The Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference The spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense released information and answered reporters' questions on recent military-related issues

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Beijing, 25 Jul (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of National Defense held a regular news conference on 25 July, at which Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, deputy director of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense and spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, released information and answered reporters' questions on recent military-related issues.

Zhang Xiaogang introduced that at the invitation of the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Army will send a detachment to Mongolia in late July to participate in the "Khan Exploration-2024" multinational peacekeeping exercise. From late July to mid-August, the Chinese military will hold the "Peace Unity-2024" joint exercise with the Tanzanian and Mozambican armies. From July to September, the Army Engineering University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army held a mine-clearing training course for Cambodia and Laos.

Zhang Xiaogang said that according to the annual plan, at the invitation of the Russia and Egypt navies, from late July to mid-August, a ship formation composed of Jiaozuo and Honghu ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy went to the port of St. Petersburg in Russia to participate in the celebration of the 328th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Navy and visited Alexandria, Egypt. In late July, a fleet of ships composed of the Longhushan and Zheng He ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy will go to the port of Vladivostok in Russia to participate in the above celebrations.

Regarding the report that Taiwan's first self-made submarine "Haikun" may be tested at sea in September, Zhang Xiaogang pointed out that the DPP authorities' "seeking independence by force" is completely self-defeating. No matter how many weapons are built and more equipment is bought, it will cost the people and money and decorate the façade. If the "sea kun" is used to "seek independence by force," sooner or later it will be a fish in the PLA's net.

According to reports, the Taiwan military organized the "Han Kuang No. 40" live military exercise, focusing on unscripted actual combat, and for the first time released the "troop engagement rules" carrying card template, in order to enhance the "legitimacy and legitimacy" of the Taiwan military's use of force, and to practice overseas material transfer and other subjects. Zhang Xiaogang said: The DPP authorities have exhausted all kinds of tricks in a vain attempt to cloak separatist activities as "legal" and "legitimate," but this is nothing but self-deception and deception. The DPP authorities' deliberate attempt to use Taiwan as a battlefield and the people as a meat shield in a vain attempt to "seek independence by force" and "resist reunification by force" is completely self-defeating and ultimately a dead end.

A reporter asked: Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te recently said that Chinese mainland's "gray incursions" on the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas are increasing day by day. Since recently, Taiwan's defense department has added English-language broadcasts to drive away the planes of the Continental Army, and for the first time announced the test launch of the mainland rocket force and the activities around the coast guard ship Taiwan Island. Taiwan's regional coast guard said the Chinese mainland coast guard has increased pressure around Kinmen, Matsu and other outlying islands in the past few months. In response to this problem, Zhang Xiaogang pointed out that the DPP authorities are nothing more than grandstanding and blowing the whistle to embolden them. The PLA's actions are not afraid of any reconnaissance and interference, and our determination to defend national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity is unwavering.

With regard to the United States Marine Corps' recent first release of a decree called "Deception," the core of which includes how to use deception to deal with the enemy and produce false intelligence information, Zhang Xiaogang said: United States' deception not only exists in the military field, but has actually penetrated deep into its bone marrow, and it dares to make up any lies for its own selfish interests, and has long become a veritable "empire of lies."

Zhang Xiaogang introduced that from launching the "Robin Plan" during the Cold War to bribe the media to manipulate public opinion, to launching wars of aggression against Iraq and Syria with "washing powder" and "white helmets", to fabricating "lies of the century" to slander China's Xinjiang policy, and carrying out disinformation operations to smear Chinese vaccines in the Philippines and other countries, the United States has no bottom line in fraud and rumors, and is accelerating its credibility bankruptcy. He pointed out that if you can be deceived for a while, you can't be deceived for a lifetime. The US should immediately correct its erroneous practices, stop spreading disinformation, stop using lies to confuse the world and slander other countries, and give the international community a clear explanation of its deceptive behavior as soon as possible.

According to reports, the "RIMPAC 2024" military exercise was held around Hawaii, and one of the subjects was the sinking of a 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship, which some analysts believe is a demonstration to China. Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said that if a conflict breaks out between China and the United States over the Taiwan issue, he is "full of confidence" in defeating China. On this issue, Zhang Xiaogang said: We have taken note of relevant reports. If you want to use military exercises to frighten China, or to make false statements and intimidate China, it is completely wishful thinking. The Chinese armed forces have always believed in evil, feared ghosts, and feared oppression, and have the determination, ability, and means to defeat all invading enemies and defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

NATO recently issued the "Washington Summit Declaration", accusing China of continuing to challenge NATO's interests, security and values, and being "the decisive supporter of Russia's war against Ukraine." The NATO Secretary-General said that NATO will increase its engagement with Indo-Pacific countries and support allies in holding more maritime exercises with Indo-Pacific partners. Zhang Xiaogang said that NATO's "Washington Summit Declaration" spreads belligerent remarks and makes groundless accusations against China, which is full of lies and prejudice, incitement and smearing, and we strongly deplore and resolutely oppose this.

Zhang Xiaogang pointed out that in recent years, NATO has continued to extend its black hand to the Asia-Pacific region, pointing the spearhead at China, luring some regional countries to dance with it, engaging in bloc confrontation and creating division. NATO is a "war seeder", from Ukraine to Afghanistan, from Iraq to Libya, bringing war disasters to regions and peoples. History has proven that creating division and confrontation is unpopular, and military expansion is the way to self-destruction.

Zhang Xiaogang said that on the Ukraine issue, China has always adhered to an objective and fair position and actively promoted peace talks, which has been widely recognized by the international community. On the contrary, the NATO countries led by United States blindly added fuel to the fire and seized the opportunity to make a lot of war money. NATO should reflect on itself, instead of shifting the blame to China.

Zhang Xiaogang stressed that China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, and the Chinese armed forces have always been a staunch force for maintaining world and regional peace and stability. We urge NATO not to interfere in China's internal affairs, not to challenge China's legitimate rights and interests, and not to smear China's domestic and foreign policies.

On the development of relations between the Chinese and Pakistani armed forces, Zhang Xiaogang said: On 8 July, Defense Minister Dong Jun met with Brazil Army Commander Thomas at the Bayi Building in Beijing to exchange views on the relations between the two countries and the two militaries and issues of common concern. China and Pakistan are the largest developing countries and important emerging market countries in the eastern and western hemispheres respectively, and have maintained close cooperation in international and regional affairs, becoming models of South-South cooperation.

Zhang Xiaogang said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two militaries have continued to deepen cooperation and exchanges in the fields of high-level exchanges and personnel training. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. We are ready to work with Pakistan to further deepen cooperation in international peacekeeping, joint exercises and training, multilateral cooperation, military culture and other fields, enhance our ability to jointly respond to challenges, send more stable and reliable positive signals to the world, and give the China-Pakistan comprehensive strategic partnership a new connotation of the times.

With regard to this year's enrollment work at military academies, Zhang Xiaogang said: Up to now, the work of enrolling military academies and universities in various provinces in batches ahead of schedule has been completed, and more than 17,000 candidates have been officially admitted to military academies and academies. This year, more than 50,000 eligible candidates from 31 provinces and cities across the country participated in the military inspection, on the whole, the quality of students is stable and improving, and the average score of the final admission is 90.2 points higher than the provincial first-line or special type enrollment control line, the enrollment plan completion rate is 99.97%, and the first-choice admission rate is 99.2%, all of which have hit a record high, and the popularity of applying for military schools continues to increase, for example, the number of students admitted to the military school in Qianshan Yezhai Middle School in Anhui Province has increased from 20 last year to 51, and the average admission score has reached 603.5 points.