Chinese envoy repudiates NATO's accusations against China

UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun on Thursday rejected NATO's accusations against his country.

The Cold War has long since ended. But the specter of the Cold War mentality lingers to this day. NATO, as a product of the Cold War, has been mired in this mentality, unable to extricate itself, said Zhang.

The communique issued at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, was filled with Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices. The communique disregards basic facts and makes "far-fetched, irrelevant and unwarranted" attacks against China. China firmly rejects those utterly hypocritical accusations, he told the Security Council.

In fact, it is NATO itself that needs to do serious soul-searching. Contrary to its claim of being a regional organization, NATO breaks through the geographical scope stipulated by its own treaty, by projecting its power across the whole globe and advancing eastward into the Asia-Pacific, thus having more destructive impacts on regional and even global security, he said.

NATO calls itself a defensive alliance. However, it encourages its members to continuously increase military expenditure, carry out military activities around the world and constantly expand their powers and provoke confrontation, he said.

NATO claims to defend "the rules-based international order." But it has repeatedly violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, interfered in other countries' internal affairs, ignited multiple wars, bombed diplomatic establishments, and killed innocent civilians. Certain individual NATO members practice double standards, and promote nuclear sharing and nuclear alliances, further aggravating regional tensions, he said.

"As attested by countless facts, the real troublemaker is none other than NATO," said Zhang.

NATO's accusations against China are totally groundless. China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order. China firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he noted.

"When it comes to peace and security, China boasts the best record of any major power. We have never invaded other countries, engaged in proxy wars, conducted military operations around the world, threatened other countries with force, exported ideology, or interfered in other countries' internal affairs," he said. "Can NATO do any of these?"

"China adheres to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear weapon-free zones. Can NATO members pledge likewise?" he asked.

"China does not cause trouble, nor does it fear trouble. We stand ready to respond firmly and forcefully to any acts that violate China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, undermine China's development and security interests and breach the peace and stability in China's neighborhood," said Zhang.

In the era of globalization, no one lives in a vacuum and no country enjoys absolute security. To achieve their own security, countries should not ignore the legitimate security concerns of others, should not base their own security on others' insecurity, and should not erect their own security fences on the doorsteps of others, he said.

Security is indivisible. This is a feature of our times and the starting point for achieving common security. China adheres, as always, to the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. China stands ready to work with the international community to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture through dialogue and cooperation, so as to promote lasting peace and common security, said Zhang.