It is inappropriate as well as unacceptable for the United States Department of Defense to point an accusing finger at China over the Diaoyu Islands dispute and make false accusations against China over cybersecurity.

The Pentagon's irresponsible claims will cast a shadow on military-to-military ties between the two countries, which have been steadily improving.

The Pentagon's annual report on China, which was released on Monday, said that China began "using improperly drawn straight baseline claims" around the Diaoyu Islands in September, which is "inconsistent with international law".