The only realistic circumstances that could see NATO countries fight a war with China is over the island of Taiwan. The West has its problems, obviously, as does everyone in this pandemic. Just NATO, will do. In other words, there is a serious risk of simultaneous major-power wars in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. As this months summit between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shows, Moscow and Beijing are forging a closer strategic partnership, including on military matters. Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Ukraine says fighters holding their ground in Bakhmut, but at a heavy cost. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also told The Associated Press in an interview that the alliance, while not a party to the war, will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.. The basic agreement is that an attack on one is an attack on all. The Eastern European Countries (Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, etc.) The Biden administration initially hoped to put relations with Russia on a stable and predictable footing to focus on China, but Putin had other ideas, as the world is now seeing in Ukraine. 'The definitive answer if the U.S. military doesn't change course is that we're going to lose fast,' Air Force Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, the . Who would win in an ultimate showdown between the liberal democra. However, with that said, tensions between China and the US are rising. The Peoples Republic of China is the most populous country in the world and the second largest economy. But (Ankara continues) to have some challenges with Sweden., He said he welcomed the fact that he and Erdogan agreed to a meeting soon of experts and officials in Brussels from the three countries involved to look into how we can make progress also on the ratification of Sweden as a full NATO ally., Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), founded in 1949, is a military alliance of 30 North American and European countries. global events, history and geo-politics, Duncan established Global Affairs Explained to provide concise guides and original research on current and historical events. Delivered Friday. rs worth well over $400 billion. NATO has one hundred and fifty more warships than China. Global Affairs Explained is an ongoing project aiming to provide concise guides to world events. However, it's worth noting that the U.S. alone, which is a member of NATO, has a military budget of $740.5 billion. A major war in Ukraine could spill across international boundaries and threaten the seven NATO allies that border Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. This is especially critical in light of recent reports from American intelligence agencies that China may supply Russia with weapons to aid its war against Ukraine, which would be an alarming escalation and a break from Chinas ostensibly neutral stance on the war. Its leaders know that a war with Russia will be MAD (mutually assured destruction). This is a key reason why China is not a member state. If Putin had hoped to weaken NATO, the very opposite has happened, with Finland and Sweden on the cusp of joining the transatlantic military alliance. US President Joe Biden vowed in May that Washington will defend Taiwan if China attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has to take into account NATO's . With over one million more frontline troops, it is clear that NATO is much more powerful than China. Beijing backing Moscow should trigger a rethink of China-European relations. Related Articles Is Weiss correct? Russia has over 600 ships and one aircraft carrier. Nato vs. Russia: who would win a war? Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. NATO is a defensive alliance of European and North American countries. Does China actually hate NATO, and if so, why? In general, China would like Western influence to be rolled-back and for it to create its own spheres of influence. In short, publishing a defense strategy that can only handle one of the United States great-power rivals (which is what is expected from the forthcoming national defense strategy) is planning to fail. The victory condition is the unconditional surrender of the opposing enemy forces. Perhaps thousands here and few more thousands there. China claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory. China should not support Russias illegal war., Stoltenberg said potential Chinese assistance would amount to providing (direct) support to a blatant violation of international law, and of course (as) a member of the U.N. security council China should not in any way support violation of the U.N. charter, or international law.. Deterring China and Russia at the same time will not be easy, but it is better than pretending Washington can deal with one major-power rival or the other at its convenience. You can unsubscribe at any time. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon. The U.S. Contrary to those who claim that constrained resources will force tough choices, the United States can afford to outspend Russia and China at the same time. In addition, the United States should provide strategic capabilities like its nuclear umbrella; global conventional strike capabilities, including hypersonic missiles; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Some information is indicative and estimated because of lack of official or up-to-date data. Security, One year into Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, Russia is a pariah to most countries in the free world. Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, warned in June: "We are seeing acts of war, attacks on civilians and destruction not seen since World War 2. NATO might claim victory for having turned back the Sino-Russian forces from their conquest of Eastern Europe. 'We defended our security', he added. Only fully democratic counties can be members of NATO. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? In Germany and Britain, left-wing organizations brought thousands into the streets to condemn NATO . Russia and China on the Rise, America in Retreat.. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. Unfortunately, Washington does not get to decide how its adversaries sequence their aggression. The pandemics outbreak brought rare reporting freedoms. It is unlikely, although not impossible, that China launches a pre-emptive strike against US forces in Asia as part of an assault on Taiwan. In addition, the United States can actively lead its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific to develop a free world defense strategy. This would allow them to dominate the skies in any conflict between them. More importantly, who will win if Nato decides to declare war on Russia, the worlds most formidable nuclear power? Therefore, China would need to attack Europe for a full war to breakout between China and NATO. First, Washington should increase defense spending. Duncan is the founder of Global Affairs Explained. While Washington pivots to Asia, wealthy European countries, such as Germany, should step up to provide for NATOs defense. 2023 Copyright Global Affairs Explained, link to 7 Reasons Why Canada Is Not A Poor Country, link to Was Europe Ever Poor? Make no m. A hypothetical military alliance between China and Russia. subscription, ePaper The Biden administration has passed landmark legislations such as theInflation Reduction Act(IRA) and theCHIPS and Science Act, which provide subsidies in clean energy and semiconductoShow morers worth well over $400 billion. However, not all NATO countries would defend Taiwan. Focusing on international relations, history, and geo-politics, Global Affairs Explained uses original research and data to answer questions often not covered by traditional media. Security Biden should follow his example and plan to defend U.S. interests in Europe and the Indo-Pacific at the same time. For the West to prevail, the United States must lead the fight with a strategy suited to the complex challenges we face. Instead, Washington and its allies should develop a defense strategy capable of deterring and, if necessary, defeating Russia and China at the same time. However, China sees NATO as key to Americas global dominance and therefore a reduction in NATOs influence would be a benefit to China. A twenty-year strategic treaty extended or another 5 years after its expiration in February 2022. Before and during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, several NATO countries sent army to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank. Jessica Chen Weiss, formerly a senior advisor for policy planning at the State Department under the Biden administration, makes the case that the United States is becoming consumed by competition with China, a strategy that could lead to dangerous conflict. Indeed, the European Union, not Asia, is the United States largest trade and investment partner, and this imbalance is much starker when China (which the United States seeks greater economic decoupling from), is removed from the equation. Weve put together this guide to explain the relationship between China and the military alliance, explore their respective strengths and answer questions about what the future might hold for NATO and China. 2 They preened like WWE wrestlers pacing around the ring before a title bout. Terms of Use Countries in Asia cannot be members of NATO. Preexisting formal alliances like NATO in Europe and bilateral alliances in Asia can be supplemented with new arrangements, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Russia and China are set to hold military drills alongside a number of other countries as tensions with the west grow. Originally Posted by Renegade. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. The answer, according to many politicians and defense experts, is that Washington must moderate its response to Russia in Europe to focus on the greater threat posed by China in the Indo-Pacific.