International observation, fire, Europe's meddler in Asia-Pacific-NATO exacerbates international security risks Asia-Pacific | NATO | International

Vilnius, July 13 (Xinhua) - European intervention in Asia Pacific - NATO exacerbates international security risks

Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Ke Kang Yi Xue Dongmei

The NATO summit will be held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, from the 11th to the 12th. At the summit, NATO pledged to provide Ukraine with more long-term support through the most comprehensive regional defense plan since the Cold War, and once again invited leaders of some Asia Pacific countries to attend. They also highlighted the so-called "China challenge" in the summit communiqu é, smearing China.

Observers believe that the trend of the United States strengthening its control over Europe and pressing Russia through NATO is becoming increasingly apparent. At the same time, NATO is attempting to intervene in Asia Pacific affairs. The actions of NATO under the leadership of the United States may bring turmoil and unease to the region and the world.

Related actions reflect the will of the United States

At the summit, NATO's most comprehensive regional defense plan since the end of the Cold War was approved. This plan, which spans over 4000 pages, directly targets Russia, significantly enhances the military presence on the east wing, placing 300000 troops on high alert. The website of The Economist in the UK commented in an article that the new plan is a manifestation of American will in many ways.

On March 24, 2022, staff were busy at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong

Johann Scholz, a German strategist and former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, worked at the German Ministry of Defense and NATO headquarters, conducting NATO's military exercises against the Soviet Union in the late Cold War. He told Xinhua News Agency reporters that the so-called Russian threat is just a cover up for the United States to use NATO to dominate Europe, and "Europeans must understand this.".

On the 10th, the International Policy Digest website published an article listing the humanitarian disasters caused by NATO in many places such as the Southern Alliance, Afghanistan, and Libya, and pointed out that since the end of the Cold War, NATO has "almost shamelessly become a servant and servant of American power.". Wherever NATO goes, there is a possibility of war breaking out.

The summit exposed the differences among NATO members on the Ukraine issue

The Ukrainian issue is one of the focuses of this summit. At the summit, NATO promised to provide Ukraine with multifaceted support, but it also exposed many differences among NATO member countries.

This summit passed a multi-year aid plan to Ukraine, helping the Ukrainian military transition from Soviet standards to NATO standards, rebuilding Ukraine's security and defense sectors, and meeting key needs such as fuel, demining equipment, and medical supplies; Establish the NATO Ukraine Council to strengthen bilateral political relations; Reiterating that Ukraine will join NATO in the future and simplifying Ukraine's accession process.

However, the summit did not give Ukraine the most desired invitation to join the treaty, nor did it specify a timetable for Ukraine's accession. Some Central and Eastern European countries hope to place Ukraine under NATO protection as soon as possible, but countries such as the United States and Germany have clearly refused, fearing direct involvement in the conflict with Russia. Ukrainian President Zelensky criticized NATO's move as "unprecedented and absurd".

The Ukrainian crisis continues to drag on, and NATO is still intensifying its efforts to contain the fire. Recently, a large number of people from countries such as the UK and France have taken to the streets to protest against NATO's actions, and many politicians, experts and scholars have also condemned them.

In a written interview with Xinhua News Agency, German Federal Parliament member Sevim Dadellen said that the United States and its NATO allies have launched a "proxy war" against Russia by providing Ukraine with a large number of weapons and dispatching military advisors. She is concerned that the NATO summit may further escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

Pere Ortega, Honorary Chairman of the Dras Peace Research Center in Spain and Professor at the Open University of Catalonia, said that the continued existence of NATO means it will be difficult for Europe to have peace. NATO's eastward expansion and continuous pressure on Russia after the end of the Cold War were one of the main factors leading to the Ukrainian crisis.

Sweden's possible admission to NATO raises concerns

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said on the evening of the 10th that President Erdogan of Türkiye had agreed to submit Sweden's accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament as soon as possible, and would work closely with the Turkish Parliament to ensure the ratification of the protocol. Hungarian Foreign Minister Szyardo Peter stated on the 11th that approving Sweden's accession application is currently only a technical issue.

If Sweden is allowed to join the treaty, it will become the 32nd member of NATO. Before the meeting, Stoltenberg posted on the bimonthly website of Foreign Affairs that Sweden's accession will change the European security landscape and establish an uninterrupted barrier from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

On July 6th, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg held a press conference after the meeting. Türkiye, Sweden and NATO held trilateral talks in Brussels, Belgium the same day. Turkey still did not agree to Sweden's accession to NATO, but the three parties agreed to negotiate again on the 10th before the opening of the Vilnius NATO Summit. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong

Many people are concerned that the US led NATO's expansionist and provocative policies will become the root cause of the disaster.

Jan Obery, founder of the Swedish Cross border Peace and Future Research Foundation, recently said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that joining NATO means Sweden will no longer be an important military non aligned buffer zone. Sweden, which has been away from war for 200 years, is likely to be immediately drawn into the war and lose more independent foreign policy. The article in the Lithuanian newspaper "Business News" states, "At that time, the Baltic Sea will become a NATO inland sea."

"NATO will hinder Asia's development"

Following last year's Madrid summit, NATO has once again invited leaders from four Asia Pacific countries - Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand - to attend the summit. On the 12th, leaders of 31 NATO countries, Sweden, the European Union, and Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand held a meeting.

The proposal for NATO to establish a liaison office in Japan was not approved due to opposition from countries such as France. French President Macron stated after the summit that NATO is a North Atlantic organization and Japan is not in the North Atlantic.

However, at a press conference after the summit, Stoltenberg said, "The issue of liaison offices has been put on the table and a decision will be made in the future." He stated that NATO will strengthen its relations with these Asia Pacific countries through a "tailored" partnership plan to "address the regional and international security challenges brought about by China's rise.".

It is worth noting that the summit communique mentioned China 15 times, and attacking China's policies "poses a challenge to NATO's interests, security, and values.". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on the 12th that the content of the NATO summit communique confuses right and wrong, distorts black and white, and is full of Cold War thinking and ideological bias. China firmly opposes this. The Cold War has been over for more than 30 years, but NATO, as a product of the Cold War, still holds a zero sum game and confrontational thinking, ignoring the call for peace, development, cooperation, and win-win in the international community. It moves against the trend, embarks on a historical reversal, is unpopular, and is destined to not succeed.

Some observers believe that NATO will accelerate its involvement in the Asia Pacific region by exaggerating threats and creating enemies, and its policy towards China will become more confrontational. These are all excuses for NATO's continued expansion.

Johann Scholz pointed out that NATO has gradually become a tool against China and has formulated the so-called "Indo Pacific strategy" to woo countries such as Japan.

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating warned in an article on the 10th that strengthening NATO relations with some Asia Pacific countries will hinder Asian development. "Europeans have been fighting against each other for most of the past 300 years, including two world wars in the past 100 years. Exporting this malicious poison to Asia is like bringing a plague to the region."