China says relation with US 'extremely complicated, won't 'dance to its tune'

China’s defence ministry said on August 27 that their military will neither “dance to the tune of the US” nor allow the United States to “cause trouble”. Defence ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told a monthly news conference that the Sino-US relations are facing an “extremely severe and complicated” situation, accusing the United States of undermining China’s sovereignty.

The spokesperson acknowledged the importance of maintaining communication between Chinese and US militaries, saying the two sides must promote and maintain the overall stability. He urged certain US politicians to recognise the reality, stop provocation, and push the relations between the two countries and the armed forces back on the right track.

“We hope that the US will truly take a strategic vision, view China's development with an open and rational mind, and get out of the quagmire of anxiety and entanglement,” said Wu.

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Alleged US provocation

The comments came after China objected an alleged entry of a US spy plane arbitrarily into a no-fly zone used by People’s Liberation Army for live ammunition exercises. The Chinese defence ministry had said in a statement that a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft flew over an area in northern China, seriously disrupting normal exercises and training activities.

Wu said that the action violated the China-US maritime and air safety code of conduct and related international law and could have easily led to misunderstandings and accidents. He urged the United States to stop such “provocative actions” and take concrete actions to maintain peace and stability in the region.

“China firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the United States,” the statement read.

Hours after the alleged provocation, China reportedly fired four medium-range ballistic missiles into the South China Sea during an anti-ship strike simulation. The PLA fired four medium-range ballistic missiles into the northern end of the South China Sea around the same time when the United States announced visa restrictions on Chinese individuals for involvement in the militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea, escalation tensions between the two countries.

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