Accusations of port cooperation 'threat' groundless

That China has invested in nearly 100 ports around the world has become a pretext for some US politicians to accuse the country of threatening global logistics security.

Such accusations are groundless. They politicize normal business cooperation by turning it into a security issue.

Every maritime country attaches great importance to ports. All of them are prudent when selecting partners for port cooperation and only select those they consider the best.

China's port cooperation with overseas partners brings important opportunities for development to host countries. Over the years, Chinese enterprises have taken an active part in the investment, construction and operation of ports in countries under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, creating remarkable economic and social benefits. Greece, Cambodia and Sri Lanka all speak highly of their port cooperation with China.

Notably, the US is also a beneficiary of Chinese-foreign port cooperation. By cooperating with its Chinese partner COSCO Shipping over the Hamburg port-based container terminal in Germany, the Port of Boston has not only saved 9,000 jobs in the region's shipping industry, but also created another 400,000 jobs.

Those US politicians pointing a finger at China's normal port cooperation with other countries should be reminded that the US builds the most real strategic "outposts "around the world. It owns more than 800 overseas military bases-313 of them surrounding China.

In contrast, China always launches practical cooperation on port and other infrastructure on the basis of respecting the will of relevant countries and in a transparent way. It never interferes in other countries' domestic affairs, targets any third party or poses a security threat to any country. Something the US has become so adept to do under the brazen excuses of maintaining a rules-based "order" and safeguarding the values of "democracy" and "freedom".