On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the “China threat” in a press conference, a day before the NATO foreign ministers meeting. A “systemic challenge” to the security and democracy of NATO is posed by China’s “coercive policies on the global stage,” he said.
He said that for the first time, China’s growing influence will be taken into account in NATO’s next Strategic Concept. “Asia-Pacific partners,” he added, will be a priority for the EU.
The United States’ strategic intent was made clear by Stoltenberg’s remarks. It was only after announcing the Indo-Pacific Strategy that the United States began to realize its own incapacity, and in particular that the Western Pacific region’s allies were unable to support its ambitions.
Hatchet men, or more hands, are needed. As a result, the United States hopes to include NATO in its Indo-Pacific strategy.
Despite the Ukraine conflict, as evidenced by the aforementioned NATO developments, the United States remains focused on China. That’s because after successfully mobilizing its allies and Ukraine to fight Russia, as well as enticing allies and partners to besiege Russia’s economy, it’s highly likely that Washington would prefer to focus its attention on China.
NATO is trying to strengthen unity to better coordinate with U.S. military strategy by creating enemies by labeling other countries as dangerous. Beijing-based military expert Wei Dongxu, on the other hand, believes that not all NATO members will blindly follow the United States.
In an effort to make NATO’s common enemy out of Washington’s rival, some NATO members with close ties to China are clearly at odds with Washington’s strategy of military confrontation with China.
“NATO is already deeply divided. ” Making enemies outside the organization will only give the appearance of unity for a short time and will do nothing to heal the rifts that exist within it.
U.S military strategies and strategic proposals have been viewed with suspicion by some European countries because of the AUKUS agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, Wei said.
U.S. moves to set up “small circles” in recent years have helped countries see NATO as a tool of the United States. Most countries find the US and its allies’ military provocation in the Indo-Pacific region repugnant.
Some existing regional hotspots may be exacerbated, and more countries are likely to raise objections if the US and its allies have more aggressive intentions there.
According to Wei, China should improve its ties with its neighbors while also beefing up its own military capabilities and defenses. As a nation, China must be able and confident in its ability to respond to any external provocation or interference, especially those that threaten China’s core interests.
China’s policy toward the United States has evolved into one of increasing pressure on the country. China must be able to withstand the pressure and develop new ways to counter the United States’ influence.
There have been numerous strategic traps sprung by the United States for China. However, China will not follow the lead of the United States, as noted by Wei. China will respond to the extent of damage caused by US and NATO military actions in the Indo-Pacific region by taking appropriate precautions and countermeasures.
NATO was promised by the United States in the early 1990s that it would not move east even an inch. However, since 1999, the United States-led NATO has expanded its eastern borders five times. Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine are believed to be caused by these expansions.
Even the so-called rules-based international order has been violated time and time again by the United States and its allies in NATO. A regional cooperation mechanism could help China build better relations with Southeast Asian countries and raise awareness about the dangers of the US and its allies’ military presence there, according to Wei.