China scolds US for withdrawing invite to naval drill

China’s Defense Ministry has voiced regret after the United States withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major US-hosted naval drill amid their dispute over the South China Sea.

China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that closing the door would not promote mutual trust and cooperation.

“This decision by the United States is not constructive. Closing the door to communication at any time is not conducive toward promoting mutual trust and communication between the Chinese and US militaries,” the statement read.

It added that the United States had “ignored the facts and hyped up the so-called ‘militarization’ of the South China Sea,” using it as an excuse to take back invite to China.

“Being invited or not cannot change China’s will to play a role in protecting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and cannot shake China’s firm determination to defend its sovereignty and security interests,” it said.

The ministry called on China to abandon its “zero sum” mentality and appropriately handle disputes.

The Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC and previously attended by China, is billed as the world’s largest international maritime exercise and held every two years in Hawaii in June and July.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that it had made the decision in the wake of “strong evidence” that Beijing had deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to the Spratly Islands, claimed by several nations.

China’s air force bombers landed on the islands as part of the country’s war games in the region over the weekend.

Beijing reiterated that its building of defense facilities was to protect the country’s legitimate rights, and had nothing to do with militarization.

SS