China has urged NATO members to abandon their "Cold War mindset" after the intergovernmental military alliance labeled Beijing a threat to their interests and security.
NATO's new 10-year strategic policy chastised China for its malicious cyber activities, strategic cooperation with Russia, efforts to dominate supply chains, and nuclear weapons growth.
NATO: Russia Is the "Biggest Threat"
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian aimed at the international body on Wednesday, accusing member countries of recurrent excursions into the Asia-Pacific area.
Zhao then went to the nations pushing sanctions on Russia and sending arms to Ukraine before accusing the United States of benefitting from the crisis. NATO's newly revealed strategic framework does not mince words in its assessment of China's activities, accusing it of "confrontation rhetoric" and disinformation campaigns aimed at members to undermine alliance security.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the NATO meeting as part of an Asia-Pacific delegation, echoing the treaty's worries over China's response to the Russian incursion. Albanese earlier claimed Beijing "should be criticizing" Moscow's murderous actions in Ukraine, with the invasion now approaching its fifth month, according to Sky News.
Meanwhile, the 30 NATO members labeled Russia as the greatest threat to their security on Wednesday, and for the first time recognized the challenge posed by China's emergence. It came as President Joe Biden said the US was moving more troops and hardware into Europe, including for the first time installing a permanent presence on NATO's eastern flank.
Twelve years ago, NATO's strategic concept included no mention of China and referred to Russia as a strategic partner. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has given the North Atlantic Treaty Organization fresh purpose following failures in Afghanistan and splits during Donald Trump's presidency.
Russia's attack on Ukraine has broken peace and significantly changed our security situation. Biden arrived at the NATO meeting in Madrid on Wednesday morning, promising to send two F-35 squadrons to the United Kingdom and two destroyers to Spain as he increases US forces in Europe to counter Russia's Vladimir Putin.
It involves a permanent military deployment on NATO's eastern flank for the first time, which is sure to irritate Moscow. Biden's declaration came on the first day of a conference that began with Turkey abandoning its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance, Daily Mail reported.
US, NATO Issue Strong Rebuke to China's Threats
Furthermore, the United States and its NATO allies issued a sharp rebuke on Wednesday to the People's Republic of China's malicious hybrid and cyber threats, warning that the no-limits collaboration between China and Russia is undermining a rules-based international order.
According to NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept, cyberspace is disputed at all times, with malicious actors attempting to destroy the Atlantic alliance's essential infrastructure, harvest information, steal intellectual property, and obstruct military operations.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, US officials have questioned China's claim of neutrality, accusing Beijing of using its state-controlled information toolkit to propagate Russian false statements about the war.
As the armed situation in Ukraine approaches its fifth month, Chinese authorities say they are making independent judgments based on historical context. China has a strategic alliance with Ukraine, and Beijing asserts that it respects Kyiv's territorial and sovereign integrity. However, China supports Russia's ostensible security concerns and has opposed Western sanctions on Moscow.
Personal chemistry between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been on the show as Beijing routinely proclaims verbal support for Moscow. On Wednesday, a representative for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned NATO to keep out of the Asia-Pacific area, as per VOA News.
@YouTube
