Tensions are rising between NATO and China as they work harder to build alliances in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Experts say this shows how the United States and China are competing more broadly.
Ian Chong, a political expert at the National University of Singapore, said both sides are in a big power struggle to make their alliances stronger and get support for what they want.
“The competition between big powers is getting stronger,” Chong said in an interview.
NATO recently said it’s starting four new projects with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand at a meeting in Washington.
They’re focusing on things like Ukraine, artificial intelligence, fake news, and cybersecurity.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said they want to use the strengths of democracies to solve big problems together.
China said NATO is making things worse in the region by getting closer to countries in the Indo-Pacific.
Some experts think NATO isn’t trying to expand into the Indo-Pacific directly but wants to build up its abilities with similar countries in important areas.
Stephen Nagy, who studies security in Asia at the International Christian University in Japan, said NATO is smart to work more with democracies on military and other important things.
NATO recently said China is a big part of why Russia is doing things in Ukraine, showing they won’t give up in important global fights.
Japan’s Foreign Press Secretary Maki Kobayashi said Tokyo and NATO aren’t trying to bring NATO to Asia.
At the same time, China is working more with Belarus and Russia on military things. They’re doing exercises near places like the South China Sea.
This is seen as a way to react to NATO’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific.
Nagy said China’s moves show they’re not happy with NATO in the Indo-Pacific.
They want to show they can be a problem for NATO in places that matter to them.
In short, the fight between NATO and China is getting more serious as both sides try to make alliances stronger and have more influence in important parts of the world.
