Nato: China supports Russia’s war in Ukraine
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NATO’s attitude towards China is changing
The alliance leaders’ joint statement represents a fundamental shift in their stance toward China. Biden has previously downplayed claims about China’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and in 2023 said he thought accusations that Beijing was providing material support to Moscow were exaggerated. But that view “has changed dramatically” as the war enters its third year, the New York Times noted. China “has heeded warnings not to supply Russia with complete weapons systems” but has “done everything else, supplying computer chips, advanced software and the components Russia needs to rebuild a defense industrial base that has produced faulty and outdated equipment.”
China and Belarus conduct joint military exercises
Earlier this week, China and Russian ally Belarus conducted joint military drills in the country, near the border with NATO country Poland. In a comment posted on Telegram, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said the drills were necessary due to NATO’s growing presence on the border, “leading to an increase in tensions in the region.” China has not conducted military exercises in Belarus since 2018, but the timing of the drills and their physical proximity to Poland were no coincidence, analysts say. The drills are “much more about political signaling… than the exercise itself,” one analyst told Euractiv.
China concerned about NATO agreements with Pacific states
Both Washington and NATO have strengthened their ties with Pacific states in recent years to counter China’s influence there. The move worries Beijing, which believes the US is trying to expand its “hegemonic” presence in the region. But strengthening NATO’s ties also gives it an edge over China’s military partnerships, says Luis Simon, director of the Center for Security Diplomacy and Strategy at the Free University of Brussels. “The fact that the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific alliances are structured around a clear anchor – US military power – makes them more cohesive and gives them a strategic advantage over the interlocking partnerships that link China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.”
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