Beijing dismissed a former Maldivian president's remarks on China-Maldives cooperation as one-sided and disparaging on Tuesday.Mohamed Nasheed, who served as president from 2008 to 2012, has accused China of taking control of 17 islands in the Maldives, Times of India reported on Saturday.He said he will seek an international convention against what he called a land grab and will force China to sign it if he is returned to power.Nasheed's remarks, which echoed those he made last week, are pure fabrication and ridiculous, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday.I need to remind Mr Nasheed that it is ultimately up to people in the two countries to judge and say whether China-Maldives cooperation is in line with both sides' interests and whether it has benefited them and their people, he said.Geng added that the cooperation will not be denigrated by some individuals' one-sided remarks.In an article penned by Nasheed and published in The Indian Express on Feb 7, the former president said he fears the Maldives is being sold off to China.At a briefing the following day, Geng dismissed the claim as absolute nonsense. Cooperation between China and the Maldives is being carried out in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, and has played a positive role in helping the Maldives upgrade its economy and improve people's lives, he said.When Mr Nasheed was president, China also offered assistance to and conducted practical cooperation with his country, which led to enormous outcomes. Would Mr Nasheed call that a 'grab' as well? the spokesman said.China's assistance comes with no political strings and in no way impairs the sovereignty or independence of the Maldives, not to mention security in the Indian Ocean, Geng said on Thursday.The Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, descended into crisis on Feb 1 when its Supreme Court ordered the release of several jailed politicians and quashed a conviction against Nasheed, who lives in self-imposed exile. That decision was overturned on Feb 6.China has been following the situation closely and said it believes the dispute is the Maldives' internal affairs and should be solved through dialogue between the parties involved. color-filled-wristbandsilicone medical alert bracelets australiacustom-wristbands24-hour-wristbandsrubber wristbands
A file photo of the People's Liberation Army Navy honor guard. [Photo/VCG] More than 60 countries will send naval delegations to participate in the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy in late April, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. The celebration will showcase the progress of the PLA Navy and its growing capability in safeguarding China's overseas interests as well as regional and world peace, an expert said. The multinational naval event will take place in Qingdao, Shandong province, in late April, said ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian. April 23 is the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy's founding. The naval event will include high-level dialogues, an international fleet review, military band performances, cultural and sports exchanges as well as other activities, Wu said. Some nations will send military ships to participate in the fleet review, though details are still in the works and will be announced at a later date, he added. Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the ministry's Office for International Military Cooperation, said that compared with other branches of the military, the PLA Navy plays a relatively larger role in protecting China's overseas interests and maintaining security in key sea lanes such as the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The PLA Navy is at the forefront of proving that the Chinese military is an open, cooperative and competent force for peace, he said, adding that the PLA Navy has frequently participated in humanitarian rescue missions, naval escorts, joint exercises and exchanges in past years. Through these non-war military operations, the Chinese Navy has also improved its capability and operability in distant waters, Zhou said. Many security issues around the world require global efforts, and as its capability improves, the PLA Navy can play a bigger part and contribute more to global maritime security. When asked about the United States' recent rhetoric about China threats and US military actions near the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, Wu said that Sino-US military relations are generally stable, but he asked the US to work with China to conduct practical cooperation, properly manage differences, and allow military-to-military relations to become stabilizing factors for bilateral ties. On Sunday, the US sent the Navy's guided-missile destroyer Curtis Wilbur and Coast Guard's cutter Bertholf through the Taiwan Straits. On March 13, two US B-52H bombers flew near Chinese islands in the South China Sea for the second time this month. Wu said China resolutely opposes the provocative actions by the US warplanes, and will continue to take necessary actions to safeguard national security. The facts have shown that the US is the one militarizing the South China Sea, he said. Regarding the US military's recent interactions with its Taiwan counterpart, Wu said China resolutely opposes any military interaction between the two sides, whether it involves arms sales to Taiwan or official military exchanges. The Taiwan question is a domestic matter for China, and it is related to China's core interests and the feelings of the Chinese people. It cannot be interfered with by outside forces, Wu said, adding that the one-China policy is a recognized consensus in international relations, and the political basis for Sino-US relations. Any attempt to undermine this principle is no different than trying to shake the foundation of Sino-US ties. This does not fit with the basic interests of either nation, and it is very dangerous, he said. embossed-printed-wristbandblank-wristbandcustom-braceletscolor-filled-wristbanddebossed-wristband<%2fcenter>
