Azernews.Az

Certain NATO figures are deliberately hyping up international and regional tensions and smearing China's normal military development, with their true aim being nothing but to find excuse for NATO's sharp increase in military expenditure, its reckless expansion of power, and its attempt to extend into the Asia-Pacific, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday, Azernews reports, citing Global Times.

The remark was made in response to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's claim on Wednesday, in which he said it is really important for NATO collectively to "spend more" given factors such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China's large-scale military buildup.

Guo noted that in 2024, NATO members' military spending already accounted for 55 percent of global defense expenditure, yet they are still pushing for member states to raise their defense budgets to 5 percent of their GDP, and are openly calling for a more lethal NATO. "What exactly is the intention behind this?" Guo asked. Although NATO claims to be a regional organization, it continues to break through the geographic boundaries set by its founding treaty, reaching into the Asia-Pacific under the pretext of Euro-Asian security linkages. The international community sees this clearly, and countries in the Asia-Pacific remain highly vigilant, said Guo.

Guo stated that on the Ukraine issue, China has consistently adhered to urging peace talks and actively promoting a political resolution of the crisis. China has never provided weapons to any party in the conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use items. China's objective and fair stance, as well as its constructive role, have been widely recognized by the international community. NATO's false information cannot deceive the world. If NATO truly cares about the security of Europe and the world, it should stop fanning the flames and inciting confrontation.

China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods. On issues concerning peace and security, China has the best track record. "We urge NATO to seriously reflect, listen to the just voices of the international community, abandon outdated Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation, and zero-sum thinking, correct its misguided perception of China, and stop manipulating China-related issues," Guo said.

China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests, and will continue to contribute to global peace and stability through concrete actions, Guo added.