The NATO chief said that “China’s rise to power is a critical issue that could have consequences for security, prosperity and our way of life.”

The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg on Friday urged Europe and the United States to defend the rules-based international order against “authoritarian powers” such as China and Russia.

“Europe and North America must maintain the rules-based international order, which is contested by authoritarian powers. China and Russia are trying to rewrite the rules of the road to benefit their own interests, ”the Scandinavian politician said in the virtual edition of the Munich security conference on Friday.

In this sense, he stressed that the rise of China is a “determining” issue for the transatlantic community, “With potential consequences for our security, our prosperity and our way of life.”

“For that, NATO should deepen our relations with close partners such as Australia and Japanand forge new ones around the world, ”he said.

The former Norwegian prime minister admitted that in recent years they have seen differences between Europe and North America, “with serious questions about the strength of our Alliance on both sides of the Atlantic and opposing views of transatlantic relations ”.

“We now have a historic opportunity to build a stronger Alliance. To regain confidence and strengthen our unity. Europe and North America, working together within NATO, in strategic solidarity, ”he stressed, one month after the arrival of Democrat Joe Biden at the White House.

He further argued that Both sides of the Atlantic are facing “great challenges”, such as the rise of China, “sophisticated” cyber attacks, disruptive technologies, climate change, Russian “destabilizing” behavior or terrorism.

“No country or continent can do it alone. On the contrary, we must do more together. And we must demonstrate our commitment to transatlantic solidarity not only with words, but with actions, ”he warned.

The Allied Secretary General also celebrated that in recent years, cooperation between the European Union and NATO has reached “unprecedented levels” by the “political will” of both parties.

However, before The rise of China and its impact on security, he speculated that “even greater cooperation between NATO and the European Union will be necessary in the future.”

“Neither NATO nor the European Union have all the tools we need to deal with the consequences of China’s rise to power. We have to work togetherHe said, adding that there must also be collaboration between the two organizations in areas such as resilience and technology.

Stoltenberg expressed support for the community club’s initiatives in defense because, he said, they can provide more capabilities and reduce the fragmentation of the military industry in the EU.

“It can also increase defense spending,” He said, on a request that the Alliance and the United States have been making for years and to which European countries are now paying more attention and effort. According to NATO, 2021 will be the seventh year in a row that European allies and Canada will increase their defense investments.

In any case, he pointed out that The Twenty-Seven cannot replace NATO because the community club “cannot protect Europe”.

“20% of NATO defense spending comes from allies belonging to the EU», He declared, and stressed that The “important” members of the Alliance for the Protection and Defense of the Old Continent such as Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Norway or Iceland are not part of of the community club.

On the other hand, he pointed out the implications of climate change for security. “I see very clearly the relationship between climate change and security. It is often said that global warming, a more extreme period, is a crisis multiplier, ”he said.

Added that NATO must analyze the security implications of climate change and to adapt their missions and operations to this situation, because “many military infrastructures will be directly affected by global warming and the rise in sea level”.

“NATO should be part of the solution. We have the responsibility to help reduce emissions», He declared, and assured that the Alliance must contribute to the objective of climate neutrality.

With information from EFE

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