NATO to call out China’s behaviour as ‘systemic challenge
NATO is expected to formally call out China’s behaviour as a “systemic challenge” in its final summit statement, a first for the alliance historically focused on Russia.
Leaders of the Western military alliance meeting in Brussels on Monday, including US President Joe Biden, will condemn China for rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, its opaqueness in modernising its forces and its military cooperation with Russia, according to the document seen by Reuters.
They are expected to brand China a security risk at the critical summit, Biden’s first since winning the election last year.
NATO is expected to formally call out China’s behaviour as a “systemic challenge” in its final summit statement, a first for the alliance historically focused on Russia.
Leaders of the Western military alliance meeting in Brussels on Monday, including US President Joe Biden, will condemn China for rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, its opaqueness in modernising its forces and its military cooperation with Russia, according to the document seen by Reuters.
They are expected to brand China a security risk at the critical summit, Biden’s first since winning the election last year.
‘The rise of China’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said NATO, of which the United Kingdom is a member, did not want a new cold war with China but said Beijing posed challenges for the alliance.
“I think people see challenges, they see things that we have to manage together, but they also see opportunities,” he said as he arrived at Monday’s meeting.
China has consistently dismissed mounting Western criticism.
The G7’s conclusions included “baseless accusations”, China’s embassy in London said on Monday.
“Stop slandering China, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop harming China’s interests,” a spokesman said.
“Stop slandering China, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop harming China’s interests,” a spokesman said.
As he launched Monday’s meeting, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters: “China is not our adversary, not our enemy. But we need to address together as an alliance the challenges that the rise of China poses to our security.
“China is coming closer to us. We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing heavily in our own critical infrastructure.”
‘Dual-track approach’ to Russia
Stoltenberg said NATO leaders also want to reaffirm the alliance’s “dual-track approach” to Russia involving military deterrence, including the deployment of alliance troops in the Baltic countries and Poland, and dialogue.
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