China defence minister warns against ‘NATO-like’ alliances in Asia-Pacific

China’s defence minister warned against establishing “NATO-like” military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region on Sunday, saying they would plunge the region into a “whirlpool” of conflict.

“In essence, attempts to push for NATO-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific is a way of kidnapping regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and confrontations, which will only plunge the Asia-Pacific into a whirlpool of disputes and conflicts,” Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.