China News Service, April 9 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) From the 6th to the 7th local time, the two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held. Brussels, Belgium.

Among them, representatives from Japan and South Korea participated in the meeting for the first time.

　　NATO meeting, Asia-Pacific countries are present, what is going on?

Not only that, NATO even pointed out that when formulating the organization's "new strategic vision", it is the first time to consider targeting China.

　　As a product of the Cold War that should have been disbanded long ago, but continues to "expand", what will NATO plan next?

On April 7, local time, the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Brussels, Belgium. The picture shows the meeting site.

Image source: NATO official website.

Western military blocs gather

“Not a good sign”

　　In addition to many NATO member states and Asia-Pacific countries, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, the European Union and New Zealand were invited to the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The first four countries intend to join NATO; the latter two, one relies on NATO for defense, and the other is a member of the "Five Eyes Alliance".

　　If you look at the participants, you will understand what kind of meeting NATO is holding.

There are three main points of this meeting:

　　1. To deal with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, strengthen support for Ukraine, and unite allies and partners against Russia.

　　2. Discuss the "new strategic concept" of the Taipei Treaty, and for the first time considers dealing with "China's growing influence" and "international coercive policies".

NATO should deepen cooperation with Asia-Pacific partners.

　　3. Preliminary study on "expanding NATO's traditional area of ​​responsibility", in other words, continuing to expand.

Countries such as Finland and Sweden are potential members that NATO intends to attract.

Data map: The scene of the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting.

　　Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" pointed out that the meeting was actually an important gathering of Western military groups, which was described as an "important milestone".

NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg has made no secret of the nature of the meeting, and believes that it is not limited to the future security of Europe, but also relates to the future geopolitical pattern of the world.

　　In this regard, Jin Canrong, deputy dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, pointed out to Chinanews.com that, at present, NATO's expansion is not only not stopping, but also expects to go global.

This time NATO invited Asia-Pacific countries to participate in the foreign ministers' meeting, which is not a good sign and deserves vigilance.

"Xiangzhuang Sword Dance"

intended in China

　　On the 5th, before the NATO foreign ministers' meeting began, Stoltenberg began to "let go".

It pointed out that the relationship between NATO and China will be included in the "new strategic concept" to be approved at the Madrid summit in June.

The concept will take into account Russia's military operations in Ukraine, the impact of China's increased power on the security of its allies, and the joint "challenges to the international order" by China and Russia.

　　In fact, after the June 2021 summit, the NATO communiqué has defined China as a "systemic challenge" for the first time.

Recently, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Milley and Defense Secretary Austin also pointed out at the House Armed Services Committee hearing that the "threat posed by China and Russia remains serious" and "the possibility of a major international conflict is increasing."

Data map: NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg.

　　Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" editorial pointed out that the NATO foreign ministers' meeting has rarely become an enlarged meeting, and the United States' allies in East Asia and Oceania will participate in the meeting.

The meeting ostensibly discussed the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, but another important agenda may be to establish a common position on China.

　　With the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, NATO took the opportunity to bind Beijing and Moscow as a moral weight against China in the future.

It has repeatedly put pressure on China not to support Russia in any way.

　　Jin Canrong emphasized that what needs to be vigilant is that at present, in addition to the two policy factions of "Asia first, then Europe" and "Europe first, then Asia", a third faction may have formed in the US political circles - "bundling China and Russia" and fighting on two fronts .

Data map: NATO logo.

Image source: NATO official website.

　　In March, The Atlantic Monthly published an article by members of the Atlantic Council, proposing to use ideology and other lines to tie China and Russia together.

The United States can use this to further consolidate the unity of the West and form a "new Cold War" situation in which the entire West confronts China and Russia.

　　Jin Canrong believes that this kind of thinking is very dangerous, but from all indications, it may currently prevail.

Target Asia Pacific

Which countries are "on the bus"?

　　As China's neighbors, what about the interaction between Japan and South Korea, the United States and NATO?

　　Kyodo News reported that Stoltenberg had previously said that he looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Japan.

It said: "Although geographically far away from (NATO countries), they share the same values." When Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshihisa Hayashi attended the meeting, according to the joint statement of the NATO summit on March 24, he consulted with all parties and asked China not to support Russia. measures, and deal with China's activities in the East China Sea, South China Sea, Taiwan area and other waters.

Data map: On March 10, South Korea's largest opposition party, National Power Party candidate Yin Xiyue was elected as the country's new president.

　　On the 4th, Yonhap News Agency reported that the South Korea-US policy consultation delegation sent by South Korean President-elect Yoon Seok-wyeh to the United States stated that Yoon Seok-yue hopes to upgrade the relationship between South Korea and the United States to a higher level of comprehensive strategic alliance, and the two sides reached a consensus.

South Korea also intends to join the US-Japan-Australia-India Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), which was welcomed by Campbell, the Indo-Pacific coordinator of the US National Security Council.

　　In an interview with Chinanews.com, Zhu Feng, Dean of the Institute of International Relations of Nanjing University, analyzed that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led to the formation of a polarized development trend in the security of the Asia-Pacific region.

On the one hand, Japan and the United States stand together completely, and the pro-American trend of South Korea's newly elected Yin Xiyue government is also obvious.

　　On the other hand, if NATO expands into Asia, it will cause tension in the Asian region and intensify the arms race.

Most ASEAN countries are reluctant to see a major deterioration in the international political situation, so they are reluctant to sanction Russia.

　　It can be seen that, except for Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, India, a major member of the US Indo-Pacific strategy, and the vast number of Asian countries represented by ASEAN countries, most of them did not dance with the United States.

　　Zhu Feng further analyzed that an important part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy is to continue to expand and develop the "Indo-Pacific version of Little NATO" through bilateral and multilateral military alliances.

Data map: In 2017, NATO held a large-scale cyber defense exercise.

　　At this foreign ministers' meeting, NATO agreed to Australia's request to strengthen cooperation in areas such as Asia-Pacific maritime security.

Stoltenberg also stated that NATO will seek to deepen cooperation with Asia-Pacific partners in key areas such as arms control, cybersecurity, hybrid strategy and technology.

　　In fact, according to the White House statement on the 5th, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia's Trilateral Security Alliance Agreement (AUKUS) has announced the start of cooperation in the development of hypersonic and anti-hypersonic weapons and in the field of electronic warfare capabilities.

　　The Russian Satellite News Agency quoted experts and pointed out that the research and development of AUKUS hypersonic weapons is first aimed at China and is contributing to the Asian arms race.

Like QUAD, AUKUS is being created as a "geostrategic echelon to contain China".

"Old Tools, New Missions"

The cold war machine roars

　　Jin Canrong pointed out that the US and the West want to further expand the NATO system to the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions, which will lead to increased regional confrontation, which is detrimental to regional peace, stability and development.

Therefore, we must firmly oppose NATO's attempt to expand into the Asia-Pacific.

　　NATO is an organization established during the Cold War. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, its mission ended and should be withdrawn from the stage of history.

However, the West, centered on the United States and the European Union, still wants to expand and protect its global interests, and believes that NATO still has value, so it continues to expand.

Data map: The annual NATO exercise was held. The picture shows the US armored vehicle participating in the military exercise.

　　Zhu Feng said that if NATO further intervenes in Indo-Pacific affairs, it shows that it has deviated from its goal as a "defensive organization".

This also reflects the anxiety of the US-West alliance system at the center of the current international situation.

　　Jin Canrong also analyzed that today, the world has entered a major change unseen in a century. The United States and the West do not accept the changes in the international order centered on it. Therefore, NATO is generalized as a tool and wants to "give old tools new missions". Use it to the extreme.

　　He believes that, in the future, NATO will not only expand its organizational structure, but also intend to expand its functions.

The nature of NATO has changed, from a Cold War tool to a tool for maintaining and expanding the common system and vested interests centered on the United States and the West.

Data map: During the war in Afghanistan, the NATO convoy was attacked in Kandahar.

　　The United States has already practiced before, such as the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war. It is not expected that the United States, which is fighting alone, will pull in NATO and launch attacks without the authorization of the United Nations.

Including the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the United States pulled NATO allies over the situation and sanctioned Russia.

　　Zhu Feng pointed out that in the post-Russian-Ukrainian conflict period, countries should strengthen policy coordination and assist in the establishment of a "balanced, effective and sustainable" European security mechanism, rather than simply emphasizing military power or NATO globalization.

　　The US and the West continue to provide weapons assistance to Ukraine, which is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire.

The most important thing at the moment is for more countries in the international community to take a position like China, to cool down the situation in Russia and Ukraine, and to persuade peace and talks as soon as possible.

(Finish)