On the 73rd anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation, China criticized the commemorative events recently held in South Korea as "provocative military activities."
According to the official WeChat (微信, the Chinese version of KakaoTalk) account of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense on the 29th, spokesperson Wu Qian stated at a press conference, "It is only natural that China does not stand idly by as the United States rallies its allies to carry out provocative military activities." He added, "This was the case 73 years ago, and there is no exception now." He was referring to the military exercises China conducted near the Bohai Strait and the northern Yellow Sea region close to the Korean Peninsula, coinciding with the reenactment of the Incheon Landing Operation.
He said, "We firmly oppose the U.S. tactic of creating small fences in the Asia-Pacific region to engage in bloc confrontation," and added, "We hope that the parties involved will rise above and look far ahead, doing much to contribute to regional peace and stability."
The South Korean Navy, together with Incheon City, held a victory commemoration event for the Incheon Landing Operation from the 1st in the Incheon area and the Incheon port waterways. On the anniversary day, the 15th, a large-scale maritime victory ceremony was held off the coast of Incheon, attended by about 1,600 people including President Yoon Suk-yeol, domestic and foreign veterans, navy and marine corps personnel, UN allied military attach?s, and civilian observers.
The "Joint Landing Operation Reenactment" also took place, involving over 20 naval vessels, one warship each from the U.S. and Canadian navies, about 10 aircraft, around 10 pieces of equipment, and more than 3,300 personnel.
Earlier, the Chinese state-run English newspaper Global Times also warned that the reenactment of the landing operation could heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Jiang Junxue, a researcher at the People's Liberation Army Navy Military Academic Research Institute, told the outlet, "This exercise will cause regional tensions and bloc confrontations for the geopolitical interests of the U.S. in the Asia-Pacific region." Chinese military expert Wei Dongxu also warned it was a "blatant show of force."
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