US, European officials plan to create ‘Asian NATO’ to contain Chinese expansionism

In a bid to contain China’s expansionist ambitions, United States and European officials are thinking to create an ‘Asian NATO’ of regional powers, according to Washington Times. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that China’s emergence as a rising superpower is ‘fundamentally shifting global balance of power’ in ways that should motivate NATO itself to become more global. 

While taking a step forward in same direction, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun also recently suggested that alignment of informal defence between US, Japan, Australia and India are alrey kwn as Qu could be beginning of a NATO-style alliance in Asia. Speaking at a US-India strategic dialogue last month, Biegun h said that in first term of next US President or Trump ministration’s second term, it is something that would be very much worthwhile to explore. 

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senior officials of all four aforementioned countries h recently held a virtual meeting to discuss same. Indian Ministry of External Affairs h said that four countries called for a ‘free, open prosperous and inclusive’ Indo-Pacific region based on shared values and respect for international law. 

Biegun said, “It is a reality that Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures. y don't have anything of fortitude of NATO or European Union. strongest institutions in Asia oftentimes are t inclusive eugh”. 

He ded, “re is certainly an invitation re at some point to formalize a structure like this”.

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China’s activities ‘threatening’ to global stability 

US Deputy Secretary of State, last month, said that Asian NATO would be about more than countering China, and could focus broly coordinating militaries and ecomies of region’s smaller nations around a rules-based valued system. 

Michael Kugelman, who is deputy director of Asia program at Wilson Centre, said that countries in past were worried about antagonising China, but ‘things are different w’. Kugelman ded that Qu really has legs at this point and that is because re is a growing consensus among Qu nations, as well as or countries in region, that China’s activities re are t only aggressive but also increasingly threatening to global stability. 

(With inputs from ANI) 

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