Time for NATO to get its perception right about China and stop manipulating issues on China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
Guo Jiakun, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson/MFA PRC
Guo made the comments in response to NATO chief Mark Rutte's remark on Wednesday that given the long-term threat of Russia, but also the massive buildup of the military in China, and the fact that North Korea, China and Iran are supporting the war effort in Ukraine, it's really important that NATO spends more.
Guo noted that some in NATO, by playing up international and regional tensions and slandering China's normal military buildup, seek nothing but excuses to allow NATO to drastically grow its military spending, arbitrarily reach beyond its geographical scope and mandate, and advance eastward into the Asia-Pacific.
Guo said that NATO countries already account for 55 percent of the world's total military spending in 2024. Yet they're still required to raise defense investment to 5 percent of GDP to build a "more lethal NATO." What exactly is NATO's objective behind this? NATO calls itself a regional organization, but it keeps reaching beyond the geographic scope defined in its treaty and into the Asia-Pacific by claiming that what happens there and in Euro-Atlantic are "interconnected". The world is not blind to NATO's calculations, and countries in the Asia-Pacific are certainly wary of it.
"On Ukraine, China has all along been promoting talks for peace and actively pushing for a political settlement of the crisis. China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict and exercised strict export control over dual-use articles. China's objective and impartial position and constructive role have been widely recognized by the international community, while NATO's disinformation cannot deceive people around the world. If NATO truly cares about the security of Europe and the world, it should stop adding fuel to the fire and instigating confrontation," Guo added.
Guo pointed out that China acts as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender for international order and a supplier of public good. On peace and security, China has the best track record among major countries. China calls on NATO to examine its own behavior, listen to the just voice of the world and let go of its outdated Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and zero-sum approach.
"China will firmly uphold sovereignty, security, and development interests, and continue to do its part to make the world a more peaceful and stable place," Guo said. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)
来源：中国青年报客户端
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