Beijing urges Nato allies to abandon ‘cold war thinking’

Bloomberg

China urged Nato to abandon what it called a Cold War mentality after the military alliance said the Asian nation poses systemic challenges to security.
Nato’s so-called Strategic Concept, a document on policy guidelines adopted at an alliance summit in Madrid on Wednesday, is “filled with Cold War thinking and ideological bias” and is “maliciously attacking and smearing China,” a spokesperson for China’s mission to the European Union said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in the text that China’s stated ambitions and coercive policies “challenge our interests, security and values” and warned about a deepening strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow. They pledged “to address the systemic challenges” posed by China “to Euro-Atlantic security and ensure Nato’s enduring ability to guarantee the defense and security of allies.”
The Strategic Concept document, which outlines priorities for the next 10 years, said China is being opaque about its intentions and military buildup. It also said China’s cyber and disinformation operations harm allies, that it seeks to control key security infrastructure and strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime sectors.
“We urge Nato to stop provoking confrontation by drawing ideological lines, abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game approach, and stop spreading disinformation and provocative statements against China,” the spokesperson’s statement said.
“When it comes to acts that undermine China’s interests, we will make firm and strong responses,” the statement said.
China frequently accuses the US of trying to form blocs to suppress its growth.
In March, Foreign Minister Wang Yi used his annual news briefing to warn Washington against attempting to build a version of Nato in the Indo-Pacific, saying the goal was “to maintain the US-led system of hegemony.”

Ardern warns Nato of China’s assertiveness
China’s increasing willingness to challenge international norms must be resisted, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the Nato summit.
Rising tensions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were not limited to Europe, with the Pacific also experiencing “mounting pressure on the international rules-based order,” Ardern said in a speech Wednesday in Madrid, according to emailed notes.