NATO Raises Concerns Over China’s Coercive Policies

The Secretary General urged China to engage meaningfully in dialogue.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met virtually with State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi of the People’s Republic of China on Monday (27 September 2021). The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister discussed NATO-China relations and exchanged views on current international security challenges.

According to a NATO communique, the Secretary General welcomed the expanding dialogue between NATO and China, and noted the potential for further engagement on common challenges, such as climate change.

The Secretary General recalled that NATO does not see China as an adversary, but called on China to uphold its international commitments and act responsibly in the international system. He raised NATO’s concerns over China’s coercive policies, expanding nuclear arsenal and lack of transparency on its military modernisation.

The Secretary General urged China to engage meaningfully in dialogue, confidence-building, and transparency measures regarding its nuclear capabilities and doctrine. He stressed that reciprocal transparency and dialogue on arms control would benefit both NATO and China. 

The Secretary General and the Chinese Foreign Minister also discussed developments in Afghanistan. The Secretary General stressed that NATO Allies went into Afghanistan to ensure the country did not serve again as a platform for terrorists, and recalled that no terrorist attacks against our countries had been organised from Afghanistan since 2001. 

Mr Stoltenberg also stressed the importance of a coordinated international approach, including with countries from the region, to hold the Taliban accountable for their commitments on countering terrorism and upholding human rights, not least the rights of women.