Xinhua

The newspaper La Jornada
Saturday, August 17, 2024, p. 24

Beijing. China yesterday denounced the United States for trying to maintain hegemony and intimidate the world with nuclear weapons. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media question about the reconstitution of the US military in Japan, and its accusation that China is expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Recently, the United States and Japan They have been playing with the so-called military threat from China to make excuses to strengthen military ties. Such acts provoke confrontation between blocs and undermine regional peace and stability, Zhang condemned, expressing firm opposition.

The United States represents the greatest nuclear threat to the worldthe spokesman said, adding that Washington has the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet and has a policy on the matter that allows the first use of this class of weapons.

Zhang lashes out at Japan

Zhang denounced Japan, the only country to have been victimized by nuclear attacks, for failing to learn the lessons of history but instead pandering to the United States to get the so-called nuclear deterrenceChina pursues a nuclear self-defense strategy and is committed to a policy of no-first use of such weapons, Zhang said, noting that it also keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security.