“What happens in Europe has implications for East Asia, and what happens in East Asia has implications for Europe”,
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of NATO's close cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, saying that Europe cannot ignore what is happening in East Asia, as global security is interconnected, reports Reuters.
“Cooperation with partners around the world, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, is part of the response to a more dangerous and unpredictable world,” Stoltenberg said at an event organized by Keio University.
War in Ukraine demonstrates the interconnectedness of security issues. It demonstrates that what happens in Europe has implications for East Asia, and what happens in East Asia matters for Europe.” he said, adding that “the idea that China doesn't matter to NATO doesn't work.”
Stoltenberg made the comments during a visit to Japan, during which he pledged to strengthen ties with Tokyo to address the increasingly tense security environment caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its increased military cooperation with China.
Despite while he said China was not an adversary, the NATO chief said the country was becoming an “increasingly authoritarian state” that was exhibiting assertive behavior, threatening Taiwan and developing military capabilities that could also reach NATO countries.
“We are more than ready to further strengthen and expand partnership with the countries of this region,” he added.
Before his stop in Japan, Stoltenberg visited South Korea and called on Seoul to increase military support for Ukraine, giving similar warning of rising tensions with China.
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China has criticized NATO's efforts to expand its alliances in Asia. Russia, which calls its invasion of Ukraine a “special operation”, has repeatedly viewed NATO expansion as a threat to its security.
