China to oppose ‘wanton expansion of military alliances’: FM Wang

Beijing will oppose the “wanton expansion of military alliances,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, the latest in a string of warnings as rival Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific.

China has long warned that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would only provoke conflict.

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It has also suggested that the bloc’s rapid expansion in eastern Europe is partly to blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which it refuses to condemn.

Speaking at a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, Wang said China would “oppose the wanton expansion of military alliances and the squeezing of the security space of other countries.”

He said Beijing would seek to “resolve differences and disputes among countries through dialogue and consultation,” without specifying the nations in question in either case.

Wang also declined to confirm whether President Xi Jinping would travel to the United States for a meeting with US counterpart Joe Biden.

The two leaders are expected to meet at an APEC summit in San Francisco on November 14-16.

“Regarding your question about the arrangements for attending APEC, we are in communication with all parties and will make an official announcement in due course,” Wang said.

Wang’s remarks came as he unveiled a broad program laying out Beijing’s foreign policy goals for the coming years.

“Building a global community of shared future is the way forward for all the world’s peoples,” the policy paper, released by Chinese news agency Xinhua, reads.

“However, it is not a goal to be accomplished overnight, and there will be no plain sailing,” it continues.

“We need to make unremitting efforts and forge ahead with perseverance.”

The document also touches on Russia’s war in Ukraine, reiterating a multi-point position paper released by China earlier this year that was widely seen as conciliatory towards Moscow.

Western countries have warned China’s proposals could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

“Conflicts and wars produce no winner,” the new paper reads, while adding that “there is no simple solution to a complex issue.”

The paper — which runs to over 14,000 words — “draws a new blueprint for a better world,” it says.

It contains a number of broad proposals for dealing with a litany of global challenges, including climate change, poverty and security.

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