China rejects NATO expansion in Asia-Pacific

The Chinese government has issued a strong rebuke to suggestions of NATO involvement in the Asia-Pacific, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating unequivocally that the region neither welcomes nor needs such an expansion.

Lin's comments directly challenged a European leader's recent remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which linked the Taiwan question to the Ukraine issue and alluded to a "China threat" in the South China Sea, implying a basis for NATO's potential intervention.

China strongly rejects these assertions. Lin clarified that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory and a purely internal affair, incomparable to the Ukraine crisis. He called for concrete adherence to the one-China principle. Furthermore, Lin maintained that the South China Sea is stable with unimpeded freedom of navigation, urging that maritime disputes be resolved through negotiation by directly involved parties, free from external instigation.

Lin underlined that NATO, as a regional defensive organisation, has no mandate to operate outside its stipulated geographical scope. He asserted that China firmly opposes NATO's eastward advance into the Asia-Pacific, viewing it as an attempt to incite tension and confrontation, thereby jeopardising regional and global stability. Highlighting Asia's self-driven peace and prosperity, Lin stressed China's commitment to cooperative neighbourhood diplomacy and its rejection of Cold War-era bloc confrontation, urging relevant parties to contribute constructively to the region's future.

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