China accuses US of undermining global strategic stability, declares readiness for war

Tensions between the United States of America and China have continued to ramp up, with Beijing now accusing Washington of undermining global strategic stability.

China which made the declaration through its defence ministry on Wednesday said America is doing so by deepening their military presence and expanding their alliances.

The ministry which made the statement while it outlined plans for further modernisation of the armed forces also warned that Beijing was ready for war if there was a move towards Taiwan’s independence.

“International strategic competition is on the rise,” the ministry said in the white paper, which is the first since 2012 and offers a rare insight into China’s military strategy and the workings of the world’s largest military force.

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Accusing the US of adopting “unilateral policies”, it said Washington “has provoked and intensified competition among major countries, significantly increased its defence expenditure, pushed for additional capacity in nuclear, outer space, cyber and missile defence, and undermined global strategic stability”.

The paper “reflects the realities on the ground in China,” Victor Gao, director at the China National Association of International Studies, told Al Jazeera.

“It emphasises that Chinese defence is very much self-defence in nature and does not constitute a threat to any neighbouring countries or any other country in the world.”

The strategy was released a day after China carried out its first joint air patrol with Russia, triggering protests in both South Korea and Japan.

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