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June 5, 2012

China Slams U.S. Plan to Shift Naval Fleet to the Pacific 
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The Chinese government has criticized U.S. plans to shift the bulk of
its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
announced this weekend that a majority of U.S. ships and submarines will
operate out of East Asia by the end of the decade. In Beijing, a Chinese
foreign ministry spokesperson said U.S. militarization would mark a step
backwards.

Liu Wiemin: "The approach of artificially stressing military security,
enhancing military deployments and strengthening military alliances is
out of keeping with the times. The Asia-Pacific is the region where
Chinese and U.S. interests most overlap, and we welcome the United
States to play a constructive role in the region. We also hope that the
United States will respect the interests and concerns of all sides in
the Asia-Pacific, including China."

 

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