BEIJING, January 12. /TASS/. The US government has demonstrated to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region its inability to maintain peace on the planet, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a statement.

"The United States is the largest military power with the highest military expenditures. The US has never suffered from the inability to start wars, but it lacks the ability to restore and maintain peace," she stressed at a briefing, commenting on the Pentagon's national defense industrial strategy. According to the first-ever edition of the document released to the public, the American authorities plan to focus on cooperation with their allies to ensure a "powerful foundation" to develop the defense industry in the Indo-Pacific region.

Washington should respect the opinion of the Asia-Pacific countries, which are united in their aspirations towards peaceful development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted. "The United States should make more efforts for the sake of peace and stability with no bloc-based confrontation, conflicts and the chaos of war in the region," Mao concluded.