OREANDA-NEWS. China will follow a peaceful path of development and interact with the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) on an equal basis of mutual respect. This was announced on Thursday by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Hua Chunying.

"The strength of China is constantly growing, but we will firmly follow the peaceful path of development. The most important thing is to cooperate on an equal footing, adhering to the principles of mutual respect. We noticed that among NATO members there are many who do not consider China to be the enemy, as can be seen from their objective and rational statements", she said at a regular briefing.

As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference following the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in London on Wednesday, NATO heads of state and government called on China to participate in arms control agreements that could be concluded in the future. Earlier, NATO defense ministers at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday looked into the near future, discussing the requirements for telecommunication systems in peacetime and in conflict.