China Says NATO Has ‘Messed Up’ Europe in Warning Over the Alliance’s Role in the Asia-Pacific

The comments came after the UK called for a 'global NATO' capable of protecting Taiwan

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that NATO has “messed up” Europe in a warning against the alliance’s aspirations of expanding into the Asia Pacific. The comments were made in response to a call from British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for a “global NATO” that would be capable of protecting Taiwan.

“NATO, a military organization in the North Atlantic, has in recent years come to the Asia-Pacific region to throw its weight around and stir up conflicts,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. “Nato has messed up Europe. Is it now trying to mess up the Asia-Pacific and even the world?”

In response to Truss saying China must play by the rules, Wenbin called out NATO members for lecturing other countries while it has “wantonly waged wars and dropped bombs in sovereign states, killing and displacing innocent civilians.”

In recent years, NATO has made it clear that it has its eyes set on Asia and identified China as a “challenge” facing the military alliance. The US has also rallied many of its European allies to send warships into sensitive waters near China’s coast, including the UK, France, and Germany.

Boosting alliances in Asia is part of Washington’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which was published by the Biden administration earlier this year. The strategy calls for a greater US military and diplomatic presence in the region to counter Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told his Vietnamese counterpart that he believes the US buildup could lead to a Ukraine-style “tragedy” in the region. “The United States has tried to create regional tension and provoke confrontation by pushing forward the Indo-Pacific strategy,” Wang said.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.