China has sent a stern warning to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
The communist nation has warned NATO it won’t “sit back” in the face of any challenges, illustrating the potential for tensions to escalate while the United States tries to convince its allies to take a tougher approach to the Asian nation.
In a statement, Beijing says it doesn’t pose a “systemic challenge” to any country.
According to a statement posted Tuesday on the website of its mission to the European Union, China added that NATO should not exaggerate Beijing’s military power.
The statement also urged NATO to push forward with dialogue and cooperation, and said the bloc should work to safeguard international and regional stability.
The comments from Beijing come after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told members of the media that NATO is “concerned by China’s coercive policies, which stand in contrast to the fundamental values enshrined in the Washington Treaty”
Stoltenberg cited the country’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal, military cooperation with Russia, and its use of disinformation as the reason for concern.
The communique released after the NATO meeting mentioned China 10 times, compared to just once after the last summit in 2019.
Russia was named more than 60 times this year. The document also said that the bloc “maintains a constructive dialogue with China where possible.”
