NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Europe and North American allies are well positioned to work together to address the rise and challenges of China if NATO stands united.
Stoltenberg made several references to the Chinese challenge while attending a forum with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Blinken on Tuesday (March 23, 2021).
He said, “If you’re worried about China, which will soon be the world’s largest economy, but the NATO allies together, we have 50 percent of the world’s economy and half of the world’s military power. Together, we can really mobilize to form a huge amount of innovation and technology to deal with the implications and challenges of China’s rise.”
Stoltenberg previously proposed the NATO 2030 Initiative, which argues for a NATO alliance that maintains operational strength militarily, is stronger politically and is more proactive in addressing global affairs, including the challenges posed by China’s international policies to transatlantic security and world security.
The NATO 2030 initiative, he said at Tuesday’s forum, “is also about the implications of China’s rise. Many of the topics addressed in the NATO 2030 initiative are relevant to addressing the rise of China, including resilience in the face of threats, including technology, but also partnerships with conceptually equivalent countries.”
The NATO leaders’ NATO 2030 Initiative coincides with the Biden administration’s emphasis on working with allies to address China’s challenges.
Before Blinken’s departure, Philip Reeker, acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, said the secretary’s visit to NATO “is an opportunity for the secretary of state to discuss the NATO 2030 initiative with the foreign ministers.”
After meeting with NATO leaders and a number of foreign ministers from NATO allies on Tuesday, Blinken met with European Union leaders on Wednesday to discuss topics including economic recovery efforts in response to the new crown pandemic and addressing global challenges such as China, Russia and Iran.
In his first foreign trip since becoming secretary of state, Blinken visited Tokyo and Seoul last week to meet with diplomatic and defense officials from Japan and South Korea, U.S. allies in Asia, along with Defense Secretary Austin, and received public support from Japan and a positive response from South Korea in working together to address the Chinese threat.
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