London

- For the first time, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mentioned China in its strategic paper, describing it as a security challenge, after a summit held by the member states of the alliance in the Spanish capital Madrid.

This remarkable development reflects the extent of the conflict between NATO countries led by the United States on one hand and Russia and China on the other, and broadens the concept of strategic risks to the West to include China, after it was limited to Russia.

The strategic paper of NATO is considered a road map that its members have followed for many years. The last paper of its kind was issued in 2010, which means that dealing with China as a threat to the West will govern the relationship of the Western camp with Beijing, and increase the tension between the two camps.

NATO spokesman Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance views China as a challenge, not an opponent or an enemy (Reuters)

Challenge..no discount

The NATO strategy paper at the Madrid Summit in 2022 says that "the People's Republic of China is conducting hybrid and malicious cyber operations, broadcasting aggressive rhetoric and misleading news against allies and harming the security of the alliance."

The paper refers to Beijing's efforts to deepen its relations with Russia, "and their joint attempts to sabotage the international system, whether in space, the electronic world, or at sea."

And this language was never used by NATO against China, but for years it remained outside the challenges or threats that the alliance talks about.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was quick to clarify the alliance's position on China, saying that he "views Beijing as a real challenge, but it is neither an adversary nor an enemy."

And about the security threats that the alliance sees in Beijing's behavior, it is - according to the Secretary-General - "striving to strengthen its military capabilities, including nuclear power, and harassment and bullying of neighbors, including Taiwan."

Nevertheless, he stresses that China "is neither an adversary nor an enemy, but the alliance must keep its eyes open and watch seriously these challenges posed by China."


Cold War language

In an analytical paper, the International Center for Strategic Studies (IISS) believes that the strategic report of NATO ends the period of arms control, and unleashes once again an arms race in which the major powers participate.

According to the center, the paper consolidates a new concept, which is to find all possible means to confront the Russian and Chinese challenge, although it does not put them on an equal footing, adding that the language adopted in the strategic report of NATO brings to mind the language adopted during the Cold War period, especially when talking about Russia .

The International Center considers that mentioning China is an important strategic shift, but at the same time it raises the risk and makes the task of putting an end to the global arms race a difficult task.

US President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid (Reuters)

british american creed

Some analyzes suggest that the US-British camp has transferred its doctrine in dealing with China to NATO, specifically to the last strategic report.

For the United Kingdom, which announced its new security and defense vision over the past year, there is a different attitude towards Russia compared to China, because London describes Moscow as a "direct and urgent threat", while calling China a vague description without warning as a "systemic competitor." .

In the United States, the Strategic National Security Manual, also published last year, describes Russia as a "destabilizing", while China is seen as a "challenge."

On the other hand, former Director of British Military Intelligence John Sawers previously stated that the greatest threat facing his country comes from Russia and China alike, through cyber attacks and attempts to create political divisions in the country.

And this British-American vision of Beijing, which was before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, was established by the NATO Strategic Report.

new international order

Muthanna Al-Abdullah, professor of international relations at the University of London, reads the new strategy of NATO as a pivotal point for the formation of a new international order, adding - in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net - that "NATO's description of China as a security challenge is a danger to Europe."

The professor of international relations says that this development "puts Europe in the mouth of the cannon, driven by an American desire to show greater toughness with China, which competes with Washington for global economic dominance."

The same spokesman was surprised by what he described as Europe's response to US pressure, "Europe was affected by the sanctions on Russia and is now moving in the direction of escalation with China, which has strong economic and trade relations with the Europeans, which means more damage to the economy of the old continent."

Al-Abdullah added that the European approach led by France and Germany was proceeding with the vision that "there is a geographical inevitability based on the fact that Russia is located in the vicinity of Europe, and China has important relations with this continent, and for this reason we must search for an alternative to the clash, in contrast to the uncomfortable American vision of the rise of China." .

On the other hand, Muthana Abdullah believes that China is now also "may be further strengthening its relations with Russia, as a reaction to NATO's decision, and thus the world is actually moving towards forming a Sino-Russian alliance in the face of the Western alliance led by the United States."