No NATO liaison office in Tokyo, but its interest in the Indo-Pacific grows
At the Vilnius summit, NATO signed bilateral cooperation agreements with Japan and South Korea. In its declaration, the military alliance criticises China’s “range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint.” For its part, Beijing replied reiterating its strong opposition to “NATO's eastward expansion into the Asia-Pacific” and its “actions that undermine China's legitimate rights and interests.”
Vilnius (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The controversial idea of setting up a liaison office in Tokyo to facilitate coordination between NATO and its Four Asia-Pacific (AP4) partners (Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) was removed from NATO’s summit agenda. Still, NATO’s interest in the Indo-Pacific region to contain Chinese expansionism remains one of it priorities, not to mention a source of great irritation for the Chinese government.
This is, in a nutshell, one of the highlights of the NATO summit underway in Vilnius (Lithuania). Opening a NATO liaison office in Tokyo was set aside given the doubts expressed by France and some other members since it would have raised NATO’s visibility in a region outside its borders.
Shelving such a proposal does not mean that the perception of a "Chinese threat" has gone. In fact, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand were expressly invited to the summit, where each signed agreements for Individually Tailored Partnership Programs, to enhance bilateral cooperation with the Atlantic Alliance.
As South Korean President Yoon noted, the primary areas of collaboration covered by the deal with his country focus on cybersecurity and ways to meet North Korea’s threats.
The agreement signed by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida extends the number of areas of cooperation from nine to 16, including destructive emerging technologies, interoperability between the respective forces and climate change. As to emphasise the relationship with Japan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “No other partner is closer to NATO than Japan.”
China's "containment" in the Indo-Pacific is openly mentioned in the declaration signed by all NATO members at the summit.
“The PRC employs a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint,” it reads. However, its “malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security.”
For NATO, “The PRC seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains. It uses its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence. It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains.”
Instead, member countries “call on the PRC to play a constructive role,” but at the same time, agree to boost “our shared awareness, enhancing our resilience and preparedness, and protecting against the PRC’s coercive tactics and efforts to divide the Alliance.”
The remarks coming from NATO did not go down well in Beijing. A spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union slammed the declaration for its “Cold War mentality and ideological bias.”
It went on to reiterate that “China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security, and development interests and strongly oppose NATO's eastward expansion into the Asia-Pacific. Any actions that undermine China's legitimate rights and interests will be met with resolute countermeasures.”
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