Beijing Hopes NATO, Japan Will Stop Inflating 'Chinese Threat' Issue

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Beijing hopes that NATO and Japan will avoid inflating alleged Chinese threat and provoking regional confrontation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that China's behavior is "a matter of serious concern" for both Japan and the alliance, adding that China is significantly increasing its military forces, including nuclear weapons, "bullying its neighbors 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 regional confrontation," the spokeswoman told a briefing.

She added that Japan must firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development and refrain from actions that undermine mutual trust between countries and harm regional peace and stability.

Besides, the diplomat said that NATO should reflect on what role it played in maintaining European security and keep in mind that the Asia-Pacific region is not a field for geopolitical struggle.

"NATO should seriously consider what role it played in maintaining European security. 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 said.

In June 2022, NATO adopted a new strategic concept at its summit in Madrid. The concept is the organization's key document, which confirms the alliance's values and goals, and presents the collective estimate of the security situation. The 2022 concept says that China's "stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge" NATO’s interests, security and values.