Washington 11 july 2024 : In its most explicit and elaborate reference to China ever, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) has called Beijing the “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine and warned China that unless it “ceases all political and material support” to Russia’s war effort, there will be a “negative impact” on Beijing’s interests and reputation.
The Washington Summit Declaration, issued at Nato’s milestone 75th anniversary meeting in the US capital, strongly reiterated the importance of the Trans-Atlantic military alliance in the backdrop of internal political challenges and external strategic challenges. It also rolled out a set of new announcements to support Ukraine, and slammed Moscow for its continued aggression.
But the declaration stood out for its emphasis on China, yet another sign that the Moscow-Beijing alliance has, in the West’s perspective, led to an increasing fusion of the European and Indo-Pacific theatres. The closer China-Russia partnership is also a matter of keen interest to India, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Moscow visit was seen, among other factors, as driven by the need to engage with Russia to ensure that its new partnership doesn’t erode its older partnership in the context of India-China tensions.
At the outset of the declaration, Nato countries categorically stated, “The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values. The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the PRC and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order, are a cause for profound concern.”
Later in the text, while holding Russia “solely responsible” for the war in Ukraine, the Washington declaration says, “The PRC has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base. This increases the threat Russia poses to its neighbours and to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Calling on China as a responsible member of the UN Security Council to cease all support to Russia, the declaration specifically says, “This includes the transfer of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia’s defence sector. The PRC cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation.”