The NATO statement “slandered” China’s peaceful development, misjudged the international situation, and indicated a “Cold War mentality,” said China’s response, posted on the mission’s website and reported by Reuters.
“We will not pose a ‘systemic challenge’ to anyone, but if anyone wants to pose a ‘systemic challenge’ to us, we will not remain indifferent.”
This was US President Joe Biden’s first NATO summit since being inaugurated in January.
At a press conference following the meeting Biden said China and Russia were trying to “drive a wedge in our trans-Atlantic solidarity”.
He emphasised his loyalty to the alliance, saying: “The US commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty is rock-solid and unshakeable.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has argued against allowing China to distract from the mission of NATO.Credit:AP
Article 5 commits NATO members to mutual defence in the case of an attack by an outside nation.
The focus on China appeared to rankle at least one NATO leader: French President Emmanuel Macron said the rise of China “must not divert us from the heart of NATO’s tasks”.
“In my book, China isn’t part of the Atlantic geography, or maybe my map has a problem,” Macron said following the summit.
The summit came after G7 leaders urged China to “respect human rights and fundamental freedoms” and called for more investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
Speaking before the summit NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said: “China is coming closer to us. We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa [and] in the Arctic, but we also see China investing heavily in our own critical infrastructure and trying to control it.
“We need to respond together as an alliance.”
But he stressed NATO was “not entering a new Cold War with China” and that “China is not our adversary, our enemy”.
Biden will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva later this week.
“What I’ll convey to President Putin is that I’m not looking for conflict with Russia, but that we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities,” Biden said at his press conference.
“And we will not fail to defend the trans-Atlantic alliance or stand up for democratic values.”
Describing Putin as “bright” and “tough”, Biden said he considered him a “worthy adversary”.
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