China accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and told the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” it has created elsewhere to Asia.
The statements by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson came the day after NATO designated China as a “decisive facilitator” of Russia's war against Ukraine.
“For NATO to claim China's responsibility in the Ukraine issue is unreasonable and has sinister motives,” spokesman Lin Jian said at a daily news conference, maintaining that China has a fair and objective position on the situation. in Ukraine.
China has distanced itself from the United States and its Western allies in the face of the war in Ukraine, and has refused to condemn the Russian military operation as an invasion. Its trade with Russia has grown since the confrontation, which has largely offset the impact of Western sanctions.
In a statement issued from a summit in Washington, NATO said China has become an enabler of war through its “boundless partnership” with Russia, and its considerable support for the Russian defense industry.
Lin said Beijing's trade with Moscow is legitimate and reasonable and based on World Trade Organization rules.
NATO's “so-called security,” he stated, is achieved at the expense of the security of other countries. China has backed Russia's position that NATO expansion posed a threat to Russia.
China has expressed concern about NATO's budding relationship with countries in its region. Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea sent their leaders or their number two to this week's NATO summit.
“China urges NATO to (…) stop interfering in Chinese domestic politics and smearing China's image and not create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after creating turmoil in Europe,” Lin added.
