China said on Thursday it would be “closely vigilant” about NATO’s “eastward expansion”, following media reports that the alliance plans to open an office in Japan to facilitate consultations with allies in the region.
NATO plans to open its first Asia Liaison Office in Japan to facilitate consultations with defense partners such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in the face of geopolitical challenges from China and Russia. .
Mao Ning, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said Asia was “a promising country for cooperation and development, not a battlefield for geopolitics.”
“NATO’s continued eastward expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, its interference in regional affairs, its attempts to destroy regional peace and stability, and its pursuit of inter-regional conflict should be of great concern from countries in the region,” Mao said. Regular news conference.
According to Nikkei Asia, the proposed office will open in Tokyo next year.
Asked about Nikkei Asia’s report, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the alliance would not go into details about the NATO allies’ consultations.
“NATO has offices and liaison arrangements with many international organizations and partner nations, and allies regularly review those liaison arrangements to ensure they best meet the needs of NATO and our partners,” he said.
Lungescu said NATO has a close partnership with Japan that continues to grow.
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