China’s ‘coercive’ behavior threatens int’l order: Nato

Brussels, Jun 14 (EFE).- China’s “coercive” policies contravene Nato’s values and Beijing must adhere to international norms, the leaders of the transatlantic alliance said in a joint statement at the end of a summit in Brussels Monday.

China’s growing global influence was high on the agenda for the summit, the first attended by the US President Joe Biden, who was eager to emphasize the importance of the organization for US interests.

In a joint statement, the alliance said: “China’s stated ambitions and assertive behavior present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order.”

Nato said it was “concerned by those coercive policies” which are fundamentally opposed to those enshrined in its founding treaty.

“We remain concerned with China’s frequent lack of transparency and use of disinformation,” the statement continued.

Nato leaders said they would continue to uphold “constructive” dialogue with Beijing where possible, especially when it comes to tackling shared issues such as climate change.

“Reciprocal transparency and understanding would benefit both Nato and China.”

As the summit kicked off, secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg reiterated the Allies’ commitment to dialogue with China.

“We are not entering a new cold war and China is not our adversary, not our enemy, but we need to address together as an Alliance the challenges that China poses to our security,” Stoltenberg said.

“China’s military build-up, growing influence and coercive behavior poses some challenges,” he added.