China “Asia-Pacific isn’t the North Atlantic…”
U.S. “It’s not the Asian version of NATO”… Confirmation of the promotion of reflecting the phrase aimed at China in the new strategic concept
The United States and China clashed over the issue of the participation of South Korea and Japan at the NATO summit.
When China said that it opposes these countries’ participation in the summit, the United States countered that China had no veto power.
NATO, led by the United States, will hold a summit in Madrid, Spain from the 29th to the 30th, and the leaders of Indo-Pacific countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, which are not NATO members, are also expected to attend.
Wang Won-bin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, said at a regular briefing on the 23rd, “The Asia-Pacific region is not a geographical category of the North Atlantic. I firmly oppose it,” he said.
“China has consistently believed that developmental relations between countries should contribute to world peace and stability and should not target third parties or harm the interests of third parties,” Wang added.
Recently, China has been very wary of seeking cooperation between NATO and countries in the Asia-Pacific region, led by the United States.
China’s state-run media criticized South Korea’s official membership of the NATO Cyber Defense Center (CCDCOE) last month as an act of instigating conflicts in the region.
Regarding the plan to discuss countermeasures against China’s rising influence at the NATO summit, Spokesperson Wang said, “NATO is clearly a North Atlantic military organization, but in recent years, it has been running to the Asia-Pacific region to show off its prestige and pave the way for Europe’s collective resistance in the Asia-Pacific region. We are trying to replicate it locally,” he criticized.
“This is a very dangerous thing,” Wang said.
“We urge NATO to stop drawing lines with ideology and inciting opposition, stop spreading disinformation and provocative remarks about China, and not promote a new Cold War,” he said. However, please do not disturb the Asia-Pacific region and the world again.”
In response, White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby, when asked at a press briefing that China opposes South Korea’s participation, responded, “China has no veto over which meetings South Korea will participate in.”
Coordinator Kirby said the meeting was not about the Asian version of NATO, and that NATO is a security alliance between the Atlantic countries. “We are excited about the participation of South Korea.”
“This demonstrates the global security link between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
“It’s not one or two,” he said.
“Korea knows this better than any other country,” he said.
So it is important that South Korea will participate in the meeting,” he said, reiterating that this meeting is not intended to create something similar to NATO in the Pacific.
Coordinator Kirby all introduced the participation of non-NATO countries such as South Korea and Japan in their remarks, and evaluated that this was to make it clear that the United States and its allies, whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific, will uphold the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Coordinator Kirby did not immediately respond to the question of whether the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit would be held during the NATO summit, saying, “I have nothing to say other than the agenda of the meeting today.”
Instead, he recalled a trip to South Korea and Japan last month, saying, “President Biden sincerely hopes for greater trilateral cooperation between the United States and its two allies.”
“President Biden desperately wants bilateral cooperation between Japan and South Korea to increase, and this is happening,” he said.
Coordinator Kirby confirmed that the NATO summit will include content targeting China when ratifying NATO’s new strategic concept for the next decade.
“In less than a year, NATO’s defense ministers made mention of China in a joint statement for the first time,” he said.
“The strategic concept is therefore building on the foundations of what we once discussed and pondered with our allies about the threats posed by China to international security beyond the Indo-Pacific region.”
/yunhap news
