Planned NATO statement full of ‘belligerent rhetoric’ and ‘lies’, says Chinese official

BEIJING: The NATO summit in Washington’s planned statement is full of “belligerent rhetoric” and the China-related content has provocations and lies, a spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the European Union said.

The draft communique said China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and Beijing continues to pose systemic challenges to Europe and to security.

“As we all know, China is not the creator of the crisis in Ukraine,” the spokesperson said, according to a statement released by the Chinese Mission to the EU on Thursday.

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“The declaration of the NATO summit in Washington is full of Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric, and China-related content is full of provocations, lies, incitement and smears,” the spokesperson said in response to a reporter’s question.

Leaders of NATO countries stressed a membership pledge for Ukraine, took a stronger stance on China’s support for Russia, and the declaration strengthened past NATO language on China.

“China’s core position on the Ukraine issue is to promote peace talks and political settlement, which has been widely recognized and appreciated by the international community,” said the spokesperson.

Beijing put forward a 12-point paper more than a year ago that set out general principles for ending the war, but did not get into specifics.

It received a lukewarm reception at the time in both Russia and Ukraine.

For its part, China has repeatedly lashed out at NATO criticisms and has warned against its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. Leaders of Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, in attendance at NATO, have forged stronger ties with the security alliance amid rising concerns over China’s aggressions in the South China Sea.

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On Wednesday, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said: “We firmly oppose NATO acting beyond its characterization as a regional defensive alliance, inserting itself into the Asia-Pacific to incite confrontation and rivalry, and disrupting the prosperity and stability in this region.”