China: NATO expansion does not contribute to global security
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China's Mission to the European Union calls on NATO "to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias" against other countries amid the alliance's expansion in light of the Ukrainian crisis.
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The Chinese mission to the EU called on NATO "to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias."
China believes NATO's expansion does not contribute to global security and stability, according to a statement posted Tuesday on the official website of China's Mission to the EU.
"Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, NATO continues to expand its geographical scope and the range of operations and engages in bloc politics and confrontation. This is not conducive to global security and stability," the statement read.
The Chinese mission stressed that Beijing "believes that regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or expanding military blocs."
It also called on NATO "to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, respect the sovereignty, security, interests as well as the diversity of civilizations, history and culture of other countries," as well as "take an objective and impartial view of other countries’ peaceful development, and do more to increase mutual trust among countries and maintain regional peace and stability."
No specific, additional threats from Russia: Pentagon
This Chinese mission statement comes as Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby indicated at a briefing that the Pentagon sees no specific threats to NATO's eastern flank, where additional US troops have been deployed.
"We do however, continue to see sizable forces continue to be added to the forces that Mr. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has arrayed in the south in Crimea and alongside Ukraine's borders, including in Belarus but nothing directly posed at or aimed at NATO's eastern flank," the Press Secretary added.
The situation around Ukraine has worsened over the past several months after the US and its allies accused Russia of preparing to "invade" its neighbor.
Russia has repeatedly denied having plans to attack any country but said it reserves the right to move troops inside its sovereign territory as it sees fit, as part of defending its security.
Moscow has also warned that NATO's plans to expand further eastward, including in Ukraine, represent a threat to its national security.
