In an interview with Ryan Heath of Politico on Wednesday, Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said the Organization seeks “more cooperation with China, not less.” The interview was released as a half-hour podcast under Politico’s ‘Global Insider’ section.
“We don’t regard China as an adversary or an enemy. We need to engage with China on important issues such as climate change—there’s no way to reduce emissions enough in the world without including China. We need to discuss arms control with China. So, we need to engage politically with China,” Stoltenberg said.
He added: “We see the rise of China. We see that China will soon have the biggest economy in the world. They already have the second-largest defence budget. They have the largest navy already. They are investing heavily in new modern capabilities, including nuclear capabilities. They are leading in using many new disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and integrating that into new, very advanced weapons systems. And we see a much more assertive China, for instance, in the South China Sea. All of this matters for our security, and therefore NATO has to respond to that.”
Furthermore, Stoltenberg talked about NATO’s awareness of China’s rapid military and economic stronghold and how it has transformed the Organization’s approach towards China into one that is collaborative rather than competitive. “All of this matters for our security. And therefore, NATO has to respond to that,” he said.
At the same time, he said NATO is seeking to cooperate with China to maintain the arms control agreements that have been flouted over the last couple of years, “mainly because of violations by Russia.” Additionally, he emphasised the significance of Chinese involvement in arms control. “Of course, China has to be included because China is a global power and with a global role also comes global responsibilities. Therefore, we [NATO] are working to find ways to include China in arms control,” Stoltenberg noted.
“NATO is the most successful alliance in history because we have been able to change when the world is changing, constantly adapting. And that’s what we do now,” the Secretary-General concluded.
Reflecting on the podcast, interviewer Heath suggested that Stoltenberg had conveyed NATO’s plan “to stay one step ahead of China’s advances.”
Last week, Stoltenberg held a virtual meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi to discuss NATO-China relations, ongoing international security challenges, and climate change. According to a statement put out by the Organization, Stoltenberg called on China to uphold its international commitments and act responsibly, and raised NATO’s concerns about “China’s coercive policies, expanding nuclear arsenal and lack of transparency on its military modernisation.”
The duo also discussed the Afghanistan crisis and the significance of an internationally coordinated approach in holding the Taliban accountable to their commitments, ensuring that they restore peace within the country and combat a terrorist resurgence. Stoltenberg stressed that “reciprocal transparency and dialogue on arms control would benefit both NATO and China.”
Like the Politico podcast, in this meeting too, Stoltenberg clarified NATO’s perception of China as not an enemy.
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg Calls for “More Cooperation With China, Not Less”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday spoke to Politico’s Ryan Heath on a range of topics including NATO’s goal of bridging the gap with China.
October 7, 2021
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. SOURCE: WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES