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Updated February 1st, 2023 at 19:04 IST

China urges NATO, Japan to 'not inflate' Chinese threat & 'provoke' regional confrontation

On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning asserted that NATO and Japan should avoid “inflating” the alleged Chinese threat.

Reported by: Bhagyasree Sengupta
China
Image: AP | Image:self
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China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, asserted that NATO and Japan should avoid “inflating” the alleged threats from Beijing. The Chinese diplomat stated on Wednesday that such inflation would provoke regional confrontation. The remarks from Beijing came after Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asserted in a joint press conference that China’s behaviour is “a matter of serious concern”. On Tuesday, both world leaders expressed their concerns over China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The Japanese PM and NATO head even accused Beijing of “bullying its neighbour and threatening Taiwan”. 

"China has always been a defender of international and regional peace and stability, and this is obvious to everyone. We hope that the relevant parties will not inflate the Chinese threat and provoke a regional confrontation," the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman told local reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday, as per Sputnik. Mao insisted that Japan should refrain from actions that “undermine mutual trust between two countries”. The Chinese diplomat also said that Japan should adhere to the “path of peaceful development”. 

‘Asia-Pacific region not a field for geopolitical struggle’: Mao 

In the Wednesday press briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also slammed the western alliance. Mao suggested that NATO should reflect on the role it plays in maintaining European security. “NATO should seriously consider what role it played in maintaining European security,” the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman revealed. She then went on to assert that the “cold war mentality”, is not welcome in the Asia-Pacific region. “I want to emphasize that the Asia-Pacific region is not a field for geopolitical struggle, the Cold War mentality and the bloc confrontation are not welcome here," Mao exclaimed. 

NATO chief Stoltenberg has been critical of China’s growing assertiveness in the region. Earlier this week, he stated that China “poses a challenge” to the security and interest of the alliance. “We do not regard China as an adversary, we believe that we should engage with China on issues like arms control, climate change and other issues. But, at the same time, we are very clear that China poses a challenge to our values, our interests and our security. There are many reasons for that, partly because China does not share our values," the NATO head said during a Q&A session at the CHEY Institute for Advanced Studies, located in Seoul.

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Published February 1st, 2023 at 19:04 IST

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