NATO report terms China a threat to Euro-Atlantic security; Beijing says "victim paranoia"

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has called for devoting more time, political resources, and action to counter the "security threat" posed by "rising China". In its report NATO 2030, the alliance has recommended setting up a special unit within the Joint Intelligence and Security Division (JISD) to monitor Russia-China cooperation that impacts Euro-Atlantic security.

The report states that the internal political differences between NATO allies are dangerous as they help the "external actors like Russia and China to exploit intra-Alliance differences and take advantage of individual Allies in ways that endanger their collective interests and security".

It further said, "The Alliance should consider establishing a consultative body to discuss all aspects of its security interests with China. It must expand efforts to assess the implications of China's technological development and monitor and defend against any Chinese activities that could impact collective defence, military readiness or resilience in the Supreme Allied Commander Europe's (SACEUR) Area of Responsibility.

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"China a grave threat to NATO allies"

The NATO report has recommended that it must adapt to meet the challenges for a "more demanding strategic environment marked by the return of systemic rivalry, persistently aggressive Russia and the rise of China".

"As China in recent decades has proven its willingness to use force against its neighbours, economic coercion and intimidatory diplomacy beyond the Indo-Pacific region, it is likely that in the coming decades' China can challenge NATO's ability to build collective resilience, safeguard critical infrastructure, address new and emerging technologies such as 5G, and protect sensitive sectors of the economy including supply chains," the report said. 

In the longer term, China is increasingly likely to project military power globally, including potentially in the Euro-Atlantic area, it added.

"China's military modernisation in all domains, including nuclear, naval, and missile capabilities, introduces new risks and potential threats to the NATO Alliance and to strategic stability," the report said.

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"NATO suffering from victim paranoia": China

NATO's report viewing China as a threat to its member nations drew a sharp response from Beijing which mocked the organisation, saying that it is outdated and "has no reason to exist if it does not set an enemy and vigorously hype threats from it."

"The threats are imaginary out of NATO's victim paranoia. China has always upheld peaceful development, posing no military threats to NATO members at all, and stigmatizing Chinese technology development just aims to portray China as an enemy," Beijing said via its mouthpiece Global Times. 

China further stated that apart for some joint exercises, the Chinese military has almost never reached the regions cited in the NATO report to prove its increasing reach. "Noting regions such as Atlantic, Mediterranean, and the Arctic, NATO is really hyping up the China threat theory," it said, 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called for NATO to look at China's development in a rational manner and not as a threat to anyone. 

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(With inputs from agency)