US is world’s ‘biggest disruptor’ of peace — China

China slams US report on Beijing’s military buildup and uses it to hit back at Washington’s recent actions in helping Israel and Ukraine as well as its buildup of military installations worldwide.

The United States is the “biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability” in the world, China has said in a scathing response to a Pentagon report on China’s growing military buildup.

“The US has sent depleted uranium munitions and cluster bombs to Ukraine, sent its carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean and weapons and munitions to Israel, is this the so-called ‘gospel’ the ‘human rights defender is bringing to the area?” said Wu Qian, the spokesperson for China’s Defence Ministry, on Wednesday.

The annual report that US Congress requires is one way the Pentagon measures the military capabilities of China, which the US government sees as its key threat in the Asia-Pacific region and America’s primary long-term security challenge.

China in response called the Pentagon report’s findings false and used it, in turn, to hit back at the US’ recent actions in helping Israel and Ukraine, as well as its buildup of military installations worldwide.

The Pentagon report builds on a warning last year that China was expanding its nuclear force rapidly, in line with a general buildup of its military.

The earlier warning said Beijing was on track to nearly quadruple the number of warheads it has to 1,500 by 2035.

The report said China would use new fast-breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons, despite publicly saying the technologies are intended for peaceful purposes.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit the United States on Thursday ahead of a possible meetup between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November.