MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. China calls on NATO countries to drop the Cold-War mentality and refuse from plans of expanding eastwards, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an interview with TASS.

"We insist that NATO meet the calls of the times, heed the calls of Asia Pacific countries for peace and development, adjust its erroneous attitude, drop the Cold-War mentality and refrain from moving to the Asia Pacific region," he said.

He stressed that the Asia Pacific regions is a "territory of cooperation and development rather than a chessboard for geopolitical games." According to the Chinese diplomat, the region has managed to preserve long-term prosperity and stability and create an "Asia Pacific miracle" thanks to mutual respect, open cooperation, mutual benefit, win-win cooperation and the ability to resolve differences between the states of the region.

In his words, in the difficult international situation, Asia Pacific nations "value conditions for peaceful development that have been created through hard efforts." "They see the real goal and understand the deplorable consequences of NATO’s expansion to the Asia Pacific region," Zhang said. "They have always been strategically sober and have knowingly been maintaining peace and stability in the region."

"Countries of the region and people living here will never accept NATO’s and other external forces’ plans to ‘get a grip’ of the Asia Pacific region. The Asia Pacific region is a venue for peace dialogue and rejects an Asia Pacific version of NATO and the NATOization of the Asia Pacific region," he added.