Nato leaders declare China is now global security challenge

Brussels, June 14: Nato leaders on Monday said China poses a major security challenge and is working to undermine global order, and said they’re worried how fast the Chinese are developing nuclear missiles.

In a summit statement, the leaders said China’s goals and “assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security”. While the 30 heads of state/government avoided calling China a rival, they voiced concern at what they said were its “coercive policies”, the opaque ways it is modernising its armed forces and its use of disinformation.

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden stepped up efforts to rally his allies to speak in a more unified voice on China’s human rights record, its trade practices and its increasingly assertive behaviour that has unnerved US allies in the Indo-Pacific

They called on Beijing to uphold its international commitments and to act responsibly in the global system. The statement comes as US President Joe Biden stepped up efforts to rally his allies to speak in a more unified voice on China’s human rights record, its trade practices and its increasingly assertive behaviour that has unnerved US allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Biden, who arrived at the summit after three days of consulting with G-7 leaders in England, pushed for the G-7 communique there that called out what it said were forced labour practices and other human rights violations impacting Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang province. The President said he was satisfied with the communique, although differences remain among the allies about how forcefully to criticise Beijing.

The new Brussels communique says plainly that Nato “will engage China with a view to defending the security interests of the alliance”.