Question: The NATO Summit in Vilnius issued a communiqué saying that “China’s ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values” and pose “systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security”, and that NATO will further strengthen cooperation with partners in the Asia-Pacific region to uphold the rules-based international order. NATO Secretary General also claimed that “what is happening in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow”. What is your comment?
Answer: What’s said about China in the NATO communiqué is the complete opposite of the truth and the product of Cold War mentality and ideological bias. China strongly opposes it.
NATO claimed that China’s ambitions and policies challenge their interests, security and values. But in fact, China's ambition is to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind by upholding world peace and promoting common development. China defends the common development interests of all countries in the world and put forth the "Global Development Initiative" based on the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits; China safeguards world peace and security and put forth the "Global Security Initiative" based on the principles of true multilateralism; China advocates the common values of humanity and put forth the "Global Civilization Initiative" in the spirit of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Such a China will only bring development opportunities, peace, stability and common prosperity to all countries. What interests, whose security and which values did China challenge?
The prosperity and stability that the Asia-Pacific has long enjoyed depends on the mutual respect, open cooperation, mutual benefit and the ability to properly resolve differences among regional countries. Asia lies beyond the geographical scope of the North Atlantic, but we have seen NATO bent on going east into this region, interfering in regional affairs and inciting bloc confrontation. What is NATO really up to? NATO’s foray into the Asia-Pacific will only stir up tension and lead to bloc confrontation and even a “new Cold War” in this region. Asia-Pacific countries do not welcome it, nor does the region need an “Asia-Pacific version of NATO.”
China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, and a provider of public goods. On the issue of peace and security, China is a major country with the best record and does not pose a "challenge" to any country. We urge NATO to immediately stop artificially creating confrontation and division, stop using any pretext to attack and smear China, stop its dangerous attempts to destabilize the Asia-Pacific, and truly play a constructive role for world peace and stability.