BEIJING (Portal) – Beijing has denied NATO accusations that China is questioning the group’s interests and security, and has opposed any attempt by the military alliance to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
In a sharply worded communique issued on Tuesday in the middle of a two-day summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, NATO said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has aligned its interests, its security and its values with its “ambitions and coercive policies”. Asked a question.
“The People’s Republic of China uses a wide range of political, economic and military tools to expand its global presence and project power, but remains unclear about its strategy, intentions and military build-up,” the NATO leaders said in their communiqué.
“The PRC’s malicious hybrid and cyber operations, as well as its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation, target allies and harm the security of the Alliance.”
The China-related content of the communiqué disregards basic facts, distorts China’s position and policies, and intentionally discredits China, the Chinese representation in Europe said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We are firmly opposed and reject this,” it said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the summit that while China is not an “opponent” of NATO, its “coercive behavior” is increasingly challenging the rules-based international order.
“China is increasingly challenging the rules-based international order, refusing to condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine, threatening Taiwan and undertaking a significant military build-up,” he said.
However, NATO did not mention Taiwan in its communiqué.
A number of leaders from the Asia-Pacific region will also attend the two-day summit.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, joining for the second time, wanted to remind the military alliance to be alert to risks in East Asia, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sought closer international security cooperation amid rising North Korean threats and tensions over China.
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In May, Kishida said Japan had no plans to become a NATO member, although NATO was planning an office in Tokyo, its first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region.
China strongly opposes “NATO’s eastward movement to the Asia-Pacific region” and warned that any action that threatens Beijing’s rights will be met with a firm response, the Chinese mission said in a statement.
“Any action that endangers China’s legitimate rights and interests will be met with a firm response,” it said.
In the communiqué, NATO also stated that China seeks to control key technology and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic material and supply chains, and that Beijing has also used its economic influence to create strategic dependencies and strengthen its influence.
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Michael Perry)