For the first time since the establishment of NATO in 1949, leaders from the 32 member countries gathered in Washington D.C., and publicly criticized China on July 10. NATO also criticized North Korea and Iran for their support of Russia, accusing them of inciting international security concerns.
During their meeting in Washington D.C. from June 9-11, NATO leaders released a joint statement on the 10th via the NATO website. The statement addressed countries supporting Russia militarily and economically while condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The NATO leaders pointed out, “China’s ambitions and aggressive policies do not align with NATO’s interests, security, and values.” They further stated, “The strategic partnership between China and Russia and their efforts to strengthen it undermine the rules-based international order and raise serious concerns.”
The New York Times (NYT) reported that this is the first time NATO, publicly criticized China. Although NATO had expressed its concerns about China in 2019, it had not directly to the country until now.
China, which started a trade war with the U.S. in 2018, has closely aligned with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared “unlimited” cooperation between China and Russia just before invading Ukraine in February 2022 during his visit to Beijing for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Throughout the war in Ukraine, China imported oil from Russia and exported electronic devices and other goods that Russia could not obtain due to sanctions. China has claimed it did not export military supplies while exporting goods. In May, Putin visited China to showcase their close relationship.
In the statement on the 10th, NATO criticized China’s support to the Russian military industry, stating, “China, claiming a so-called unlimited cooperative relationship with Russia, has provided significant support to the Russian military industry and has become a decisive contributor to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” They urged China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to cease its material and political support for Russia’s war effort.
The leaders stated, “China is consistently and systematically challenging European-Atlantic security,” and confirmed China’s persistent and malicious activities, including misinformation in cyberspace. They urged China to fulfill its promise to act responsibly in cyberspace. The NATO leaders also expressed their openness to a constructive relationship with China.
After the NATO statement, the Chinese delegation to the European Union (EU) released a position statement on their website on the 11th. They claimed, “NATO’s ‘Washington Summit Declaration’ is filled with Cold War thinking and bellicose rhetoric throughout. The content related to China is full of provocation, lies, incitement, and smearing.” They further stated, “We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this and have already submitted a stern demarche to NATO.”
The Chinese delegation claimed, “China is not the creator of the Ukraine crisis and is honest in the Ukraine issue,” claiming, “Our core position is peace mediation and promotion of dialogue, political solution, and has been widely recognized and highly evaluated by the international community.”
They emphasized, “China stands by its words,” adding “We have not provided lethal weapons to any party in conflict so far and have always strictly controlled the export of military and civilian dual-use items, including drones for civilian use.”
The delegation stated, “Normal trade exchanges between China and Russia are not targeted at any third party and should not be disturbed or threatened by external forces,” and advised, “We urge NATO to seriously listen to the just voice of the international community and reflect on its own actions to promote de-escalation and problem-solving through actual actions.” They added, “One should not shift responsibility or pass on one’s anger to others.”
Meanwhile, the NATO leaders also addressed North Korea and Iran, which are aiding Russia, in their statement on the 10th. They explained, “North Korea and Iran provide direct military support to Russia, including military supplies and drones, fueling Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.” They pointed out, “This has a serious impact on Euro-Atlantic security and undermines the global non-proliferation regime.”
They further stated, “We strongly condemn North Korea’s export of artillery and ballistic missiles to Russia in violation of several UN Security Council resolutions,” emphasizing, “We express great concern about the deepening relationship between North Korea and Russia.”
