China slams criticism of military expansion

BEIJING, May 25 (Reuters) China today slammed reports from the United States and Britain voicing concern over its military build up and soaring budget, but at the same time unveiled a plan to upgrade its weaponry over the next 15 years.

China had a right to protect its territory and was open and transparent about its military spending, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

''China is an enormous country with a large border and we have the important task of maintaining territorial integrity and national unity,'' Liu told a regular news conference.

''So it is proper for China to raise military spending and totally normal to push modernisation of national defences.'' Washington has been raising alarms over Beijing's defence modernisation for several years. Tuesday's annual Pentagon report on China's military power said it had yet to adequately explain the purposes of its military expansion.

Yesterday, the Foreign Ministry had denounced the Pentagon report, saying it exaggerated the country's defence capabilities and showed a ''cold war mentality''.

A statement by ministry spokesman Liu said the Pentagon report spread the ''China threat theory'' and endangered international relations.

''The (report) has a 'cold war mentality', deliberately overstates China's military power and expenditure, continues to spread the 'China threat theory' endangers international relations and brashly interferes in China's domestic affairs,'' the statement said.

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