In the third year of the war in Ukraine, NATO is set to deepen relations with its four Indo-Pacific partners, which are not part of the military alliance but are gaining prominence as Russia and China forge closer ties to counter the United States. The leaders of New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea will attend the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., while Australia will send its deputy prime minister. China is closely monitoring the summit, concerned about NATO's expanding interests beyond Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the evolving global landscape, emphasizing the need to break down barriers between European alliances, Asian coalitions, and other partners worldwide. The U.S. aims to strengthen ties with countries sharing security concerns as competition intensifies between the U.S. and China.
Amid reports of a joint document by NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners to respond to cyber threats and disinformation, China criticized NATO for overstepping its defense zone. The conflict in Ukraine has underscored the importance of closer cooperation between the U.S., Europe, and their Asian allies.
South Korea and Japan are providing aid to Ukraine, while the U.S. accuses China of supplying Russia with technology for weapons. The NATO summit will allow the U.S. and its allies to counter challenges posed by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
Beijing is concerned about NATO's pivot to the east and has urged NATO to view China as a positive force for regional peace. The relationship between NATO and China soured in 2019, leading to NATO labeling China as a systemic challenge. China fears the formation of a NATO-like alliance in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized working with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific for security and stability. China views the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy as an attempt to create an Asian version of NATO to maintain U.S. hegemony.
