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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Pentagon's decision to disinvite China from a multinational military exercise to be held this summer in the Pacific (all times local):
3:35 p.m.
China's foreign minister says the U.S. withdrawal of an invitation for China to participate in a multinational naval exercise is "very non-constructive."
Wang Yi says the decision "is unhelpful to mutual understanding" between the two powers, and is urging the U.S. to change its "negative mindset."
Wang was speaking at a joint news conference Wednesday after talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington.
The Pentagon described the withdrawn invitation to the exercises as "an initial response" to China's militarization of the South China Sea, where Beijing has conflicting territorial claims with several Asian nations.
Wang describes China's deployments as necessary defense of its sovereign territory. He likens China defense facilities to the U.S. military presence in Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
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12:13 p.m.
The Pentagon says it has disinvited China from a multinational military exercise to be held this summer in the Pacific.
A Pentagon statement on Wednesday said the withdrawal of the invitation for the Chinese navy to participate in the Pacific Rim drills is "an initial response" to what it called China's militarization of the South China Sea.
It cited what it called "strong evidence" that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested areas in the Spratly Island region of the South China Sea. It called on China to remove these systems.
The Pentagon also cited its objections to China's recent landing of bomber aircraft at Woody Island.
China maintains that the South China Sea is its sovereign territory.
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