The ongoing NATO annual summit in the city Vilnius, Lithuania, is generating series of controversies among nations and the alliance. Beijing has responded fervently to a NATO declaration, that portrayed China as one of the alliance’s greatest obstacles to its security and objectives.
The People’s Republic of China, according the leaders of the alliance, has demonstrated threats, security, and values with its “stated ambitions and coercive policies.” The statement was released midway through the two-day summits in Lithuania.
“The PRC employs a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up. The PRC’s malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security.”
NATO Leaders Communique.
The NATO communique expounded that, Beijing and Moscow have been engaged in “deepening strategic partnership” and also involved in “mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order.”
The leaders again, urged China to assume its “constructive” status as the one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security council with the power to veto, and denounce Moscow’s “aggression against Ukraine.”
However, the Chinese embassy in the European Union denounced the remarks and charged NATO with intentionally misrepresenting China’s viewpoint and working towards damaging Beijing’s reputation. “We firmly oppose and reject this,” the embassy stated in a counter-statement to the alliance communique.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol are among the heads of state participating in the two-day summit, which comes during increasing regional tensions over challenges ranging from China plans to invade Taipei, to North Korea, which tested a long-range ballistic missile on the early hours of Wednesday.
The four Asian countries participated in the alliance’s summit in Madrid last year, and have also proven their support for Ukraine through sanctions and military assistance against Russia. Kishida emphasized in May that, Japan had no intentions to join NATO, however, the alliance announced that, it was setting up its first headquarters in Asia in Tokyo, Japan.
On the other hand, the Chinese state media in a response, attacked NATO for its expansion to regional democracies, and accused the alliance of being “Washington’s axe, spear, and shovels” and a “source of war” wherever it going.
“NATO must promptly withdraw the Black Hand it has extended toward the Asia-Pacific region, and it should not even think about squeezing half of its body in the future. Most countries in Asia not only do not welcome NATO but also see it as a terrible monster that should be avoided at all costs.”
Chinese State Media.
NATO’s declaration on the first day of the summit, explains the strategic concept that the alliance revealed last year at the Madrid summit in Spain. Yesterday’s communique by the leaders of the alliance, marks the very first time has acknowledged then threats China poses, with its ambitions and policies.
It noted that the Asia Pacific was “important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security”.
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