China's growing dominance poses challenge to security of NATO nations

Brussels: – NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that increasing Chinese domination is becoming a major threat to the security of NATO countries. A report, NATO 2030, will be released on Tuesday and this warning issued by the NATO Chief, against this background, becomes significant. Sources inform that the NATO report also notes the Chinese threat and recommends that an aggressive stance is necessary. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the US representative in NATO, also pointed to the Chinese threat saying that China is taking rapid steps in the trade and space sectors.

China is making massive investments in new and advanced weapon systems. This country has started showing its presence near the borders of the NATO countries, from the Arctic to Africa. China is also investing heavily in the infrastructure and other sensitive sectors. It must be remembered that while doing this, China does not respect human rights as well as the values of the NATO countries. China consistently resorts to threatening other countries. NATO Chief Stoltenberg warned that the NATO countries should counter the Chinese threat as a front, as partner countries in NATO and at the same time, like-minded countries.

Along with Stoltenberg, US envoy to NATO, Hutchison, also pointed to the Chinese threat. The US envoy warned that China is trying to dominate with warships, submarines and other advanced systems. At the same time, Hutchison claimed that the Chinese military is making massive moves, even in the space sector. The US envoy also reminded that in the economic sector, China is implementing predatory policies and, on that strength, China has taken over many ports and other properties in Europe. US envoy Hutchison also accused that China is trying to prevent free movement of other countries, even in the marine regions.

Against the background of the trade war and Coronavirus pandemic, the United States has sharpened the edge of its diplomatic conflict against China. The United States has started moves to form a front on the global level for this purpose. A few months ago, senior US officials had even indicated forming a front on the lines of NATO, in the Indo-Pacific region, to stop China. The United States is making consistent efforts to make the European countries, that are members of NATO, to take an aggressive stand against China. The NATO leadership also has started taking cognisance of this, and in the last two months, NATO Chief Stoltenberg has been consistently issuing warnings regarding the Chinese threat.

In September, Stoltenberg had said that NATO should adopt a firm stand regarding China, pointing out that China is the second-highest defence spender on the international level, during a function organised by the think tank, Centre for European Policy Analysis. While, in October, Stoltenberg had said during a meeting that the balance of the global power struggle is changing with the emergence of China, and NATO must take cognisance of this new scenario.