China strongly opposes the United States' sensationalization of the "China threat" in its new defense act, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China's Defense Ministry.

Tan said in a news release on Saturday that the US' National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 involves a number of negative provisions regarding China. It plays up the so-called "China threat" in disregard of facts and brazenly interferes with China's internal affairs to fabricate excuses for expanding military expenditures and maintaining its hegemony, he said.

"Such acts have not only harmed China's sovereignty, security and interests, but have also poisoned the ties between the two countries and the two militaries," said Tan. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the US' move, and has lodged solemn representations with the US."

The spokesman said that China is following a path of peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and has always taken concrete actions to safeguard world peace, foster the common development and strive for a better, shared future for mankind. The Chinese military has always been a staunch force for protecting world peace and stability and this fact has been recognized by the international community and brooks no denigration, according to Tan.

In stark contrast, the US has either waged wars against other countries or created conflicts, causing massive casualties and displacement of innocent civilians.

"Facts have proved again and again that the US is the very direct threat to the international order and the driver behind turbulence in many regions," he noted.

Speaking about the Taiwan question, the spokesman said that, for a certain period, the US has been constantly distorting and invalidating the one-China principle, frequently selling arms to Taiwan, strengthening its military connection with Taiwan and concocting Taiwan-related acts that damage China's sovereignty. These moves have seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and increase the risk of China-US military confrontation.

"The People's Liberation Army is, as always, ready to resolutely safeguard our national reunification and territorial integrity," Tan said.

"We urge the US to abandon its obsession with this zero-sum game and adopt objective and rational perspective of China's national defense and military, truly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and work with China to implement the consensus reached by our national leaders. Only in this way, can the military-to-military relations between the two countries get back on track," he stressed.