A Chinese Communist Party newspaper on Monday opined that NATO is leading “western civilization” in a “wrong and dangerous” direction, referring to the alliance’s increased involvement in the Asia-Pacific region.
“A NATO infiltration of Asia-Pacific is likely to result in Western civilization facing unprecedented setbacks in the world’s most economically vibrant region,” recalled the Global Times, the English-language newspaper of the People’s Daily group, the central body of the party. PCC).
“China cannot allow Western military forces to interfere in any way in its internal affairs,” the editorial reads, adding that Beijing “is already capable of combating such interference.”
The NATO summit starting Tuesday in Vilnius will discuss the implementation of the Strategic Concept adopted in 2022. values” of its members.
Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, who took part in last year’s NATO summit, will be present in Vilnius.
In particular, the organization is studying the opening of an office in Japan, a country with historic rivalries and territorial disputes with China. French President Emmanuel Macron has already spoken out against it, saying the measure would be a “major mistake”.
The different views among the allies on China are also dictated by the relevance of the trade relations between the Asian country and Europe: China accounts for almost 10% of the continent’s exports and about 20% of its imports.
However, The Global Times recalled that the existing disagreements within NATO “are not fundamentally about whether [a organização se deve] to expand or not, but rather about what kind of expansion should be pursued, and whether this process should be slower or faster”.
The paper said there is a “change” in NATO’s traditional defense-based policy as “a growing number of member states and leaders demonstrate a stronger ambition for expansion”.
“NATO’s aggressiveness is not only an extension of military deterrence, but also an extension of values”
The leaders of the transatlantic alliance have already warned that what is happening in Europe with the war in Ukraine could be repeated in Asia, with an invasion of Taiwan by China.
China and Taiwan have been living as two autonomous regions since 1949, when the former Chinese nationalist government took refuge on the island after its civil war defeat against the communists. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and threatens to reunite it by force if the island formally declares independence.
“As the president [russo], [Vladimir] If Putin wins in Ukraine, it would send the message that authoritarian regimes can achieve their goals through brute force,” the organization’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said in Tokyo earlier this year. ‘This is dangerous. Beijing is watching closely and learning lessons that could influence future decisions,” he noted.
For the Global Times, “NATO’s aggressiveness is not only an extension of military deterrence, but an extension of values.”
“The expansion of Western civilization is inseparable to this day from its aggressive and offensive nature,” the editorial reads. “When you are challenged, the aggressive elements of your character become more active and proactive,” he noted.
Source: DN
