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| Gambar:merdeka.com |
China has issued an ultimatum
to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to refrain from expanding its
influence into the Asia-Pacific region.
Similar to Russia in Europe,
Beijing once again opposes any efforts by NATO to extend its influence in the
Asia-Pacific region.
This statement was made by
Beijing during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the alliance's plans
to open a branch office in Japan.
"China firmly opposes
NATO's eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region," said a statement
from the Chinese mission to Europe on Tuesday (July 11).
"Any actions that
jeopardize China's legitimate rights and interests will be firmly responded
to," the statement added, as quoted by Reuters.
During the summit, Japanese
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also attended as an observer. According to Tokyo,
Kishida's presence at the NATO Summit for the second time is aimed at
increasing the alliance's attention to security risks in East Asia.
Kishida had previously
confirmed that NATO has plans to open a liaison office in Japan. He did not
provide details about the plans and objectives of the NATO mission.
However, Kishida emphasized
that Japan has no plans to become a NATO member. If it happens, the office in
Japan would be NATO's first representation mission in Asia.
On this occasion, the Chinese
mission to Europe also strongly criticized NATO's accusations that Beijing
disrupts the interests and security of the United States-led alliance.
In its communiqué, NATO firmly
and strongly stated that China challenges the interests, security, and values
of the alliance with its "ambitions and coercive policies."
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg stated that although China is not an "enemy"
of the alliance, the Chinese mainland is increasingly challenging the
international order "with its coercive behavior."
However, NATO did not mention
the Taiwan issue in its communiqué, despite the escalating tensions between
Taiwan and China over the past year.
The Chinese mission to Europe
condemned this NATO communiqué, considering it to ignore basic facts, distort
China's positions and policies. Beijing also believes that the joint statement
by NATO member states deliberately discredits China.
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