US must respect China's core interests: spokesperson

The United States "must show sincerity and take actions" to respect China's core interests and major concerns if it really wants to have positive and constructive dialogues with China, said the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday.

Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, made the comments in a news conference in response to certain US official who recently claimed that China's cancellation of Sino-US military communications following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August was not conducive for both militaries to communicate timely and avoid miscalculation.

"What is right and wrong is not allowed to be confused," he said, stressing that the US side is "fully aware of the causes and effect" of China's cancellation of the three bilateral military exchanges.

"China's cancellation is a necessary countermeasure against the US which deliberately created a major crisis and seriously undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Tan said.

The spokesman criticized that recently the US has grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and further undermined the foundation and atmosphere for communication and exchanges between the two militaries by issuing a series of negative China-related policy documents and bills, and hyping up superpower competition and the so-called China threat theory.

He underlined that China attaches great importance to developing China-US military ties and the bilateral working-level communication between the two militaries that has not been interrupted.

"But the US cannot seek to fully resume dialogue and exchanges with China while at the same time undermining China's interests, and distorting the context by blaming China for canceling some military exchanges to China," said the official.

"If the US indeed wants to conduct a positive and constructive dialogue and exchanges with China, it must show sincerity and take actions, respect China's core interests and major concerns, and actively create conditions and atmosphere for bilateral military ties to back on the right track."