China urged NATO to stop exaggerating the “China threat theory” after leaders of the transatlantic alliance warned of the country’s “systemic challenges” to international order.

In a statement posted on Tuesday by China’s Mission to the European Union, the spokesperson stressed that “China will not present ‘systematic challenges’ to anyone, but we will not sit by and do nothing if ‘systematic challenges’ come closer to us.”

NATO’s latest remarks represent “a continuation of the Cold War mentality and bloc politics,” said the spokesperson, who also blasted the alliance for “slandering China’s peaceful development and misjudging the international situation and its own role.”

The statement added that NATO should not exaggerate China’s military power, as the country’s moves to modernize their national defense are “legitimate, open and transparent.”

“We will stand firm in defending our sovereignty, security and development interests,” it continued. “We will follow very closely NATO’s strategic adjustment and its policy adjustment towards China.”

In a summit in Brussels on Monday, NATO leaders said “China’s stated ambitions and assertive behavior present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security.” They also urged China to uphold its international commitments and to act responsibly in the international system, including in the space, cyber, and maritime domains.

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