Stars and Stripes
November 25, 2022

US and NATO allies to discuss how to limit economic reliance on China

U.S. and other western leaders next week will examine ways to reduce allied dependency on China…NATO’s top official said Friday.

“The war in Ukraine has demonstrated our dangerous dependency on Russian gas,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Friday at allied headquarters in Brussels. “So we must assess our dependencies on other authoritarian regimes, not least China.”

The focus on China during a meeting of foreign ministers Nov. 29-30 in Bucharest….

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At NATO’s Madrid summit in June, the allies for the first time singled out China in their new strategic concept, saying Beijing’s “ambitions and coercive policies” are a threat to the international order.

At the foreign ministers meeting next week in Bucharest, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other diplomats will attempt to take the next step: figuring what exactly can be done to limit the allied exposure.


“China is not an adversary, but it is stepping up military modernization. Increasing its presence from the Arctic to the Western Balkans, from space to cyberspace. And seeking to control the critical infrastructure of NATO allies,” Stoltenberg said.

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO’s intention to continue providing military support to Ukraine over the long-haul….

In Bucharest, allies will meet with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the country’s military needs, Stoltenberg said.