The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has an "evil intention" in the Asia-Pacific region, the Chinese state-run media outlet the Global Times said on Friday.
In an opinion piece, the Global Times spoke about reports that India's capital of New Delhi is expected to host members of NATO for a meeting that will likely include Indian defense and foreign ministry officials.
"NATO is facing tremendous pressure in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially under Moscow's recent heavy offensive. Feeling that it might not be as strong as it has thought, the organization is seeking external assistance or moral support," the op-ed said.
"Besides, NATO still has the evil intention of expanding its engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, which will certainly disrupt regional order. It hopes to use India as a springboard to deepen its involvement in the region, thereby strengthening its containment of China and pinning Russia down from the west and the east sides," the article added.
The remarks from the Global Times come as the media outlet and others in China have continued to criticize NATO and the U.S. amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Additionally, China has also urged the U.S. to avoid relationships with Taiwan, which considers itself independent from China. However, China has continued to claim Taiwan as its own territory, prompting concerns of a possible invasion of Taiwan in the near future.
In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at the Chinese Communist Party's 20th National Congress event in Beijing and mentioned a "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan.
"But we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary," Xi said during the speech.
Prior to the comments made by Xi, U.S. President Joe Biden was asked about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan during an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes in September. When asked if the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, Biden said, "Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack."
Throughout the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, China has maintained a neutral stance, calling for peace between both sides. However, China has also criticized the U.S. and NATO in the war. The U.S. and several other Western nations have supplied Ukraine with dozens of military and economic aid packages, something the Global Times said last April is "cheering Ukraine up to fight a 10-year war."
In an op-ed published in October, the Global Times wrote, "The conflict itself seems to have gone from being a powder keg to becoming a nuclear reactor, due to certain forces which have been fanning war flames. Among them was U.S. President Joe Biden's radical rhetoric of so-called threat of Armageddon."
Newsweek reached out to NATO for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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