NATO chief warns of severe consequences if China tries to change Taiwan Strait status quo

北約總幹事警告如果中國試圖改變台海現況將帶來嚴重後果

Jens Stoltenberg also announces closer NATO-Japan cooperation


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — NATO’s secretary general has said that any attempt by China to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait will cause severe consequences for regional and global security.

Speaking to Nikkei Asia in Tokyo on Wednesday (Feb. 1,) NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said China’s threats against Taiwan have “no justification” and that a conflict around Taiwan would be detrimental to all. The comments came on the same day as a speech Stoltenberg gave at Keio University announced a plan to step up NATO-Japan cooperation in cyber security, technology, and defense.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Taiwan would strengthen cooperation with Japan, in December last year. Stoltenberg said that he believes Beijing is watching the war in Ukraine closely and may base future decisions on the way NATO responds to the conflict.

He added that last year’s NATO summit in Madrid marked the first time China was addressed in the security alliance’s “Strategic Concept.”

“Beijing is substantially building up its military forces, including nuclear weapons, without any transparency. It is attempting to assert control over the South China Sea, and threatening Taiwan.”

“We don't regard China as an adversary and we don't seek confrontation with China, actually, we don't see confrontation with anyone. NATO is a defensive alliance. We will continue to engage with China on issues where we see common or potential common interest, on arms control, on climate change and other issues,” Stoltenberg said.

“At the same time, we will be remiss if we did not expose the challenges that China poses to our security, to our values and to our interests. And that is exactly what is also reflected in the New Strategic Concept that we agreed last year.”

Stoltenberg said that China’s “assertive behavior, not least in the South China Sea,” and the threats against Taiwan, are important issues for both regional security and for NATO countries.

“This idea that we can say that China doesn't matter for NATO is wrong, it doesn't work. Security is global, security is not regional,” he said.