China cannot afford to lose an inch of its territory -general

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- China could not afford to lose an inch of its territory and called on the United States to hold an objective view on the South China Sea and East China Sea issues, a senior Chinese general said here Thursday.

The "border territory which has passed down from our ancestors into the hands of our generation -- we cannot afford to lose an inch," visiting Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Fang Fenghui stressed at a joint press briefing after meeting U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey.

Fang, who was on a U.S. tour since Tuesday, said: "We do not make trouble. We do not create trouble. But we are not afraid of trouble."

"China is a peace-loving country. We stick to peaceful development and a defensive national defense policy," he said.

A peaceful, stable and prosperous China would contribute to regional peace and stability, Fang said.

He also called on the United States to be objective about the maritime territorial issues, saying "the relationship between China and the United States and between our two militaries are very important for maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region."

The general said his visit was designed to implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama on building a new model China-U.S. relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

"It is also our goal to advance the new model of China-U.S. military relationship along a sound and stable track," he said.

Dempsey considered his meeting with Fang very productive, saying "we discussed the bilateral military relationship and cooperation on counter-terrorism and counter-piracy, which will help avoid miscalculations and prevent conflict."

The two sides also had a frank and open discussion about issues of mutual concern and differing opinions about the South China Sea and East China Sea, he said, adding these issues needed to be resolved through dialogue and international law.  - Xinhua