BEIJING: A senior military official from Beijing declared on the fringes of a defence forum on Thursday, September 12, that China would “crush” any foreign incursion into its sovereign territory, including in the South China Sea.
“We hope that the South China Sea will remain a sea of peace,” Lieutenant-General He Lei of the Chinese army stated to AFP and a small group of journalists during the Xiangshan forum.
But, he added, “if the United States moves its pawns behind the scenes, if it pushes countries to the front line, or if the US itself ends up on the front line, then we in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army … will never have any patience”.
“We in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will resolutely crush any foreign hostile encroachment on China’s territorial, sovereign and maritime rights and interests with firm determination, staunch will, strong capability and effective means,” He said.
Regarding China’s more assertive stance in disputed maritime areas, such as the South China Sea, Washington and Beijing have verbally sparred.
China claims almost all of the waters in which Chinese ships have been involved in high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in recent months, despite a ruling by an international court that says Beijing’s claims are unfounded.
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