Blinken says China threatens NATO, calls for a joint approach to contain Beijing

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a strong rebuke on Wednesday to the widespread use of coercive measures by China and urged NATO allies to work with the United States to make a step back from Beijing.

Blinken, in a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said the United States would not force its European allies to “choose between us or them”. However, he made it clear that Washington sees China as an economic and security threat, especially in the field of technology, for NATO allies in Europe.

“There is no doubt that Beijing’s coercive behavior threatens our collective security and prosperity and that it is actively working to undermine the rules of the international system and the values ​​that we and our allies share,” said Blinken after holding several days of consultations with NATO allies.

The secretary said there was still room to cooperate with China on common challenges, such as climate change and health security, but called on NATO to stay united when Beijing coerced one of the alliance’s members.

“We know that our allies have complex relationships with China that are not always perfectly aligned with ours. But we need to face these challenges together. That means working with our allies to fill the gaps in areas like technology and infrastructure, where Beijing is exploring to exert coercive pressure, “said Blinken.

“When one of us is coerced, we must react as allies and work together to reduce our vulnerability, ensuring that our economies are more integrated with one another,” said the United States’ top diplomat.

Blinken drew attention to the militarization of the South China Sea by China, the use of predatory economics, theft of intellectual property and human rights abuses.

On Monday, the Biden government imposed new sanctions on two Chinese officials, citing their roles in serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

The Treasury has accused China of using repressive tactics over the past five years against Uighurs and other members of ethnic minorities in the region, including mass arrests and surveillance.

“The targets of this surveillance are often detained and reportedly subjected to various methods of torture and” political re-education, “wrote the Treasury in a statement.

Beijing had previously rejected US accusations that it committed genocide against the Uighurs, a Muslim population native to the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in northwest China.

Blinken’s comments come in the wake of a controversial meeting between Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and state adviser Wang Yi in Alaska.

Before the talks, Blinken criticized the widespread use of “coercion and aggression” by China on the international stage and warned that the United States would back down if necessary.

“China uses coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undermine democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet and enforce maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law,” said Blinken at a press conference in Japan.

Tension between Beijing and Washington soared under the Trump administration, which escalated a trade war and worked to ban Chinese tech companies from doing business in the United States.

In the past four years, the Trump administration has blamed China for a wide range of complaints, including intellectual property theft, unfair commercial practices and, recently, the coronavirus pandemic.

President Joe Biden, who spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, had previously said that his approach to China would be different from that of his predecessor, as he would work more closely with the allies to prepare a reaction against Beijing.

“We are going to face China’s economic abuses,” said Biden in a speech at the State Department, describing Beijing as the “most serious competitor” in the United States.

“But we are also ready to work with Beijing when it is in America’s interest to do so,” said Biden. “We will compete in a position of strength, rebuilding better at home and working with our allies and partners.”

Blinken, the first Biden Cabinet official to visit NATO, reiterated the US commitment to the most powerful alliance in the world.

“We need to be able to have these difficult conversations and even disagree while we still treat each other with respect. Very often in recent years, we in the United States seem to have forgotten who our friends are. That has already changed,” said Blinken, without mentioning the “America first” policy advocated by the Trump administration.

Former President Donald Trump often denigrated NATO members during his presidency and had previously threatened to leave the alliance.

In December 2019, Trump told NATO leaders in London that many members were still not paying enough and threatened to reduce U.S. military support if the allies did not increase spending.

Trump highlighted German Chancellor Angela Merkel for not meeting the spending target of 2% of GDP set at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales.

Germany, at the time, was just one of 19 NATO members who had not met the spending target of 2% of GDP set at the 2014 summit.

Blinken acknowledged the difficult transatlantic relationship on defense finance and called for a “more holistic view of the division of charges”.

“We recognize the significant progress that many of our NATO allies have made in improving defense investments,” said Blinken, adding that “no number fully captures a country’s contribution to defending our collective security and interests, especially in a world where a growing number of threats cannot be confronted with military force. “

“We must recognize that because the allies have different capabilities and comparative strengths, they will take their share of the burden in different ways,” said Blinken.