NATO formally declares China a ‘threat’, boosts troops fearing Russian expansion | Rob Harris
The world’s most powerful military alliance has declared China as a security threat for the first time, warning that Beijing’s ambitions and coercive behaviour is a major challenge to its interests while putting its forces on a potential war-footing against Russian forces.
The US and Britain will commit new troops as part of the largest scaling up of NATO defences since the Cold War in response to Russia’s attacks on its neighbour, increasing the number of alliance troops on high alert more than seven-fold to 300,000. President Joe Biden said the US would enhance its presence in Europe “to defend every inch of allied territory”, establishing a permanent headquarters in Poland, sending 5000 additional troops to Romania and increasing rotational deployments in the Baltic states.Other NATO states are expected to announce increases in defence spending and additional deployments on Thursday , as well as agreeing to additional military support for Ukraine.
The alliance has also formally invited Finland and Sweden to join, after Turkey dropped its veto on their membership applications late on Tuesday. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, invited to the summit as part of the “Asia Pacific 4”, warned China to heed the lessons of the Ukraine conflict and distance itself from Russia.