Pentagon's China report smells moldy: China Daily editorial
ChinadailyOct 23, 2023
China Says US 'Exaggerates' its Military Threat in New Report
The Facts
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said on Wednesday that the Pentagon's latest annual report on Chinese military and security developments has overemphasized what he called a "non-existent" military threat to harm China's security interests.
This comes as he expressed Beijing's strong dissatisfaction with and stiff opposition to the recently released report, which he claims distorts the nation's national defense policy and military strategy.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The Pentagon's report is nothing more than a stage prop used by the US to justify its hegemonic and expansive military behavior throughout the world, intended for the detriment of China. It's the product of unverifiable media claims and rumors gathered via outdated reporting techniques, and China will continue to legitimately defend itself in the face of America's veiled international goals.
Anti-China narrative
One of the few bipartisan agreements within the US political system remains that China is a rising threat. While current domestic economic concerns for China have significantly placed its ability to overtake the US under question, this doesn't mean that Beijing should be underestimated. As Xi Jinping enters the later years of his life, now is the time to stifle any potential test of strength and judge wisely the time to consolidate American power in Asia.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that there will be a US-China war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.