China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs sparks controversy with dig at NATO

China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian has sparked controversy with a tweet in which he took a  dig at NATO.

China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, took to Twitter on Tuesday, 3, May, posting a controversial tweet in which he showed a map of NATO’s expansion from 1990 until 2019.

“Not an inch of #NATO’s present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastern direction.” —Memorandum of conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and James Baker in Moscow, 9 Feb 9 1990″ read the tweet posted by China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian.

“Not an inch of #NATO’s present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastern direction.”
—Memorandum of conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and James Baker in Moscow, 9 Feb 9 1990 pic.twitter.com/2dNqJkN2gs

— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) May 3, 2022

Credit: Twitter @zlj517

The responses that China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs received on Twitter were varied:

“A conversation, not a legally binding contract. Speaking of which, why did Russia break their contract which stated they wouldn’t attack Ukraine if Ukraine denuclearized? They gave up the warheads, and still got attacked. Anything to say about that?” responded one user, keen to defend NATO from the dig,

“I know Chinese cannot comprehend it but each country decides for itself and makes its own independent choices – if it wants to join NATO, then it’s none of ruSSian or chineSSe business. People prefer freedom instead of slavery and that’s why in the long run you’ll lose with West” posted another user .

“No alliance will save anyone if things go nuclear. Getting more neighbors to become anti-Russian is pure escalation of this crisis Some people here have kindergarten understanding of things I swear… Countries are free to choose alliances, but then get ready to face consequences.They are concerned about their safety, we are concerned about ours. Expanding hostile alliance across our border is an act of aggression on its own. Again, it’s not a kindergarten, there are other kinds of aggression besides physical” posted another user.

China’s Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs, 49-year-old Zhao Lijian, is the 31st person to take on the role since it was first established in 1983, joining the foreign service in 1996 and serving mostly in Asia.

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