China has urged NATO to stop inflating the narrative of a Chinese threat after the alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, labeled Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran as “essential enablers” of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a press conference today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning pushed back against the characterization, emphasizing that NATO remains a regional and defensive alliance with a clearly defined geographic scope and mandate. Mao maintained that China acts as a global force for peace, has never threatened any nation, and is being used by the alliance as a convenient political scapegoat.
“Do not always use China as a pretext,” Mao stated, calling on NATO to abandon its Cold War mentality, correct its perception of Beijing, and cease exaggerating Chinese military and political influence.
The diplomatic friction peaked during this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, where allied leaders focused heavily on surging defense spending, expanding military industrial manufacturing, continuing long-term aid to Ukraine, and deepening strategic ties with Indo-Pacific partners like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
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Ahead of the meetings, Rutte argued that Indo-Pacific security is inextricably linked to Euro-Atlantic stability, pointing to the economic and logistical support provided to Russia by China, North Korea, and Iran as a primary driver of the prolonged conflict in Ukraine.
In parallel with the security discussions, member states at the Defense Industry Forum announced over $50 billion (€43.8 billion) in new military procurement contracts. The acquisitions align with an ambitious target established in 2025 requiring member nations to raise baseline defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035.
Beijing continues to firmly deny NATO’s allegations regarding its support for Russia’s military campaign, routinely countering that the transatlantic alliance is actively destabilizing global politics by promoting outdated bloc-based security strategies.
