Ahead of the summit in Madrid, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announces the biggest "general overhaul of the military alliance" since the end of the Cold War. The number of rapid response forces is to be drastically increased. The adoption of a new strategic concept is planned, in which China is to be mentioned for the first time.
By Stephan Israel
The G7 countries want to increase sanctions against Russia and continue to put new proposals on the table. But without China, they are largely ineffective. China will also be on the agenda at the NATO summit in Madrid. For the first time, the People's Republic will play a role in the defense alliance's Strategic Concept.
By Felix Lee
While the West sharply criticizes China and Russia, the majority of Asian countries do not want to be drawn to either side in the power triangle between Russia, China and the West. This became evident from the joint statements between the United States and Pacific states during Joe Biden's first trip to Asia.
By Frank Sieren
The Western allies keep up the pressure on China at the marathon summit in Brussels: NATO, the G7 and the EU. Beijing is expected to distance itself from Russia – and not provide Moscow with material aid under any circumstances, they say in unison. As usual, Beijing deflects. Only one diplomat hints that relations with Russia could also have their limits.
By Redaktion Table
No breakthrough, but also no further (military) escalation: This result emerged after two days of intensive Franco-German efforts to calm the severe crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
By Eric Bonse
Beijing is also spreading its narratives on Western social media. Especially since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, disinformation campaigns aimed at showing China in a better light have increased on the web. The success, however, has been moderate, as observers note. Nevertheless, they warn of a potential tech dependency of the West.
By Amelie Richter
The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is an alliance of states currently consisting of 30 member states. In addition to numerous European states, the USA and Canada belong to it from the American continent. China is not a member of the alliance. The relationship between NATO and China is therefore on shaky ground. This is because NATO officially regards the People's Republic as a threat due to China's growing influence and international policy. At the 2019 NATO summit, the alliance had still expressed restraint in this regard. This in no way means that NATO considers China an enemy. Nevertheless, the alliance is increasingly concerned about the following points:
China is spending a lot of money on armaments and military;
China's partnership with Russia;
Expansion of telecommunications infrastructure (5G);
Expansion of infrastructure as part of the New Silk Road Initiative;
Influence and leverage through cheap loans and indebtedness of target countries in the "global south."
In the future, therefore, China is to be included in NATO's strategic concept. In the current version of 2010, the People's Republic is not mentioned. Nevertheless, cooperation with China is to be strengthened, especially on issues such as climate change and arms control. From disinformation campaigns to transparency demands and bans to cooperation and coordination - current China-Nato news from Table.Redaktion!
