China Says Military Growth Aids World Peace, Rejects Australia Threat Report

China on Monday countered a think tank report that warned of an increasing threat to Australia from Beijing's military capabilities. The foreign ministry stated that strengthening China's military actually contributes to world peace.

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The growth of China’s military strength represents an increase in the forces for world peace.

A report by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute suggested that China's capacity to launch a direct missile strike on Australia is growing. This is attributed to Beijing's accumulation of long-range and hypersonic weapons and its expansion of islands in the South China Sea. The report specifically highlighted the potential threat from the DF-27 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which could reach Australia from China.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, condemned the report, calling it a "serious strategic misjudgment." He asserted that China is committed to a "path of peaceful development" and that its military expansion is intended to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, not to target any specific country. Lin urged "relevant institutions" to cease "hyping up the so-called China threat" and to adopt an objective and rational view of China's development.

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China’s development of military strength is intended to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests and is not directed at any specific country.

The Lowy Institute report focused on assessing Beijing's capability rather than its intentions. It noted that China's missile capabilities, including those fired from ships and submarines, could pose a threat to Australia. Australia itself had reshaped its military strategy three years prior in response to China's naval buildup and rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, focusing on deterrence from its northern approaches.

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stop hyping up the so-called China threat