NATO member countries will hold a two-day foreign ministers’ meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels starting on Tuesday, December 3. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated before the meeting that in response to the “hostile” disruptive actions by China and Russia against NATO allies, NATO will strengthen intelligence sharing and improve the protection of critical infrastructure.
Rutte mentioned during a press conference, “In recent years, China and Russia have attempted to undermine our member countries’ stability through a series of destructive actions, including cyber attacks, disinformation, and energy blackmail, disrupting us and intimidating us.”
“These actions cannot deter us from supporting Ukraine or strengthening our own defense,” he said.
He also disclosed that NATO foreign ministers would extensively discuss three major issues on Wednesday, including energy blackmail, disruption, and cyber attacks, because “we cannot be naive.” He added that this is not only to counter Russia, as NATO has observed an increasing involvement of China in these actions.
“So this will be the focus tomorrow. We will also ensure a comprehensive assessment of our situation and how we can better coordinate among departments and allies. This way, as an alliance, we can always have the best information,” Rutte said.
“NATO allies will continue to stand united and address these threats through a series of measures, including enhancing intelligence sharing and better protecting critical infrastructure,” he added.
Regarding reports of China providing military drones to Russia, Rutte mentioned that China actively circumvents sanctions and actively supplies dual-use products to Russia. Therefore, China, Iran, and North Korea have all participated in Russia’s comprehensive attack on Ukraine.
“We are not only very concerned, but we also condemn it,” Rutte said.
Rutte also discussed during the press conference how to address the expanding influence of China and Russia in the Middle East. He stated that NATO needs to establish strong relationships with southern neighboring countries, which involves the Middle East but also includes most parts of Africa.
He mentioned that NATO is establishing an office in Jordan and is very proactive about it because NATO cannot allow a situation where, as the Italian Prime Minister said, China and Russia are involved in African and Middle Eastern affairs without the involvement of the West.
During the press conference, Rutte welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan to Brussels to participate in the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting. He especially thanked King Abdullah for providing assistance to NATO over the years based on his understanding of the Middle East region.
“This is what we are doing because we cannot let China and Russia exert influence in Africa and the Gulf region. Having these strong relationships is crucial,” Rutte emphasized.
According to Reuters, NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels this week are expected to formulate a new strategy to address “hybrid threats” from China and Russia. “Hybrid threats” encompass propaganda, political interference, deception, damaging critical infrastructure, and tactics beyond conventional military domains.
A NATO senior official told reporters on Tuesday that hybrid threats against NATO allies continue incessantly, happening every day.
Western security officials stated that the fires at logistics warehouses in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland in July this year were part of a Russian conspiracy.
On November 17-18, two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea were successively severed, sparking suspicions of deliberate sabotage. One cable connected Finland and Germany, while the other linked Sweden and Lithuania. Investigators have targeted the Chinese bulk carrier “Yi Peng 3”. Sweden has requested the cooperation of “Yi Peng 3” in the investigation.
Rutte mentioned during Tuesday’s press conference his meeting with U.S. President-elect Trump on November 22. He stated that although he wouldn’t disclose what Trump said, one of the main topics of their meeting was how to increase production at defense industrial bases, as China, Russia, and North Korea are doing so.