Major officers in the Sansha military garrison have been appointed, with Senior Colonel Cai Xihong as the commander and Senior Colonel Liao Chaoyi as the political commissar, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said Thursday.

Yang said the newly established military garrison is responsible for defense mobilization, militia reserves, the relationship between the garrison and local government as well as the city guard, support for the city's disaster rescue and relief work, and direct militia and reserve troops in the city of Sansha.

"Whether a military establishment has combat forces or not depends on its military tasks," he said in response to a media question on military deployment of the garrison.

"Sansha military garrison and Xisha maritime garrison are separate military organs," Yang said, explaining that the newly established Sansha military garrison is under Hainan Military Command, while the Xisha maritime garrison is under the Chinese navy's Nanhai Fleet and the latter is responsible for maritime defense and military combat. They will execute their duties according to their respective responsibilities.

In response to U.S. officials' allegations of unilateral action, Yang noted that China's establishments in its own territory are irrelevant to other countries.

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