Beijing irked by NATO eastward movement into Asia Pacific

China has categorically opposed NATO's eastward movement into the Asia Pacific region, warning it will give a resolute response to any threat to its legitimate rights.

The warning came in a statement issued by China's mission to the European Union, following a NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where the US led Western military alliance lashed out at Beijing.

The block accused the People's Republic of China of challenging the Alliance's interests, security and values.

• China has expressed strong opposition to a threat by the US-led NATO military alliance to further intrude into the Asia-Pacific region, vowing a firm response to any risk against its legitimate rights.
  

  NATO's threat of expanding eastward sparks China's ire

  China totally taunts NATO’s threat of intrusion into the Asia-Pacific region, vowing a firm response against any peril to its legitimate rights.

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 buildup.

The Chinese mission rejected NATO’s alleged concerns over what it had described as China's “ambitions and coercive policies” pointing out that the NATO communiqué disregards basic facts, distorts China's positions and policies, and, deliberately discredits China.

The mission declared Beijing would firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. It further accused NATO of ignoring basic facts, deliberately distorting Beijing's policies, and, smearing China.

We urge NATO to stop its groundless accusations and provocative rhetoric against China, abandon the outdated concept of the cold war mentality, abandon the misguided practice of seeking absolute security, don't mess up Europe and then try to mess up the Asia Pacific region and the world.

Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

• Beijing will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.
  

  Beijing lashes back at NATO's anti-China communiqué, says it will protect its rights

  China has categorically opposed NATO’s eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region, warning it will give a resolute response to any threat to its legitimate rights.

The NATO declaration also said China and Russia were involved in a “deepening strategic partnership” and that the two countries were involved in "mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules based international order."

Beijing has warned against the establishment of an Asia Pacific version of NATO and made clear its opposition to any foreign military involvement in the region.

China Russian relations are based on the principles of non alignment, non confrontation and not directed against third parties.

The relations between the two countries transcend the model of military and political alliances during the Cold War and set up a paradigm for relations between great powers.

This is essentially different from NATO countries.

 Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

• NATO expanding footprints in Asia-Pacific region to besiege China.
  

  Group says NATO expanding footprints in Asia-Pacific region to besiege China

  A Chinese media commentary says NATO is no longer confined to its traditional military missions but aggressively expanding its footprints in the Asia-Pacific region

The relations between the US and its allies and China have deteriorated significantly in recent years, with the countries clashing over Taiwan, global trade, and, alleged human rights violations.

The crisis has its roots in former US President Barack Obama's Pivot to East Asia policy, established in a bid to contain China.

Tensions between the two nations reached unprecedented levels during the tenure of ex President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration was engaged in an open trade and diplomatic war with China, the administration of President Biden has pursued the same policy towards China.

Washington has also tried to create a united front with its allies to contain China. The confrontation became more pronounced after the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

• China censures US reconnaissance plane flight over Taiwan Strait.
  

  China censures US reconnaissance plane flight over Taiwan Strait

  The Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft transited the waterway on Thursday.

Russia and China have tried to develop closer economic and military ties. The burgeoning relations have angered the West and NATO's expansion in Asia fits into this grander narrative.

NATO has been open about its intentions to expand into the Pacific. Last summer, it invited several Indo Pacific countries to a summit for the first time. Japan also recently hosted a delegation from NATO's cooperative security division, which met with senior military leaders in April.

NATO seems to be set on becoming an Indo Pacific organization in order to contain China, and from the Chinese perspective, why would Beijing support the right of NATO, right to expand, up to Russia's borders when NATO, the same organization, has already declared that it will basically be doing the same thing in the Pacific region?

Anton Fedyashin, History Professor, American University

Beijing's remarks on NATO's expansion echo previous criticism from Moscow, which has repeatedly decried the Alliance's gradual expansion eastward in recent decades, and stressed that it considers Western military sites close to China's borders a threat to its National Security.

Chinese defense minister has warned that “NATO-like” military alliances in the Asia-Pacific could undermine regional peace and stability and lead to conflict.

China warns US: NATO-like expansion in Asia-Pacific could lead to conflict

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu warns ‘NATO-like’ alliances could lead to conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.

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