China paper slams West’s ‘Cold War mentality’

China’s top paper, the People’s Daily, has lambasted the West for being stuck in a “Cold War mentality” against Russia.

On Thursday, the daily staged the strongest reaction so far in China to the rift between the West and Russia over the political state of affairs in Ukraine.

“The theories related to politics, economics and security during the Cold War period are still influencing many people on their concept of the world, and some Western people are still imbued with resentment towards Russia,” the daily wrote in a commentary.

It called on Western countries to “abandon their outdated thinking” and expand cooperation.

“Ridding the shackles of the Cold War mentality will reduce unnecessary confrontation, thereby allowing for a smoother transition in international relations.”

State news agency Xinhua said in December that Western powers should stop meddling in Ukraine’s affairs and quit manipulating the “opinions of the people” about a trade pact with the European Union.

Anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine after the country’s former President Viktor Yanukovych refrained from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union on November 29, 2013.

On February 23, the Ukrainian parliament ousted Yanukovych and named Oleksandr Turchynov, the legislature’s newly-elected speaker, as interim president.

Russia has questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s new government, saying the current authorities have come to power as a result of an “armed mutiny.”

“The legitimacy of a whole number of organs of power that function there raises great doubts,” local news agencies quoted Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as saying on Monday.

The Russian premier denounced the Western countries’ decision to accept the Ukrainian new authorities as a mistake and an “aberration of consciousness.”