NATO Chief: West Should ‘Impose a Cost’ on China for Supporting Russia

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called for the West to impose costs on China for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stoltenberg, who is stepping down from his post at the end of September, delivered a speech to the Munich Security Conference in which he said that China's provision of non-lethal military support to Russia is a growing concern. He stated that this support is a direct challenge to the international order and that the West must be prepared to respond. Stoltenberg did not specify what form these costs should take, but he suggested that the West should explore all options to deter China from further supporting Russia. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining strong unity within NATO and its allies. China has denied providing lethal military aid to Russia, but it has not explicitly ruled out the possibility of doing so in the future. Stoltenberg's comments come amid growing concerns in the West about China's growing military and economic power, as well as its increasingly assertive foreign policy. In his speech, Stoltenberg also highlighted the importance of deterring China from using force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. He stressed that the West must be prepared to defend Taiwan's democracy and territorial integrity, even though China has warned that it will not tolerate any interference in its internal affairs. The issue of China's support for Russia is likely to be a major focus of discussion at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July. Stoltenberg's call for the West to impose costs on China has been met with mixed reactions. Some analysts have argued that it is important for the West to send a strong message to China that its support for Russia will not be tolerated. Others have warned that such actions could escalate tensions and lead to a new Cold War.

Summary

"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on the West to impose costs on China for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He argued that China's provision of non-lethal military support to Russia is a direct challenge to the international order and that the West must be prepared to respond. Stoltenberg's comments come amid growing concerns in the West about China's growing military and economic power and its increasingly assertive foreign policy. The West's response to China's support of Russia is likely to be a major focus of discussion at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July."