline details.
Meanwhile at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, a blind Chinese dissident whose escape to the US was facilitated by the administration of former President Barack Obama, called on supporters of President Donald Trump in a coalition to ‘stop China’s aggression’.
Chen Guangcheng became a vocal human rights activist after saying he was imprisoned for exposing forced abortions under the policy for one child of China. His 2012 flight to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing provided a six-day diploma between the US and China.
“Rising to fight unfairness is not easy. I know it. So does President Trump,” Chen said. “He has shown the courage to fight that battle.”
Chinese officials did not respond to Chen’s comments.
China is set to function heavily in the run-up to the November 3 election, in which both President Trump and rival Joe Biden are sharply critical of Beijing.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mosheh Gains contributed.
