ISTANBUL
China’s Defense Ministry on Thursday called on the US to cease using Beijing as an excuse to deceive and mislead the American people and the international community, state-backed Xinhua News reported.
Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang made the remarks at a news conference in response to recent comments by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth describing China as a "threat" and underlined the US’ deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region to "achieve peace through strength," according to the news agency.
The spokesman also expressed firm opposition to NATO using China as an excuse to "expand eastward into the Asia-Pacific” in response to recent remarks from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Rutte, at the NATO Public Forum on Tuesday, had said the bloc "was not established only to fight the Russians if they were to attack us. They are our most immediate, long-term threats."
"But we also see China reconstituting itself. We see what China, North Korea, and Iran are doing in supporting the war effort of Russia, the unprovoked war against Ukraine," Rutte said.
Zhang said that China is committed to peaceful development and maintains a national defense policy that is strictly defensive.
He noted that China’s partnership with Russia is not directed against any third party, nor will it be influenced by outside forces.
In contrast, he criticized NATO for inciting tensions and sparking conflicts in multiple regions, describing it as a genuine war machine. Zhang called on NATO to critically examine its actions and alter its current approach.