U.S. bears "full responsibility" for difficulties in military exchanges: Chinese defense spokesperson

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States should bear full responsibility for current difficulties hindering China-U.S. military exchanges, a Chinese defense spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to U.S. claims that China declined its request for a meeting between the two countries' defense chiefs in Singapore and China has repeatedly rejected U.S. requests for exchanges at various levels between the two militaries in recent years.

Tan said China attaches importance to the growth of relations between the two militaries and communication at all levels.

"Military contact and exchanges between the two countries, in fact, have never been suspended," he added.

However, dialogues cannot continue when no principles are followed and communication cannot be conducted without a base line, he said.

The U.S. side vows to strengthen communication on one hand and creates obstacles on the other, disregarding China's concerns, he said. "This is not an attitude committed to communication."

The U.S. side needs to show its sincerity in its actions, right its wrongs, and create conditions and environment necessary for communication and exchanges between the two sides, said the spokesperson.