Why does NATO play up China’s “strategic threat”?
Recently, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg claimed in an interview with the Financial Times that China has already had an impact on European security through cyber capabilities, new technologies, and long-range missiles. He said that the new NATO concept for the next ten years will “exhaustly” deal with the issue of how to protect NATO allies from “security threats” brought about by China’s rise. According to reports, NATO will adopt a new strategic vision at the summit next summer to outline NATO’s goals for the next 10 years. In recent years, some NATO member states have begun to send warships and planes to activities around China. As pointed out in an article published by the National University of Singapore Institute of Asia, Ma Kaishuo on the website of The Straits Times, NATO hopes to extend its “tentacles” from the Atlantic to the Pacific. All of us living near the Pacific, especially East Asians, should express this deeply. focus on.
Significant change in China strategy
“NATO will incorporate’responding to the rise of China’ into a new strategic concept.” The British “Financial Times” recently interviewed NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg and reported on this topic. Stoltenberg said that responding to the “security threats” caused by China’s rise will be an important part of NATO’s future existence. This marks a major reflection of the alliance’s own goals and a shift in the US geostrategic focus to Asia. reflect. Jones, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, said that Stoltenberg publicly described China’s “expanding strategic threat” in this potential confrontational way, which means a major change in NATO’s internal strategy for China.
At the NATO Leaders Summit held in London in December 2019, China was mentioned for the first time in the communiqué and statement issued. Although U.S. officials tried their best to lobby and pressure European countries to designate China as a “threat”, the NATO summit held at that time did not position China as a “threat” in the “London Declaration”, but pointed out that China’s rise is a threat to NATO. Words bring both opportunities and challenges. However, the NATO summit communiqué in June this year carried out various groundless accusations against China, claiming that China poses a “systematic challenge” to the “rule-based international order” and areas related to NATO’s security.
“This change in NATO reflects that NATO is paying more and more attention to the rise of China, and its attitude is getting tougher.” Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in an interview with this newspaper, The rise of emerging countries represented by China is changing the balance of power in the world and changing the dominance of Western countries. On the other hand, after U.S. President Biden came to power, he promoted values diplomacy, committed to strengthening the US-Europe military alliance and improving the transatlantic Relations have promoted the transformation of NATO. In recent years, some European countries have followed the United States on Xinjiang-related, Hong Kong-related and even Taiwan issues, and have criticized China on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and even Taiwan. This has led to some NATO member states becoming tough on China issues. Ge, the United States holds the authority to appoint NATO Secretary-General, and his pro-American statement is not difficult to understand.”
Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies of Fudan University, told this reporter: “The change in NATO’s attitude towards China is due to the fact that NATO’s position towards China has turned into a “competitor” and that it also reflects Europe’s Attention.”
Forced to stay in line with the U.S.
The “Financial Times” specifically mentioned that NATO’s new attention to China comes at a time when the geopolitical direction of the United States is shifting from Europe to conflict with China. According to the Russian Satellite Network, at the NATO ministerial meeting held not long ago, US Secretary of Defense Austin declared that the Pentagon had regarded NATO as “a trump card against China.”
After ending the 20-year war in Afghanistan, NATO is looking for a new direction. “Voice of America” believes that NATO’s strategic center will be shifted to China, bringing the organization’s position with the United States closer, and expanding the space for cooperation between the two sides to respond to the “Chinese threat.”
“It is not surprising that NATO is on the side of the United States. NATO currently has 30 member states and has been the main pillar of European defense since the end of World War II. However, the organization has been dominated by the United States for a long time, and NATO’s military command is practical. The upper hand is in the hands of the United States. The United States and other NATO member states have common interests that need to be safeguarded in terms of values and security and defense. In addition, after the end of the Cold War, NATO once lost its direction, its internal cohesion has declined, and it faces transformation requirements. Under the background of the United States deliberately exaggerating the so-called “China threat theory”, NATO has found a new external “enemy”. Under the vigorous promotion of the United States, NATO’s radius of activity has changed from Europe during the Cold War to the world, and NATO has gradually changed. Evolve into a global military and political alliance.” Yuan Zheng said.
“In recent years, some European countries have repeatedly emphasized the realization of European strategic autonomy and made certain efforts. However, European military defense is still subject to the United States.” In addition, Ding Chun also pointed out, “After Biden came to power, he vigorously promoted that the United States is back. ‘, dedicated to wooing European allies, which produced a certain effect.”
Centrifugal tendency is getting stronger
“NATO is not monolithic, and there are differences within European member states.” Ding Chun said, “French President Macron publicly stated in 2018 that a’real European army’ should be established to protect Europe. After that, he also pointed out that’NATO is experiencing brain death. ‘, we can no longer rely on the United States to defend Europe. The war in Afghanistan ended dismal, and the United States stabbed France in the submarine project, which intensified the internal conflicts in NATO. Europe’s “strategic independence” and the formation of a joint European Union force have revived.”
The Russian satellite network recently quoted the US “Defense News” as a report that the US is trying to draw NATO’s attention to confrontation with China. Eastern European countries are uneasy about this. They call on the United States not to forget the “Russian threat” and increase its military deployment in Eastern Europe. According to the website of “Russia Today” TV station, French Defense Minister Florence Pali also reminded that NATO’s main task is not to confront China, but to maintain transatlantic security. The website also published an article by a Turkish expert that analyzed NATO’s situation in detail, and clearly pointed out that following the United States to deal with China will only have endless disadvantages. The article pointed out that the rise of China has made the United States feel threatened. This is a concern for its own hegemony, but the rise of China has not violated the interests of other NATO members. Moreover, more and more European countries realize that Europe is too dependent on the United States, and the United States is not a trustworthy hegemon. What’s more, cooperation with China can take China’s fast-developing economic express and achieve win-win results.
“Actually, the statement of the NATO Secretary-General is inherently contradictory. On the one hand, he said that NATO regards China as a’threat’, and on the other hand, he said that NATO’does not consider China as an enemy or adversary.'” Yuan Zheng pointed out, “from From a geopolitical point of view, Europeans have always regarded Russia as their main adversary, not China. Moreover, despite differences in value concepts between China and Europe, there is a lot of room for cooperation between China and Europe, from economic interests to global governance. China is currently The EU’s largest trading partner, many countries are willing to develop relations with China in a pragmatic spirit. In short, Europe and the United States highly agree on values and systems, but there are subtle differences between Europe and the United States on the issue of China. Although there have been some twists and turns in China-EU relations. However, in the long run, China-EU relations still have room for development.”
.