China's Ministry of National Defense commented on the US warships and planes showing off force in the South China Sea: too much "muscle" will inevitably be strained
China News Agency, Beijing, February 24 (Reporter Li Chun) "If you show more muscles, it is inevitable that you will have muscle strains." Tan Kefei, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on the 24th that for a long time, The United States has frequently sent military ships and aircraft to provoke infringement and show off its force in the South China Sea. Not only has it not become a defender of freedom of navigation and overflight, but it has become a "troublemaker" and "accident maker".
A reporter asked, according to reports, the US Navy recently admitted that the video circulating in the media of the US Navy F-35C fighter jet crashing into the sea in late January is real.
According to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy is "making every effort" to carry out the F-35C salvage operation in the relevant waters of the South China Sea.
Does the spokesperson have any comments?
"We have noticed relevant reports." Tan Kefei said that freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea has never been a problem.
For a long time, under the banner of "freedom of navigation and overflight", the US has frequently dispatched military ships and aircraft to provoke infringements and show off its force in the South China Sea, which has exacerbated regional tensions.
Tan Kefei said that "showing muscles" will inevitably lead to muscle strains.
As we all know, since last year, the US military has collided with submarines under the sea in the South China Sea and lost planes at sea.
In the past few years, its warships and aircraft have also collided several times in different sea areas, causing serious casualties.
This series of incidents shows that the US has not only failed to become a defender of freedom of navigation and overflight, but has instead become a "troublemaker" and "accident maker".
Tan Kefei pointed out that China believes that the South China Sea should be a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, rather than the "wild west" of individual countries.
The U.S. side should immediately stop its long-standing large-scale and high-frequency military activities.
Otherwise, it will not only damage the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, but also endanger their own integrity and personnel safety.
(over)