China lashes back at NATO criticism, warns it will protect its rights
Beijing lashed back at NATO’s accusation that China challenges the bloc’s interests and security, and opposed any attempt by the military alliance to expand its footprint into the Asia-Pacific region.
In a strongly worded communique issued midway into a two-day summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Tuesday, NATO said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) challenged its interests, security and values with its “ambitions and coercive policies,” Reuters reported.
“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,” NATO heads of state said in their communique.
“The PRC’s malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security.”
The Chinese mission to the European said in a statement on Tuesday the China-related content of the communique disregarded basic facts, distorted China’s position and policies, and deliberately discredited China.
“We firmly oppose and reject this,” it said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the summit that while China was not a NATO “adversary”, it was increasingly challenging the rules-based international order with its “coercive behaviour.”
“China is increasingly challenging the rules-based international order, refusing to condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine, threatening Taiwan, and carrying out a substantial military build-up,” he said.
In the communique, NATO said China sought to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains, and that Beijing also used its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency hit back, saying in a report that the wars and conflicts involving NATO states suggest the bloc is a “grave challenge” to global peace and stability.
“Despite all the chaos and conflict already inflicted, NATO is spreading its tentacles to the Asia-Pacific region with an express aim of containing China.”