China Strongly Rejects U.S. Defense Report, Accusing It of Exaggerating ‘Military Threat’

Original article: China rechaza enérgicamente informe de defensa de EE.UU., acusándolo de exagerar la «amenaza militar»

During a press conference on Thursday, a spokesperson for the National Defense Ministry described the U.S. annual report as a serious interference and a malicious distortion of China’s defense policies.

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Xinhua/ElCiudadano) — The National Defense Ministry of the People’s Republic of China today expressed its «strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition» to the release of a report by the U.S. Department of Defense regarding China’s military advancements, accusing it of deliberately exaggerating the so-called «military threat from China» to mislead the international community.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Zhang Xiaogang, made these remarks during a press briefing in response to media inquiries about the Annual Report of the U.S. Department of Defense on the Military and Security Development of the People’s Republic of China (2025).

«By publishing such reports every year, the United States seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, maliciously distorts China’s national defense policy, and deliberately exaggerates the supposed ‘Chinese military threat’,» asserted Zhang, according to an official statement released by the ministry.

The spokesperson defended Beijing’s position, reiterating that China consistently adheres to a national defense policy that is exclusively defensive in nature and implements a strategy of active defense.

«The development of China’s armed forces aims to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, constituting a positive contribution to world peace and stability,» asserted Zhang.

A Call to Cease Provocations and Promote Objectivity

In his statements, the spokesperson made a direct appeal to the U.S. counterpart. He urged the United States and its allies to ‘stop dangerous provocations’ and to adopt a ‘objective and rational’ perception of China and its People’s Liberation Army.

He also requested that Washington ‘cease creating false narratives and inflaming confrontation and conflict’, suggesting that the report is part of a broader effort to maintain a rhetoric of strategic rivalry.

Context and Recurring Analysis

These annual reports, mandated by the U.S. Congress, have become a point of recurring friction in bilateral relations. Washington justifies them as a necessary assessment to understand the pace and scope of China’s military modernization, which includes advancements in nuclear, hypersonic, cyber, and space capabilities.

China, on the other hand, systematically rejects them as tools of a containment policy, arguing that its military spending per capita and as a percentage of GDP remains far lower than that of the United States, and that its activities fall within the legitimate defense of its interests.

The strong rejection expressed on Thursday underscores the deep distrust and perceptual gap that persists between the two largest military powers in the world, at a time when strategic competition spans technological, economic, and diplomatic arenas.

China’s stance insists that the path to lasting stability relies on mutual respect, non-interference, and the abandonment of a Cold War mentality, rather than what it perceives as reports aimed at justifying increased U.S. military presence and activity in the Indo-Pacific region.