China on Thursday urged NATO to "seriously reflect" on its role in maintaining global peace and stability, following remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the alliance is closely monitoring Beijing's support for Russia in the Ukraine war.
"NATO needs to address its wrong perception of China and stop inciting confrontation and shifting blame," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.
Asked about Rutte's comments, Lin said NATO should reconsider its role in the current international environment.
"As a Cold War relic, it needs to seriously reflect on what role it has played with what kind of impact on peace and stability in today's world," Lin said.
Rutte told reporters Wednesday that NATO is "constantly trying to follow exactly what China is doing" when asked about reports that Beijing is training Russia.
"When it comes to China, what we know of course is the sanction circumvention, the dual-use goods, etc. We are not naive. We follow everything exactly," he said.
Lin said China "has maintained an objective and just position, consistently making active efforts toward ending hostilities and promoting peace talks" regarding the Ukraine war.
Beijing did not "provide lethal weapons to either party to the conflict and have enforced strict control over dual-use items," he added.
Separately, the 16th meeting of BRICS national security advisers and high representatives for national security will be held Monday and Tuesday in New Delhi.
According to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the meeting.
During the gathering, China will discuss the international security situation, major regional and global issues, and responses to conventional and non-conventional security challenges with other BRICS members, the ministry said.
The ministry said BRICS countries are "committed to safeguarding world peace, promoting common development, practicing multilateralism, and enabling more just and equitable global governance" amid an increasingly volatile international environment.
