stan van houcke: NATO General Says West Is Concerned With China-Russia Ties

donderdag 4 februari 2021

NATO General Says West Is Concerned With China-Russia Ties

A recent NATO report called for the alliance to put more focus on China

On Wednesday, the top general of NATO said the US and its Western allies are concerned with the growing cooperation between China and Russia.

Gen. Tod Wolters, who currently serves as the head of US European Command and as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, told reporters that the increased ties between Beijing and Moscow “really does suggest an emergence of a partnership of convenience.”

Welters said the partnership seeks to advance the mutual interests of Russia and China. “And that advancement could be to the detriment of Europe and corresponding and surrounding nations,” he said.

With NATO looking to stay relevant and the US moving to prioritize Asia, the alliance has recently set its eyes on China. At the end of 2020, NATO released a report that called for the alliance to increase its focus on China by furthering cooperation with countries in Asia, like Japan, Australia, and India.

With China and Russia both targets of NATO and the US, the two countries will naturally grow closer. Both countries have also found themselves targeted by US economic sanctions in recent years, another reason for Beijing and Moscow to step up cooperation.