NATO heads of state gathered in Washington last week for the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit. While summit deliverables were predictable, China had a surprisingly central role in summit deliberations.
The Asian superpower was a top agenda item for NATO, increasingly called out for any number of perceived sins, including the People’s Liberation Army’s bellicose behavior in the East China Sea and South China Sea, its strategic partnership with Russia and attempts to undermine the so-called rules-based international order.
“The People’s Republic of China’s stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values,” NATO stressed in its joint communique.
NATO’s invitation to the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) grouping of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea for a third consecutive year demonstrated the organization’s intent to increase coordination and collaboration with Asian powers on China.
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