NATO should abandon its Cold War mentality, adjust its perception of China, and stop hyping the ‘China threat,’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing on Thursday.

Mao Ning was asked to comment on statements made during the recent NATO summit regarding China-related security issues in the context of technology, military activity, and its relations with Russia.

“NATO presents itself as a regional defensive alliance with clearly defined responsibilities and geographic boundaries, and it should stop using China as a pretext at every opportunity,” Mao Ning said.

She stressed that “China has always been a force for promoting peace around the world, has never threatened any country, and even less so poses security challenges to the Euro-Atlantic region.”

“NATO should abandon its Cold War mentality, adjust its perception of China, and stop hyping the ‘China threat,’” the diplomat noted.

The NATO summit was held in Ankara on July 7–8.