Beijing expressed ire at NATO on Thursday after the U.S. alliance members issued their strongest condemnation of China yet.
Alliance members in Washington, D.C. for NATO’s annual summit this week signed a joint declaration Wednesday decrying China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. In response, Beijing warned NATO on Thursday not to “provoke confrontation” and accused the alliance of “scaremongering” about China’s involvement with Russia.
“To create imaginary enemies to justify its existence and act out of area is NATO’s go-to tactic. To falsely picture China as a ‘systemic challenge’ and vilify China’s domestic and foreign policies is a case in point,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Thursday. “On Ukraine, NATO insists that China is responsible. That is ill-motivated and makes no sense.”
.@NATO leaders call out China’s coercive policies: https://t.co/NM3Isy4f9O pic.twitter.com/JE4fzwTiPH
— Ambassador Nicholas Burns (@USAmbChina) July 11, 2024
China and Russia have dramatically strengthened their relationship since Moscow was sanctioned by the West in 2022, bolstering economic and trade agreements and enhancing political and strategic communications. Chinese state defense contractors have sent Russia a variety of dual-use technologies that have civilian purposes but have been used by Russia’s military to wage war against Ukraine, including fighter jet parts, body armor, drones and rifles, which has drawn warnings from the U.S. and NATO.
Lin claimed Thursday that China has maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine war and appeared to hint that NATO was responsible for the ongoing conflict.
“China’s objective and just position on Ukraine and the constructive role we’ve played are widely recognized by the international community,” Lin told reporters. “Who exactly is ‘enabling’ the conflict? The international community is not blind. We urge NATO to reflect on the root causes of the crisis and NATO’s own behavior.”
“Don’t bring instability to the Asia-Pacific after it has done so to Europe,” Lin said.
China firmly opposes the US disinformation about so-called China’s support for Russia’s defense industry. We deplore and reject the accusation. pic.twitter.com/XiDkizNZYH
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) July 11, 2024
A State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the foreign ministry’s remarks on Thursday were false.
“If the PRC were to end its support for Russia, Russia would struggle to sustain its war effort,” the spokesperson told the DCNF. “The PRC cannot claim to be a neutral party to Russia’s war of aggression while at the same time rebuilding Russia’s defense industrial base and contributing to the greatest threat to European security.”
The alliance members addressed their concerns about China’s increasingly apparent role in the Russia-Ukraine war as a “threat” to regional security and condemned Beijing’s and Russia’s “no-limits” relationship. The joint declaration urged China to uphold its United Nations’ agreements and disband any material support for Russia’s invasion, while opening the door to “constructive engagement” with Beijing.
“At the same time, we are boosting our shared awareness, enhancing our resilience and preparedness, and protecting against [China’s] coercive tactics and efforts to divide the Alliance,” the joint declaration reads.
The NATO summit, led by President Joe Biden, began on Tuesday and will end Thursday. The summit has centered around NATO members’ increasing security commitments to each other and Ukraine and a promise to eventually bring Kyiv into the alliance fold.
Biden is expected to host a press conference and take questions from reporters at the conclusion of the summit on Thursday.
The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect comment from the State Department.
(Featured image credit: State Department photo/ Public Domain)
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