China responded strongly after NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, made comments about China’s military growth and its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. Rutte warned that China is building up its military power significantly and helping Russia, which could make global tensions worse.
A spokesperson from China’s Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, rejected these claims. He said Rutte was spreading false information and trying to create division between countries. According to Guo, China’s military development is normal and not a threat to anyone. He accused NATO of using China as an excuse to spend more on weapons and expand its influence outside of Europe, especially in Asia.
NATO is mainly a defense group led by the United States and focused on protecting Europe, but in recent years it has also started paying more attention to China. NATO is worried about China’s growing power, cyber attacks, spying, and close relationship with Russia.
As the NATO summit approaches in the Netherlands, Rutte mentioned the importance of working with countries in the Asia-Pacific region—like Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand—to address these concerns. He also brought up the AUKUS deal, which is a partnership between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. Under this deal, Australia will receive long-range nuclear submarines and increase its naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Rutte also said that China and North Korea are helping Russia continue its war in Ukraine. While China isn’t sending weapons, it has been buying a lot of Russian oil, which helps Russia avoid Western sanctions.
In response, Guo said NATO is overstepping its boundaries. He argued that NATO claims to be a regional group, but is now trying to spread its power into Asia. He warned that countries in the Asia-Pacific are becoming more cautious about NATO’s moves.
Guo also emphasized that China wants peace in Ukraine and supports political discussions to end the war. He stressed that China doesn’t send weapons to any side and has strict rules on exporting items that could be used for both civilian and military purposes.
He accused NATO of spreading lies and stirring up conflict instead of promoting peace. He said that if NATO really cared about global security, it should stop making things worse. Guo urged NATO to reflect on its own actions and stop using an outdated Cold War mindset, where countries are always treated as enemies or allies with nothing in between.
