China denounces new US military act

BEIJING:- China has denounced the United States' military budget for 2019, which puts investment proposals by Chinese companies under closer scrutiny and boosts military support for self-ruled Taiwan.

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed the 2019 US military spending bill into law, authorizing the Defense Department to invest around $716 billion into military strategies that will primarily target Russia and China.

The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, strengthens the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews proposals to decide whether they threaten national security.

Referring to the inclusion of the CFIUS in the act, China's Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it would "comprehensively assess the contents," paying close attention to the impact on Chinese companies.

"The US side should objectively and fairly treat Chinese investors, and avoid CFIUS becoming an obstacle to investment cooperation between Chinese and US firms," the ministry added.

The legislation comes amid an escalating trade tariff spat between the two countries.

The new act also states that "long-term strategic competition with China" is a top priority for the US. It also said that the US should improve the defense capabilities of Taiwan.

In a separate statement, China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing was dissatisfied with the "negative content [of the law] related to China."

It called on Washington to "abandon its Cold-War mindset and zero-sum philosophy and view China and Sino-US relations in an objective perspective," and not to implement the act's negative clauses about China, so as not to damage bilateral ties and mutual cooperation.

China's Defense Ministry also condemned the law, saying it "exaggerated Sino-US antagonism," damaged trust between the two militaries, and involved the most important and sensitive issue in bilateral ties, namely Taiwan.

"We will never let any person, at any time or in any form, split Taiwan off from China," it added.

China and Taiwan split amid a civil war in 1949, but Beijing's leadership pursues their reunification.

In 1979, the US adopted the "One China" policy of recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. But the US has long courted Taiwan in an attempt to counter China.