Source: AFP
Robert Saiget
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday urged the navy to prepare for military combat, amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a US campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power.
The navy should "accelerate its
transformation and modernisation in a sturdy way, and make extended
preparations for military combat in order to make greater contributions
to safeguard national security," he said.
Addressing the powerful Central Military Commission, Hu said: "Our work must closely encircle the main theme of national defence and military building."
His comments, which were posted in a statement on a government website, come as the United States and Beijing's neighbours have expressed concerns over its naval ambitions, particularly in the South China Sea.
Several Asian nations have
competing claims over parts of the South China Sea, believed to
encompass huge oil and gas reserves, while China claims it all. One-third of global seaborne trade passes through the region.
Vietnam and the Philippines have accused Chinese forces of increasing aggression there.
In a translation of Hu's comments,
the official Xinhua news agency quoted the president as saying China's
navy should "make extended preparations for warfare."
The Pentagon
however downplayed Hu's speech, saying that Beijing had the right to
develop its military, although it should do so transparently.
