Daily US Times: Leaders of Nato countries have warned of the military threat posed by China, saying its behavior is a “systemic challenge”. They were warned in a meeting in Brussels.
They said, China was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, was co-operating militarily with Russia and was “opaque” about its military modernisation.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato chief, warned China was “coming closer” to Nato in military and technological terms.
But the Nato Chief stressed the alliance did not want a new Cold War with China, though it became a military threat.
Nato is a powerful military and political alliance between 30 European and North American countries. The group was established after World War Two in response to the threat of communist expansion.
The Nato summit in Brussels is Joe Biden’s first Nato meeting since taking office, and Mr Biden has sought to reassert American backing for the 72-year-old alliance.
The US president said Nato was critically important for “US interests” and the alliance had a “sacred obligation” to observe Article 5 of the group’s founding treaty, which commits members to defend each other from attack.
Asked about his forthcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on Wednesday, Mr Biden described the Russian president as a “worthy adversary”.
Nato leaders, in another development, also agreed to pay to keep Kabul airport running in Afghanistan, as the US and its allies withdraw troops from the country.
Alliance member Turkey has offered to operate and guard the airport after troops leave.
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