Plan to establish a liaison office in Japan? NATO Secretary General Avoids Questions from CCTV Journalists Headquarters | NATO | Secretary General
Starting from the 15th local time, a two-day NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting will be held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. At a press conference held the day before the meeting, Taiwan reporters raised questions to NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg about whether NATO plans to establish a liaison office in Japan, but Stoltenberg avoided discussing them.
CCTV reporter Zheng Zhi
Question from CCTV reporter. Mr. Secretary General, according to multiple media reports, there are currently differences among NATO allies regarding the plan to establish a liaison office in Japan. Can you provide more information?
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NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg
NATO is an alliance of North American and European countries, and it will continue to maintain such an alliance. Making NATO globalize and expanding its presence in the Asian region is not a concern for us.
CCTV reporter Zheng Zhi
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NATO has always emphasized that it is a defensive and regional organization that does not seek geographical expansion. So does NATO's potential presence in the Asian region indicate a shift in its defensive nature, which it regards as its core? The situation we have observed in Europe is that NATO's continued expansion has not brought stability to the European continent. If NATO expands to Asia, how can you ensure that similar consequences do not occur in Asia?
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg
NATO is a defensive organization that will continue to operate within the framework of North America and Europe, but NATO believes that strengthening cooperation with partners in the Asia Pacific region is of great value.
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CCTV reporter Zheng Zhi
At the just concluded press conference, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg did not directly answer multiple questions I raised about NATO's attempt to enter the Asia Pacific region eastward. He remains a clich é, repeatedly emphasizing that NATO is a regional and defensive organization. However, Stoltenberg's argument is clearly untenable. It is precisely under the leadership of the United States that NATO continues to expand eastward, ultimately undermining peace and stability on the European continent. Therefore, there is no reason why Asian parties should remain highly vigilant about NATO's continuous attempts to extend its reach to the Asia Pacific region.