Islamabad: China has warned that any attempt of ‘bloc confrontation’ in Asia pacific will ‘trigger firm opposition from regional countries’. The reaction comes as Joe Biden is about to embark on his European trip to use the G7 and NATO to meet allies to jointly counter China.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in his media briefing said that as the world’s largest military alliance led by the US, ‘NATO is a tool for the US to maintain hegemony and manipulate a security pattern in Europe’.
“NATO tried to copy the pattern of bloc confrontation in Europe in the Asia-Pacific region, which is very dangerous and will trigger firm opposition from regional countries,” Wenbin was quoted by Global Times.
Earlier NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg while commenting on the NATO summit had said that it ‘will address China in their new Strategic Concept for NATO, while welcoming leaders of NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea – to the summit.
“NATO don’t regard China as an adversary but we need to realize the rise of China.”
Stoltenberg said that he expects allies will state that ‘China poses some challenges to our values, our interests, and our security.”
Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea will be part of the meeting for the first time during Biden’s trip.
US, GT report said, is seeking to extend its reach into Asia to cooperate with the US’ China strategy.
GT report said that analysts have warned that the ‘global expansion of NATO will make the alliance more fragmented, and the troubles may cripple the alliance’.