“The Asia-Pacific lies beyond the geographical scope of the north Atlantic and has no need for a NATO replica,” said China spokesman Zhao Lijian when asked on Monday about reports that Japan had joined NATO’s cyber defense center. “In recent years, however, we have seen NATO constantly strengthening ties with Asia-Pacific countries. What is it really up to?”
“East Asia is one of the most peaceful and stable regions in the world and a promising land for cooperation and development, not an arena for geopolitical contest,” said Zhao. “Given the history of overseas aggression waged by Japanese militarism during the last century, Japan’s neighbors in Asia and the international community pay close attention to Japan’s military and security tendencies.”
