BEIJING, July 12. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Alliance must stop making unfounded and provocative statements about China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
"We call on NATO to stop making groundless accusations and provocative statements about China <...>, creating disorder in Europe and trying to do the same in the Asia-Pacific region and [the rest of] the world," Wang said in response to a TASS request for comment on the provisions of a NATO summit communique stipulating that the deepening strategic partnership between China and Russia runs counter to the alliance’s interests.
The Chinese diplomat added that NATO needed to abandon outdated Cold War-era concepts and its misguided quest for absolute security.
On Tuesday, NATO countries participating in the bloc’s annual summit in Vilnius adopted a communique stating, in particular, that China’s "ambitions and coercive policies" challenge the bloc’s interests, security and values. The NATO members expressed concern about the expansion and diversification of China’s nuclear arsenal. NATO also believes that the deepening strategic partnership between China and Russia runs counter to its values and interests. The communique adds that the EU and NATO will coordinate their steps "to address the systemic challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China to Euro-Atlantic security."