Beijing is intently following developments relating to reported NATO plans to open an workplace in Japan.
China’s Foreign Ministry mentioned Thursday that there was a necessity for “high vigilance,” in response to the media experiences.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, mentioned Asia was a “promising land for cooperation and development and should not be a battle arena for geopolitics.”
“NATO’s continual eastward expansion in the Asia-Pacific, interference in regional affairs, attempts to destroy regional peace and stability, and push for bloc confrontation calls for high vigilance from countries in the region,” Mao instructed an everyday press convention.
The Western navy alliance is planning to open its first Asian liaison workplace in Japan to facilitate consultations within the area, the Nikkei Asia reported earlier Wednesday, citing Japanese and NATO officers.
The workplace will allow discussions with NATO’s safety companions, reminiscent of South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, with geopolitical challenges from China and Russia in thoughts, the media outlet reported.
Asked in regards to the report, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu mentioned the alliance wouldn’t go into particulars of NATO allies’ ongoing deliberations.
“NATO has offices and liaison arrangements with a number of international organizations and partner countries, and allies regularly assess those liaison arrangements to ensure that they best serve the needs of both NATO and our partners,” she mentioned.
Lungescu mentioned NATO has a detailed partnership with Japan that continues to develop.
“Practical cooperation includes a wide range of areas, including cyber defense, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, non-proliferation, science and technology, and human security,” she mentioned.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokespeople weren’t out there for remark as a result of a public vacation within the nation.
The Nikkei Asia report mentioned the proposed workplace is because of open subsequent yr in Tokyo however particulars reminiscent of whether or not Japan would offer the house or NATO would fund it had been underneath negotiation.
NATO has related liaison places of work in New York, Vienna, Ukraine and different locations, it mentioned.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg visited Japan in January and pledged with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen ties within the face of “historic” safety challenges, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s rising navy energy.
Japan and NATO are searching for to deepen cooperation on cyber threats, disruptive applied sciences and disinformation, aiming to signal an individually tailor-made partnership program earlier than a NATO summit in July, Nikkei Asia reported.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
