After the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) criticized China at a summit in Lithuania, the Chinese government called on NATO not to expand into the Asia- Pacific , warning that it would retaliate if the West had a military presence in the region.
According to RT on July 12, the Chinese delegation to the European Union (EU) issued a statement in response to NATO's joint communique, in which the bloc accused China of pursuing coercive policies that challenge Western interests.
“The China-related content of the communique disregards basic facts, deliberately distorts China’s stance and policies, and deliberately discredits China. We firmly oppose and reject this,” Chinese diplomats said.
The statement by Chinese diplomats went on to pledge that the country would defend its sovereignty and oppose NATO's eastward expansion into the Asia- Pacific . The statement added that any action that harms China's legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response.
NATO leaders held a summit on July 11 and 12 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius to discuss additional aid to Ukraine and other issues. NATO leaders agreed to strengthen security cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. "The Indo-Pacific region is important to NATO because developments in this region can directly affect the security of the Euro-Atlantic region," the summit's joint communique said.
At the conference, they also accused China of posing threats in cyberspace and inappropriately using emerging and disruptive technologies.
The Chinese delegation to the EU said that NATO has failed to take responsibility and instead blamed other countries, continuing to interfere in diplomatic affairs and creating confrontations. The delegation added that NATO's expansionist ambitions were clear and warned that NATO's status as a nuclear alliance would only exacerbate regional tensions.
The statement came after Chinese officials warned against opening a NATO liaison office in Japan. Although Japan said it was considering the idea, France rejected it, insisting that NATO should remain in the North Atlantic.
Earlier in June, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also warned against NATO's expansion of influence in Asia. "The stance of most countries in this region is very clear: they oppose the establishment of different military blocs in the region, and they do not welcome NATO's expansion into Asia," Wang stressed.
Like China, Russia has repeatedly criticized NATO’s gradual eastward expansion in recent decades, insisting that it views Western military installations near its borders as a threat to its national security. NATO has rejected these claims, stressing that supplying heavy weapons to Ukraine does not make the alliance a party to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine had hoped to be given a clear roadmap to NATO membership at the Vilnius summit, but was disappointed after NATO only reiterated previous promises to admit Ukraine as a member at some point in the future, after the conflict with Russia ends.
Thuy Duong/Tin Tuc Newspaper
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