Beijing Daily: According the media report, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the other day that China's development of armament and advanced capabilities and systems will only increase tensions in the region. The US disarmament ambassador also stated that the active pursuit of the use and the militarization of hypersonic technology by China and Russia will intensify arms race. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: China categorically opposes the incessant hyping-up of "China threat" by the US. China always works to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, uphold international order and provide public good. China unswervingly follows a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and a self-defensive nuclear strategy, with nuclear forces always kept at the minimum level required to safeguard national security. China will never be engaged in nuclear arms race with any country. The sole aim of China's development of necessary military capabilities is to safeguard its legitimate security interests. China's growth strengthens the force for world peace. No country will be threatened by China's national defense capability as long as it does not intend to threaten or undermine China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

The US not only owns the world's largest and most advanced nuclear stockpile, but also is investing trillions of dollars to upgrade its "nuclear triad". By hyping up "China threat", what the US is really up to is to search for excuses to build up its military capabilities and seek the advantage of absolute security.

As is known to all, the US withdrew from the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and constantly advances the deployment of global anti-ballistic system. For a long time, the US is the only country that has been obstructing the negotiations on the Biological Weapons Convention verification protocol. In addition, the US stonewalls the negotiation efforts toward outer space arms control, and transfers nuclear submarines to non-nuclear weapon state which will increase the risk of nuclear proliferation.

As the only super power, the US, in recent years, clings to cold-war mentality, strengthens its military build-up in an all-round way, continues to deepen military alliance, and gangs up to form military cliques. What the US does severely undermines regional peace and security, and harms the global strategic stability. The claim made by the US that China intensifies arms race purely aims to shift blames on the others and divert the attention. The US side should stop hyping up "China threat" and making issues of China, demonstrate a responsible attitude, play its due role as a major country, to work with the international community to uphold global strategic balance and stability, and achieve common security for all countries.

Source: Foreign Ministry Regular Press Conference on Oct. 19, 2021.