(REUTERS/File Photo)
BEIJING – China’s defense ministry lashed out at the United States on Thursday, a week after their top military officials resumed high-level talks, criticizing its continued meddling in the Asia Pacific region and saying it maintained a “Cold War” mindset.
Both sides had pledged at the talks to work towards restoration of contacts to avert miscalculation and misunderstanding, with the U.S. calling for “more work” to ensure military communications stayed open and reliable.
But a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson took a more hawkish tone at the year’s last regular press conference.
“The United States continues to strengthen its Asia-Pacific deployments, this is full of a Cold War mindset,” the spokesperson, Wu Qian, said on Thursday.
“Its goal is for its own selfish gains and to maintain its hegemony. Its nature is to stoke confrontation.”
U.S. officials had hoped last week’s talks,…
