The United States has been warned against 'flexing its muscles' in Asia-Pacific region after President Barack Obama unveiled a defence review switching focus to the region.
China’s official news agency Xinhua said President Obama’s move to increase US presence in the region could come as a welcome boost to stability and prosperity, but any US militarism could create ill will and 'endanger peace'.
Obama had said the 'tide of war was receding' in Afghanistan and that the US must renew its economic power, The BBC reports.
However, he told reporters at the Pentagon: “We’ll be strengthening our presence in the Asia-Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region.”
Xinhua said the US role could be good for China in helping to secure the 'peaceful environment' it needed to continue its economic development.
But it added: While boosting its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, the United States should abstain from flexing its muscles, as this won’t help solve regional disputes. If the United States indiscreetly applies militarism in the region, it will be like a bull in a china shop, and endanger peace instead of enhancing regional stability.
The Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper said Washington could not stop the rise of China and called on Beijing to develop more long-range strike weapons to deter the US navy.