Chinese envoy harshly criticizes NATO, US

The Chinese ambassador to South Korea on Thursday delivered harsh rhetoric against NATO and the United States during a forum in Seoul, condemning the hostile views that Western powers have toward China.

Xing Haiming warned the military alliance of the North American and European countries not to make provocative comments against China. He attended an international scholarly forum hosted by Korean political study groups at Korea University in Seoul in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Seoul-Beijing diplomacy. The forum’s theme was sharing ideas about the future of the bilateral relationship.

The ambassador’s latest public exposure came as Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is in Madrid for the 2022 NATO Summit.

He objected to NATO’s recent characterization of China as a “systemic challenge.” Calling the organization “a product of the Cold War,” the ambassador said they kept their “Cold War idea” by making a virtual enemy to create divisions among countries. He accused NATO of claiming to be a defensive organization while saying it has attacked enemies and joined in many wars, but the results haven’t always been good.

During the forum, the ambassador mentioned a NATO attack on the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia in 1999. He said China hasn’t “paid back and we haven’t forgotten about it.”

He also said the United States is “full of misunderstandings about China.” They consider all Chinese investments as hiding a political goal, all Chinese students abroad as spies and all offers made by the Chinese government as containing a hidden objective, according to the ambassador. The United States places limitations on China, keeps meddling in China’s internal affairs and criticized China’s domestic and international policies, he added.

As to South Korea, the ambassador urged the country to become “grease for friction between China and the United States.”

He hoped Seoul, which has been “maintaining friendly ties with China,” understands and supports China. He admitted that South Korea has close ties with China as a “strategic partner” as well as with the United States as its ally.