China strongly opposes NATO "advancing" into Japan, despite Prime Minister Kishida's reassurances

On May 24, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio admitted that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) plans to open a liaison office in the country, causing China to protest.

Trung Quốc phản đối NATO tiến vào Nhật Bản, Thủ tướng Kishida trấn an. (Nguồn: Reuters)

NATO plans to open a representative office in Japan. (Source: Reuters)

Although acknowledging NATO's plan, Prime Minister Kishida, speaking at a parliamentary session, affirmed that Japan has no plans to join the transatlantic military alliance as a member or semi-member state.

The Japanese Prime Minister's comments came after Japan's ambassador to the US said earlier this month that NATO plans to open an office in Tokyo - the military alliance's first permanent liaison office in Asia - to facilitate consultations in the region.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the same day opposing NATO's plan, and warned Japan to be "extremely cautious on military security issues."

"We want to say that the Asia-Pacific region does not welcome group confrontation, does not welcome military confrontation," ministry spokesman Mao Ning stressed.

According to Ms. Mao Ning, Asia is “a promised land for cooperation and development and should not become a geopolitical battlefield.”

A Chinese diplomatic official said: "NATO's continuous expansion to the East in the Asia-Pacific region, interference in regional issues... requires countries in the region to be highly vigilant."

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