NATO Chief says China 'doesn't share our values', urges leaders to strengthen policy

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday called on the world leaders to formulate robust foreign policies and strengthening the alliance towards the dominant and aggressive China. In an interview with Canadian public network CBC, Jens Stoltenberg stated that China “does not share our values.” NATO chief’s remarks came ahead of the member states meeting next week in Brussels. 

Speaking to CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, Stoltenberg in his televised statement slammed China’s political crackdowns on the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, as well as condemned how China oppresses minority community and does human rights abuses on the Uyghurs in western China’s Xinjiang province. The NATO chief expressed concern about China’s use of modern technology, social media [and] facial recognition, to monitor, and surveillance of its population. This makes it important for NATO to develop a policy, to strengthen those policies, when it comes to China, said Stoltenberg. 

Furthermore, the former prime minister of Norway denounced China’s detention of the Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, and their closed-door trial for alleged espionage. Kovrig, the former Canadian diplomat was employed at the International Crisis Group think tank, while Spavor is a businessman. Both have been in jail since 2018 after China slapped charges on the two Canadian nationals that have dismantled the bilateral ties between Beijing and Ottawa. Canada had also slammed China earlier about the ‘hostage diplomacy’. NATO chief on June 13 denounced China’s belligerent behaviour saying that the country “reacts” in an absolutely “unacceptable way” when another country does something, not in PRC’s favour. 

Stoltenberg further cited that while he was a Norway PM and when the Norwegian [Nobel] Peace Prize committee awarded a peace prize to a Chinese dissident, China retaliated with economic sanctions on Norway and attempted to isolate the country. Therefore this behaviour calls for urgency for the world leaders to “stand together,” the NATO chief said. He said that Monday's NATO summit must allow the leaders of NATO nations to strengthen the transatlantic bond because of a new Biden administration. He told the network that there were challenging discussions during the Trump administration, which had threatened to pull the US out of the NATO alliance. However, the NATO chief reiterated that despite the past, there’s still bipartisan support for the alliance in the US.  

US Sec. blasts China

Earlier last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had similarly lambasted China for the breach of “rules-based international order” militarily, economically, diplomatically, and politically, which he said the US tries so hard to uphold. Speaking at the opening remarks at a congressional meeting, the US secretary of state accused China of “bending international organizations” to their worldview while the United States ensured they grounded in the values, principles. “This is a critical moment for the United States,” Blinken said.