Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has hit out at NATO for making “groundless accusations,” after the bloc targeted Beijing in its declaration at a summit in Washington this week.
In the document adopted by NATO members on Wednesday, the US-led bloc alleged that China has been working with Russia to “undercut and reshape the rules-based international order.” It also claimed that Beijing has been providing dual-use materials and components to Moscow’s arms manufacturers amid its conflict with Ukraine.
During a telephone call on Thursday with his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp, Wang stressed that Beijing “will never accept” NATO’s “groundless accusations.”
The diplomat also insisted that China “has always been a force for peace and stability in the international community.”
“China and NATO countries have different political systems and values, but this should not be a reason for NATO to incite confrontation with China,” Wang argued. He called on the bloc to focus on dialogue and establishing “mutual trust,” instead of dishing out allegations against Beijing.
The Chinese foreign minister further warned NATO against interfering in the Asia-Pacific region or challenging Beijing’s “legitimate rights and interests.” “China is willing to maintain contact with NATO on an equal basis and conduct exchanges on the basis of mutual respect,” the official concluded.
Also on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the EU characterized NATO’s latest declaration as “provocative with obvious lies and smears.” “[China] never provide[s] lethal weapons to either party of the conflict, and exercise[s] strict export control on dual-use goods,” the mission insisted.
It added that Beijing is not the “creator to the Ukraine crisis,” and has been working to “promote peace talks and seek [a] political settlement.” In contrast, NATO has been “fanning the flames” of the hostilities while scapegoating others, the mission claimed.
In the document adopted following NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in the US capital, the bloc described China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine.
Following the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict as well as the departure of many US and European businesses from the country, trade between Moscow and Beijing has increased considerably. In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, proclaimed a “new era” in the two countries’ “no-limits” partnership.