Author Chang Youli
This article only represents the author's views and does not represent the position of this headline.
Reading Guide: In order to build a new "NATO+" mechanism, this NATO summit also invited Japan and South Korea for the first time. NATO is trying to find allies in the Asia-Pacific region to create a strategic environment suitable for NATO around China, and gradually extends its tentacles to Asia. Of course, South Korea and Japan have become the best choices for this tentacle. However, South Korean President Yin Xiyue was let go for 30 minutes when attending the NATO summit. It seems that trying to please NATO and stay away from China is not a good choice.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue was let go for 30 minutes when attending the NATO summit! On June 28, Yin Xiyue's meeting with Finnish President Niinisto was originally scheduled to be the first arrangement during the NATO summit, but the meeting was cancelled. Coincidentally, the meeting with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg on the same day was also cancelled. Yin Xiyue waited patiently at the meeting place for more than 30 minutes, then turned and left. Does the South Korean president feel like he's being treated like a monkey?
It is not a good choice to please NATO and stay away from China.
Let’s take a look at how the ongoing NATO summit targets China. The G7 summit has just ended, and the United States and other countries are rushing to Madrid, the capital of Spain, non-stop. Thousands of protesters in Madrid did not prevent the opening of the NATO summit, and serious internal differences did not stop them from political manipulation. Among the dialogue among military groups, the most eye-catching one was undoubtedly the leaders’ meeting of the United States, Japan and South Korea held on June 29.
Like the G7 summit, although NATO speaks its own words internally, it still tries its best to show a gesture of unity to the outside world. In addition to the Russia-Ukraine issue, China has unsurprisingly become a key issue at this NATO summit. Before the NATO summit, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg began to hype the China issue, calling China a "systemic threat" and revealed that he would clarify his position on China for the first time in the " NATO New Strategic Concept ". In order to build a new "NATO+" mechanism, this NATO summit also invited Japan and South Korea for the first time. NATO is trying to find allies in the Asia-Pacific region to create a strategic environment suitable for NATO around China, and is gradually extending its tentacles to Asia.
According to reports, this meeting between the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea is the second meeting after four years and nine months. It is also Yin Xiyue's first foreign visit after being elected as the president of South Korea. There are three topics in this talk. First, to strengthen cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea to deal with the "North Korean nuclear threat"; second, to form a balancing force against China; third, to find a breakthrough for improving Japan-South Korea relations.
It is not surprising that the "China threat" will be mentioned in the talks between the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea. In recent years, the competition between the United States and China has gradually become more intense, and Japan has followed the United States and frequently made wrong remarks. In order to get closer to the United States, South Korea's attitude towards China has also undergone subtle changes. Instigated by the United States, South Korea and Japan began to move closer to NATO. Their appearance at the NATO summit this time is a very negative signal.
Just before South Korea and the United States and Japan publicly discussed the issue of containing China, South Korea also vowed to declare that it was not anti-China. On June 22, Kim Sung-han, director of South Korea's National Security Office, stated that South Korea is not a member of NATO and the "new strategic concept" announced at this NATO summit has nothing to do with South Korea. South Korea's participation in the NATO summit is to "strengthen unity based on liberal democratic values" to deal with new challenges. In addition, South Korea also hopes to receive more support on the Korean Peninsula issue. South Korea also emphasized that Yin Xiyue's participation in the NATO summit does not mean that South Korea has turned to anti-China and anti-Russian policies.
South Korea’s words and deeds are inconsistent and inconsistent, and it may be because of its own involuntarily. After Yin Xiyue came to power, he became more radical on the peninsula issue and increased military exchanges with the United States. But compared with Japan, South Korea still remains rational and has not blindly made decisions on its attitude toward China because of the United States. South Korea does not want to choose sides between NATO and China. It is probably a good idea to discuss balancing China at the NATO summit this time.
After the South Korean government announced that Yin Xiyue would participate in the NATO summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the Asia-Pacific is not the North Atlantic , and China opposes the introduction of extraterritorial military groups in any form. Although China did not say it explicitly, it is generally believed that China has actually expressed its opposition to Japan and South Korea's participation in the NATO summit.
However, Japan and South Korea are the breakthrough point for NATO's eastward expansion to Asia. The United States is determined to tie Japan and South Korea to the NATO express train. In response to Wang Wenbin's response, US National Security Council Coordinator Kirby claimed that "attacks against a country's sovereignty" that occurred in Europe may also occur in the Asia-Pacific region, and South Korea is facing this "threat." Therefore, it is necessary for South Korea to participate in the NATO leaders' meeting, and China does not have veto power over this.
are not in the same circle. Don’t be too rigid, otherwise it will be embarrassing. South Korea is a typical example. NATO's eastward expansion may not only be in Europe in the future, but we must also be wary of NATO's alliance building in Asia.
