Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says alliance needs to address the rise of China
- Partners must be concerned with ‘the fact that China is coming closer to us’
- Stoltenberg talks about increased Nato presence in the Arctic and Africa
Nato needs to understand the implications of China’s growing power around the world, including those areas that may challenge members of the North Atlantic security body, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
China’s increasing assertiveness, including its presence in the South China Sea, had raised concerns about its intentions, and the United States had called on Nato to recognise and adapt to emerging threats, including China, he said.
“This is not about moving Nato into the Pacific, but this is about responding to the fact that China is coming closer to us,” Stoltenberg said in an interview in Sydney.
Stoltenberg said it was about “investing heavily in critical infrastructure in Europe, increased presence in the Arctic and also increased presence in Africa, and in cyberspace”.
“So, all of this makes it important for Nato to address the rise of China, and we do that not least by working closely with our partners in this region – Australia, New Zealand, but also Japan and South Korea,” he said.