US is world's 'biggest disruptor' of peace — China

The United States is the "biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability" in the world, China has said in a scathing response to a Pentagon report on China's growing military buildup.

"The US has sent depleted uranium munitions and cluster bombs to Ukraine, sent its carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean and weapons and munitions to Israel, is this the so-called 'gospel' the 'human rights defender is bringing to the area?" said Wu Qian, the spokesperson for China's Defence Ministry, on Wednesday.

The annual report that US Congress requires is one way the Pentagon measures the military capabilities of China, which the US government sees as its key threat in the Asia-Pacific region and America's primary long-term security challenge.

China in response called the Pentagon report's findings false and used it, in turn, to hit back at the US' recent actions in helping Israel and Ukraine, as well as its buildup of military installations worldwide.

The Pentagon report builds on a warning last year that China was expanding its nuclear force rapidly, in line with a general buildup of its military.

The earlier warning said Beijing was on track to nearly quadruple the number of warheads it has to 1,500 by 2035.

The report said China would use new fast-breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons, despite publicly saying the technologies are intended for peaceful purposes.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi will visit the United States on Thursday ahead of a possible meetup between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November.

Dispute over Taiwan

US-China relations have deteriorated since 2018, initially over a trade dispute but expanding to the pandemic, China's actions in Xinjiang and over Taiwan.

China also made sure to address Taiwan in its response. The Pentagon report said China is intensifying military, diplomatic and economic pressure toward the island.

The US has sold billions of dollars in weapons to Taiwan, which the island's government has said is for self-defence and deterrence.

"We urge the US to stop using any excuse, any method to strengthen US-Taiwan military links and illegally arm Taiwan in any way," the Chinese spokesperson said.

The US provides Taiwan sales under the Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in 1979, to ensure the island is able to defend itself.

"The so-called report on China's military power released by the United States is full of all kinds of wrong content, including the statement on the Taiwan issue," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

Calling the military-to-military relationship an important part of Sino-US relations, the Defence Ministry's Wu said, "we maintain frank and effective communication with the United States through military diplomacy".

But he added the difficulties and obstacles facing relations between the two militaries are created by the United States.

"The United States pretends to be confused, while doing things that harm China's security interests, but at the same time shouting that it wants to manage the crisis and strengthen communication," Wu said.