Before the start of the NATO summit in Brussels, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed that the Western alliance did not want a “new Cold War” with China.

The second strongest economic power in the world is a "gigantic factor in our lives" and a new strategic challenge for NATO, said Johnson on Monday before the summit in Brussels.

But he added, "I don't think anyone here at the table today wants another cold war with China."

Johnson also called on Russia to change its behavior towards NATO countries.

Regarding the meeting scheduled for Wednesday between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said: "I know that President Biden will be sending some very tough messages to President Putin in the next few days." China and Russia are one of them the main topics of the first NATO summit with Biden with the new American president

Stoltenberg: China does not share the values ​​of the allies

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had also warned clearly of the threats from China before the start of the summit in Brussels.

The country has significantly upgraded its military in recent years and has also invested heavily in nuclear capabilities and modern weapons systems, said the former Norwegian head of government on Monday morning.

At the same time, the country is investing heavily in the infrastructure of NATO countries and trying to control it.

In addition, according to Stoltenberg, China does not share the values ​​of its allies, persecutes minorities in its own country and uses social media and facial recognition technology to monitor its own population to an unprecedented extent.

"All of this is relevant to our security, and no country or continent will be able to handle it alone," he said.

Cooperation on Climate Change and Arms Control

At the same time, Stoltenberg emphasized that they wanted to continue working with China on issues such as the fight against climate change and arms control.

"We are not entering into a new Cold War and China is not our adversary and not our enemy," he said.

However, one must jointly tackle the challenges that the rise of China brings with it for security.

Central topics of the summit, which starts on Monday afternoon, are not only NATO's dealings with China, but also the threats posed by Russia and the “NATO 2030” reform initiative. The top meeting is of particular importance because it is the first with the new US President Joe Biden. He has promised to normalize the very tense relations between NATO and the United States under his predecessor Donald Trump.