China expressed caution Friday at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's attendance at a NATO summit scheduled for July, saying Tokyo should not do anything that damages mutual trust between regional countries.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing that NATO's eastward foray into the Asia-Pacific "undermines regional peace and stability" and countries in the area "should be on high alert."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning holds a press conference in Beijing on May 26, 2023. (Kyodo)

 

Mao urged Japan to "draw lessons from history and be committed to peaceful development," referring to the neighboring country's past military aggression.

Arrangements are underway for Kishida's participation at the NATO summit in Lithuania. The Japanese leader is also expected to hold bilateral talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the trans-Atlantic alliance's plan to open a liaison office in Tokyo, according to Japanese government sources.


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