By Han Jitao
NATO Summit Washington 2024 issued a declaration that maliciously attacked China on Wednesday local time. It claimed that China posed a challenge to NATO's interests, security, and values, and falsely labeled China a "decisive enabler" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that caused systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security. As the instigator of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO not only refuses to reflect on its actions but also tries to pass the buck to China which has been consistently advocating for peace and dialogue. It once again reveals the true nature of NATO as "a relic of the Cold War" to the world.
To date, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for nearly two and a half years. The international community has become increasingly calm and rational in its reflection on the cause of the tragedy. More and more people have realized that the continuous eastward expansion of the US-led NATO to squeeze the security space of Russia is the root cause of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. From a geopolitical perspective, the US incited the conflict with an aim to weaken Russia and keep Europe firmly in its grasp. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US and some other Western countries continued to fuel the fire by providing military aid to Ukraine and imposing various sanctions on Russia. But instead of crushing Russia, it has bogged Ukraine down in a prolonged war and caused Europe to pay a high price in political, economic, and security fields.
The American Conservative magazine once published an article titled "Washington Will Fight Russia to the Last Ukrainian." At least for now, it appears that the US still has no intention of backing down in pursuit of its hegemonic interests. In late May, NATO announced that it would continue to provide Ukraine with at least 40 billion euros a year in military aid to ensure long-term support for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. At the summit, NATO announced that it would provide Ukraine with five Patriot and SAMP-T strategic air defense systems, as well as dozens of tactical air defense systems in the near future. Many commentators believe that NATO is preparing to perpetuate the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a "war of attrition."
To shirk responsibility for its role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO has resorted to ignominious tactics of fabricating false narratives in an attempt to scapegoat China. Before the summit, NATO frequently criticized and threatened China, tarnished the normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia, and slandered China for providing military support to Russia. Some Western politicians even claimed that the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict lay in the hands of China. But the truth is that the US and some other Western countries failed to provide any substantial evidence. Even the head of US military forces admitted that China did not provide any military assistance to Russia in the conflict.
Some analysts suggest that the US and some other Western countries view Russia as the gravest immediate threat. By linking China with Russia, they aim to smear China in the international public opinion, shirk responsibility for the war, and further sow discord between China and Europe and undermine China-Europe cooperation. Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, said that NATO, under the control of the US, is linking China with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and exaggerating the so-called "China threat" as a pretext for its foray into the Asia-Pacific.
However, it cannot cover up its responsibility by trying to pass the buck to China. As we all know, China is neither the creator nor a party directly related to the Ukraine crisis. China's core position on the Ukraine crisis is to strive for peace talks and seek a political settlement, which has received broad recognition and praise from the international community. Since last year, the Chinese government has dispatched its Special Representative on Eurasian Affairs three times for shuttle diplomacy to promote peace talks. In May this year, China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point consensus on their common understandings of the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis in Beijing. The principles of "no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party" have received positive responses from more than 100 countries so far. China supports and encourages all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and is willing to play a constructive and responsible role in ending the crisis as soon as possible.
As a Chinese saying goes, "The one who tied a knot should be the one that undoes it." As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, who is fueling the flames, who is fanning the fire, and who is seeking personal gain? The international community knows all clearly. As the instigators, Washington and its NATO allies should reflect on themselves, stop shifting the blame on others, and take concrete actions to deescalate the situation. As China has expressed, only when all major powers exert positive rather than negative influence can there be an early dawn of ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Editor's note: Originally published on cri.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
