NATO a 'Pretty Good Model' For Asia-Pacific, Says Top US General
19:29 GMT 27.04.2022 (Updated: 12:43 GMT 19.06.2023)
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that the “real goal for the Indo-Pacific strategy is to establish an Indo-Pacific version of NATO." Beijing has been particularly critical of US-led groupings such as the four-nation Quad (also involving India, Japan and Australia) as well as the trilateral AUKUS pact between Australia, the UK and the US.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a "pretty good model" for the Indo-Pacific region, US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John C.Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of things that PRC accuses people of that are not necessarily factual,” Aquilino replied when asked to respond to Beijing’s accusation that the US has been trying to create a NATO-like military pact in the Asia-Pacific region.
He claimed that “like-minded nations” in the Asia-Pacific region have been “working together for years."
“What we’d seen is the benefit of when like-minded nations come together as an example from the increased strength, we have seen in NATO based on the Russian actions,” the top US Commander underlined.
“I would articulate that’s a pretty good model for the Indo-Pacific, for those nations that value freedom. Again, our values and our interests to keep peace and prosperity in the region is a pretty good thing,” he said.
“So, we will see an increase in multilateral events from the partner nations, both in the region and out of the region,” Aquilino declared.
The US Indo-Pacific Commander drew attention to the upcoming RIMPAC Exercises, which are described as the world’s largest maritime warfare exercise and are organised biennially by the US Indo-Pacific Command, one of the six unified commands of the American forces.
“Over 27 nations from across the globe will come together to operate peacefully in order to ensure freedom of navigation, freedom of global commons, for the benefit of all nations,” he stated.
He said that he didn’t see Beijing’s charge against the US (of trying to create an Asian NATO) as a “valid” accusation.
“[…] All nations get a choice. A sovereign choice on what they like to do with other nations. And if nations want to come together to provide security and prosperity, then I don’t think it is necessarily bad,” he remarked.
The remarks were made at the ‘Raisina Dialogue,' an annual geopolitical conference jointly organised by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
Indian Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Australia’s Chief of Defence Forces General Angus Campbell, Japan’s Chief of Staff at the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) General Koji Yamakazi and Air Marshall Luc De Rancourt, Deputy Director-General for International Affairs and Strategy at France’s Ministry for Armed Forces were the other participants of the panel.
“I look forward to my counterpart (from China) raising the issue with me when he next wishes to speak with me,” Australia’s General Campbell said, responding to Beijing’s allegation.
Beijing has not only accused the Indo-Pacific Strategy of trying to create an “Asian NATO,” it has also strongly criticised the trans-Atlantic grouping’s role in fuelling the conflict in Ukraine. Beijing has consistently maintained that the legitimate security interests in the Ukraine conflict must be respected, in line with Moscow’s concerns about the expansion of the Brussels-headquartered alliance since 1990.
A joint statement released by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February said that both countries "oppose further enlargement of NATO," which ultimately led Moscow to announce its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Beijing has also been expressing concerns regarding the growing political and military contacts between Washington and the self-governed Chinese province of Taiwan. A key report released by the White House in February and titled "Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States," says the US “will defend our interests, deter military aggression against our own country and our allies and partners — including across the Taiwan Strait.”
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the “Global Security Initiative” as a pushback against the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Beijing-backed initiative, which it says is already being “implemented,” “opposed dividing” the Asia-Pacific region.
NATO, on the other hand, this April invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea to its foreign ministers’ meeting. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said that the military alliance would “deepen cooperation” with the four nations under its new ‘Strategic Concept’ (10-year-plan) to counter Beijing’s growing influence.
Meanwhile, in the Asia-Pacific region, there is growing discord between China and US allies such as Australia over Beijing's security cooperation with the Solomon Islands. Australian PM Scott Morrison has warned that a potential Chinese military base on the Solomon Islands would constitute a “red line” for Canberra and Washington. Beijing has rejected claims that it wants to set up a base in the region.
