NATO Includes China in New Strategic Concept... Increases Response Force Size Eightfold

NATO Expands Response Scope to Asia-Pacific
"Preparing 300,000 Rapid Response Troops to Counter Russian Threats in Eastern Europe"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Madrid, Spain, starting on the 29th. Meanwhile, NATO announced that it will include China in its 'strategy concept' for the first time. NATO plans to actively counter China by expanding its response scope, which had been limited to regional defense in Europe and North America, to the Asia-Pacific region. Strong opposition from China and Russia is expected, and it is anticipated that significant tectonic shifts will occur in the overall security of the Eurasian region going forward.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, said at a press conference held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the 27th (local time), "NATO will address China for the first time in the new strategy concept," adding, "We will address the challenges China poses to our security, interests, and values."

The strategy concept is a fundamental strategic guideline adopted every ten years by consensus among NATO member countries, specifying NATO's scope and level of response. In the previously established 2010 strategy concept, Russia was designated as a 'strategic partner,' and China was not mentioned. However, following the Ukraine crisis and the simultaneous emergence of military threats from China and Russia, NATO is interpreted to have significantly expanded its response scope from the existing regional defense concept to include the Asia-Pacific region.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, who attended the Group of Seven (G7) meeting that day, also stated, "There is a consensus that both the G7 and NATO should take joint action regarding the threats posed by China," emphasizing, "You can expect this to be included in the G7 joint statement, and NATO's strategy concept will also mention the unprecedented threats posed by China."

In addition, NATO announced plans to nearly octuple the NATO Response Force to counter Russia's security threats in Eastern Europe. Secretary General Stoltenberg explained, "We will increase the number of troops with a high level of readiness to over 300,000," adding, "This is the largest overhaul of our collective deterrence and defense since the Cold War." Currently, the NATO Response Force is estimated to be about 40,000 troops.