“C“We agree that China cannot continue to fuel Europe’s biggest military conflict without harming Beijing’s interests,” Stoltenberg said at the closing press conference of the Washington summit.
The head of NATO denounced that Beijing’s image and prestige are seriously affected by the way it is favoring the interests of the Kremlin’s war machine.
Stoltenberg also accused China of fostering partnerships with Moscow’s allies, such as Belarus, with whom it began military exercises near the Polish border on the eve of the start of the Washington summit.
For the NATO chief, these exercises confirm the trend that “authoritarian regimes are becoming increasingly aligned”.
Stoltenberg believes that China “oppresses its own people” while “crushing democratic voices in Hong Kong” and threatening its neighbors, such as Taiwan.
“The fact that they are increasingly aligning themselves with Russia, with Belarus, fits into this broader context. This makes it even more important that we also work together with our partners in the Indo-Pacific,” added the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance.
Since the beginning of the conflict, China has adopted an ambiguous position regarding the war in Ukraine, calling for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, and respect for the “legitimate security concerns” of all parties, in reference to Russia.
China’s stance reflects growing tensions between the Asian country and NATO, which have escalated in recent years due to factors such as China’s military buildup, its growing economic influence and its relationship with Russia.
Last May, during a visit to Serbia as part of his European tour, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to “never forget” the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
In response to Stoltenberg’s remarks on Wednesday, in which he accused Beijing of “supporting Russia’s war economy” against Ukraine, China today criticized the NATO secretary general’s statements, considering them “full of prejudices” and Cold War ideas.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference that the “aggressive rhetoric” at the NATO summit “does not reflect the reality of China’s foreign policy.”
“NATO, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has sought to project itself as an organization dedicated to peace, but its past actions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya tell a different story, one of intervention and destabilization,” the spokesperson added, questioning the transatlantic alliance’s narrative that “paints China as a threat”, arguing that the Western military alliance “has created security anxiety that is often the result of its own actions”.
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2596874/stoltenberg-acusa-china-de-alimentar-maquina-de-guerra-da-russia
