Don’t be ‘fooled by lies and rumours’, China tells Nato
- ‘China was not, and will not be, a rival to Nato’, Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells leader of transatlantic alliance in first-ever call
- Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg raises concerns about China’s nuclear arsenal and lack of military transparency, urges arms control talks
In what was his first phone call with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the transatlantic alliance should stay within “its original geographical positioning”.
Stoltenberg said the bloc was concerned about China’s “expanding nuclear arsenal” even though it did not see Beijing as an adversary.
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Observers said the call indicated that both sides understood the need to improve communications in the face of intensifying China-US rivalry.
Without naming any country, Wang said Nato should not be swayed by misinformation and lies about China.
“The Asia-Pacific region is where China is. Some member states have deployed military vessels and aircraft to areas close to China. The Asia-Pacific region does not need a new military alliance – it should not cause confrontation between major powers, nor should it engage in small circles designed to instigate a new Cold War,” a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Tuesday quoted Wang as saying.
“Nato should adhere to its original geographical positioning.”