CHINA issued a scathing response today to a new Pentagon report on Beijing’s alleged military ambitions.

The report, an annual requirement by Congress, claims that China is the key strategic security threat to the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.

But the Chinese Ministry of Defence described the findings as false and hit back at recent US actions in providing military support and political cover to Israel and Ukraine, as well as its build-up of military installations worldwide.

Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said: “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?”

He said it was time that the US took “sincere and practical measures” to promote healthy and stable relations between the two countries.

Washington “cannot expect China to manage the crisis and improve communication while engaging in activities that undermine its security interests,” Mr Wu added.

The Pentagon report claims that Beijing is on track to nearly quadruple its stockpile of warheads to 1,500 by 2035.

However, Mr Wu dismissed the report as being full of falsehoods about China.

“The difficulties and obstacles in military relations between the two countries are entirely caused by the US side and the context, cause and course that led to the current situation are very clear,” he said.

“The American side has played dumb and feigned innocence.” 

The US military has more than 750 overseas bases spread across 80 nations, while China has just one outside its own territory.

Beijing also hit back at continued US interference in the breakaway Chinese province of Taiwan after the Pentagon report accused China of intensifying military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the island.

The US has sold billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to Taiwan, which the island’s government claims are for self-defence and deterrence purposes. But the sales and visits by senior US politicians to Taiwan have contributed to a massive deterioration in relations between Washington and Beijing.

Mr Wu said: “We urge the US to stop using any excuse, any method, to strengthen US-Taiwan military links and illegally arm Taiwan in any way.”

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit the US on Thursday, ahead of a possible meeting between President Joe Biden and and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November.