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NATO leaders are expected to describe China as a security risk to the Western alliance on Monday, a day after the Group of Seven rich nations issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing said slandered them.
With allied leaders raising concerns about Russia’s recent military buildup near Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described the summit, which will be attended by first Joe Biden as US president, as a “pivotal moment”.
In a notable change of tone for his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden on Sunday called NATO a “sacred commitment.”
Arriving at the one-day summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg said China’s growing military presence from the Baltic states to Africa means NATO must be prepared to stand up for Western security and democratic values.
“China is getting close to us. We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing heavily in our critical infrastructure,” he said, referring to ports and communications networks.
“We need to respond together as an alliance.”
Diplomats said the NATO summit closing statement would not describe China as an enemy – and Stoltenberg said China is not – but it would show concern, calling it a “systematic” challenge to Atlantic security as it joins Russia in military exercises, launches cyberattacks and rapidly builds up its naval fleet.
The Group of Seven nations that met in Britain at the weekend criticized China over human rights in Xinjiang, called on Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full investigation into the origins of the coronavirus in China.
China’s embassy in London said it was resolutely opposed to the references to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which it said distorted facts and revealed the “evil intentions of some countries such as the United States.”
Given the threats, envoys said, leaders hope to hear Biden renew the US commitment to NATO’s collective defense after Trump’s confrontational remarks to allies from 2017 to 2019 at summits created an impression of crisis.
“China’s reputation should not be slandered,” the embassy said on Monday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, arriving at the summit, said there were risks and rewards with Beijing.
“When it comes to China, I don’t think anyone around the table wants to slide into a new Cold War with China,” he said. “But I think people see the challenges, they see the things we have to manage together, but they also see the opportunities.”
Deep economic ties
Since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO has modernized its defenses but only recently has it begun to consider any potential threat from Chinese ambitions more seriously.
From Chinese investments in European ports and plans to establish military bases in Africa to joint military exercises with Russia, NATO has now agreed that Beijing’s rise deserves a strong response.
But members are aware of their economic ties to China. German trade with China in 2020 totaled more than 212 billion euros ($256.82 billion), according to German government data, making Beijing the number one trading partner in goods.
Chinese holdings of US Treasuries as of March 2021 totaled $1.1 trillion, according to US data, and US trade with China in 2020 totaled $559.2 billion.
In the meantime, diplomats said, Russia’s efforts to divide the West will be subject to discussions, ahead of a meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in Geneva.
China’s embassy in London said it was resolutely opposed to the references to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which it said distorted facts and revealed the “evil intentions of some countries such as the United States”.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Russia was trying to “swallow” Belarus and that NATO needed unity to deter Moscow.
“Belarus is losing the last elements of independence, and these trends are very dangerous,” Nosida said upon arrival.
Given the threats, the envoys said, leaders hope to hear Biden renew the US commitment to NATO’s collective defense after Trump’s 2017-2019 allies’ confrontational remarks at summits created the impression of a crisis.
Leaders are also set to commit to reducing the climate impact of NATO militaries, and lowering the level of any retaliation for cyberattacks. Space, Afghanistan and political reforms to make NATO more responsive in a multipolar world are on the agenda.
“We believe that NATO is vital to our ability to maintain American security and I want them to know that NATO is a sacred obligation,” Biden said on Sunday before heading to Brussels.
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