As NATO\u2019s Madrid summit approaches, some allies are pushing back against more robust language about China and Indo-Pacific security issues in the alliance\u2019s new \u201cStrategic Concept.\u201d It is understandable that Europeans are more focused on the immediate security threats posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s ongoing war on Ukraine than on what some may view as more abstract challenges emanating from half a world away. Nonetheless, even as NATO rightly addresses Russia\u2019s aggression, it must use its Strategic Concept to address a sobering new reality: The security of the North Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly linked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
European concerns are twofold: They do not want NATO to diffuse its strength by becoming a global alliance, and they do not want to label China as an adversary. Most European countries rely heavily on trade with China, as does the United States. The new Strategic Concept should be able to address the challenges posed by China robustly and implement some structural changes without undermining these European concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NATO is not about to go global. There is no desire anywhere in the alliance to change the regional nature of its Article 5 defense commitment<\/a>. And the Strategic Concept language on China should be balanced, stressing areas of competition, confrontation and cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t