Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato cannot be “naive” about China’s military development, as the Indo-Pacific and European theatres are becoming “more intertwined”, evident in Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Nato’s Secretary General has said.

Rutte said that Nato “cannot be naive” about China, noting that he had already discussed the issue via text with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

China launched what it called a “strategic missile” on Monday carrying a dummy warhead from its nuclear-powered submarine towards the Pacific, in a first known submarine-based missile test since 1982.

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How does Trump’s latest fallout with traditional allies play into Beijing’s hands?

“This is why we have this close cooperation, because these theatres are getting more intertwined, connected,” Rutte explained.