Cartoon by Gou Ben

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit was recently held in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius. NATO's eastward expansion into the Asia-Pacific region was put on the summit’s agenda.

Nikkei Asia reported that NATO had planned to establish a liaison office in Tokyo, but because some member states opposed the idea, NATO deferred the decision until this fall or beyond.

In recent years, NATO has been attempting to expand its reach to the Asia-Pacific region. As a product of its Cold War mentality, NATO's attempt to expand to the Asia-Pacific region undoubtedly causes major risks to the region and even the world.

NATO is urged to quit the outdated Cold War mentality, ditch the wrongdoing of seeking absolute security, and stop sowing chaos in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Instead of making excuses for its military expansion, NATO should play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the world.