NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg revealed during a press conference on Tuesday the alliance’s plans to deepen its cooperation with Asian partners in dealing with the increasing security challenge coming from China.
Beijing, which refuses to condemn Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine, was branded in Stoltenberg’s statement as a systemic challenge to security.
Stating that the current security crisis has global implications, he announced that the bloc will host Asia-Pacific partners – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea – and Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and the EU along with foreign ministers from member states to discuss new strategic concepts.
Those concepts, as it has been explained, will account for the military conflict in Ukraine, but will also- for the first time – include the issue of China’s coercive policies and growing influence on the global stage which pose a systemic challenge to NATO members’ security and to their democracies.
Stoltenberg urged that democracies must stand up for their values against the authoritarian powers, underscoring the fact that Beijing has joined Moscow in questioning the right of nations to choose their own path, expressing hope that the alliance would be able to deepen its cooperation with its Asia-Pacific partners in arms control, cyber, hybrid and technology.
Beijing has been calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict since the start of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine but held off on taking a particular stance on the issue and refused to condemn Moscow’s actions or join the sweeping economic sanctions the West has imposed on Russia.
The US also increased its pressure on China to pick a side over the last few weeks with President Biden warning Beijing of potential repercussions should China choose to back Russia – militarily or by helping circumvent international sanctions- in the Ukraine conflict.
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