China said on Thursday that it was firmly opposed to the Quad alliance consisting of the US, India, Australia and Japan as it asked Washington to refrain from making ”troubles out of nothing” and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability. Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, made the remarks at an online media briefing when asked about the recent Quad summit and reported statement by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stating that Quad leaders discussed the ”challenges” posed by China and they had no illusions about it.

China is firmly opposed to the Quad alliance consisting of the US, India, Australia and Japan, Ren said. US President Joe Biden who hosted the First Quad Leaders’ Summit told leaders of the coalition that a ’free and open’ Indo-Pacific is essential to their countries and that his country was committed to working with its partners and allies in the region to achieve stability. The virtual summit early this month was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

China firmly opposed the ”four-side mechanism” promoted by the US as it adheres to the Cold War mentality, Ren said. He said that the Quad mechanism believes in group confrontation, is keen on geopolitical games, and uses the so-called ”China challenge” as an excuse to ”form cliques” and openly provoke relations between regional countries. ”We are firmly opposed to this”, he added.

”Seeking peace, development and win-win cooperation is the trend of the times. Any practice that goes against the trend of the times and satisfies one’s own selfish interests is out of place, unpopular and doomed to fail,” Ren said. ”China is committed to building world peace, contributing to global development and upholding the international order. We urge the US to shoulder its responsibilities, refrain from making troubles out of nothing and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability, he said.

Asked about the recent security document released by the US government and the remarks made by the US defence department stating that Washington regarded China as America’s only competitor with the economic and military capabilities to challenge the current international system, Ren said, ”what the US has done is nothing but creating enemies and playing up threats, with the purpose of finding excuses for sustaining hegemony”. ”Those words have reflected the US side’s stubbornness to maintain hegemony, pursuit of the law of the jungle, and dangerous misjudgement of China. China firmly opposes those US remarks as they conform to neither the facts nor the common interests of the two countries and the world, he said.

Though China does not intend to challenge anyone, it is not afraid of facing challenges; though China does not want to threaten anyone, it is not afraid of any threat, he said. ”The Chinese military is determined to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and it always has such capabilities,” Ren said.

”We hope that the US can have a clear understanding of the situation, and view the development of China and the Chinese military rationally,” he said. The US should properly handle the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, work with the Chinese side toward the same goal, strengthen dialogue and communication, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences and foster sound and stable relations between the two militaries, Ren added.

The relations between the US and China are at an all-time low. The two countries are currently engaged in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including trade, Beijing’s aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea and human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang region.

First Published:Mar 26, 2021 9:46 AM IST