China envoy to UN: NATO eastward expansion did not make Europe safer
China's envoy to the UN accuses NATO’s repeated expansion eastward in Europe of sowing seeds of conflict.
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China envoy to UN, Zhang Jun.
On Thursday, the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said that NATO’s repeated expansion eastward in Europe after the Cold War has failed to make the region any safer but also sowed seeds of conflict.
"NATO's repeated eastward expansion after the Cold War has not only failed to make Europe any safer but also sowed the seeds of conflict," Zhang said during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Zhang's remarks come especially as NATO threatens to form an "Asian NATO" to counter what it calls "Chinese aggression".
"NATO wantonly launches wars against sovereign countries, causing colossal casualties and humanitarian disasters."
Read more: NATO expansion destabilized Europe
Referring to the West's seizing of Russian property throughout Europe, from governmental property to private property, Zhang linked this action to instability in economic interdependence in the world economy.
In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on the confiscation of Russian property.
"Arbitrary seizure and freezing the foreign exchange reserves of other countries is tantamount to weaponizing the economic interdependence which is bringing more uncertainties and apparels to the world economy and international relations," Zhang said during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Moscow vows response after US announces confiscation of assets
Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Moscow will respond to all actions from the US, including "foolish" ones.
The Spokesperson's comments came in response to a congressional bill, the Asset Seizure for Ukraine Reconstruction Act, that proposes US President Joe Biden confiscate assets from Russian oligarchs and use the funds to support Ukraine.
Read more: US, Kiev lying about people in Azovstal: Moscow
Zakharova declared that Britain and the US have become unfriendly and that all measures will be taken to respond, noting that Russia never leaves anything unanswered.
The bill urges Biden to seize and confiscate assets that belong to foreign individuals who allegedly amassed their wealth "through corruption linked to or political support for the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin and with respect to which the President has imposed sanctions."
