"Training According to Annual Cooperation Plan" Claim
Strong Criticism to NATO over 'Strengthening Korea-Japan Cooperation'
China, conducting joint military exercises with the pro-Russian country Belarus, stated that the current drills are not aimed at NATO. The United States and Europe opened the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on the 9th (local time) in the U.S. to strengthen a unified front against Russia.
At a briefing on the 10th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Zhen said, "(This exercise) is not targeted at any specific country," adding, "This army exercise is conducted according to the annual cooperation plan between the two countries and represents normal military exchanges and cooperation between China and Belarus, in accordance with international law and international practices."
Earlier, on the 7th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced, "According to the annual plan and bilateral agreement, the Chinese and Belarusian armed forces will conduct the 'Eagle Assault-2024 Army Joint Exercise' near Brest city in southwestern Belarus from early to mid-month."
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense stated, "Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army arrived in Belarus to participate in the joint anti-terrorism exercise scheduled from the 8th to the 19th," and also released photos showing Chinese troops arriving in Belarus aboard the Y-20 strategic airlifter.
Belarus is a representative pro-Russian country. Recently, it has accelerated cooperation with China, becoming the 10th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the SCO summit held on the 4th in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Some view the timing of the joint exercises, coinciding with the NATO summit (9th?11th), and the location near Brest city, which borders Poland?a frontline supporter of Ukraine?as a 'show of force' against NATO.
Meanwhile, China has labeled NATO's recent announcement to further strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as 'NATO's eastward expansion,' and has continued to criticize NATO for three consecutive days up to this day.
Spokesperson Lin said, "We firmly oppose NATO breaking its regional and defensive nature by coming to the Asia-Pacific, causing conflicts and confrontations, and undermining regional prosperity and stability." He added, "We advise NATO to do more for world peace, stability, and security."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
