NATO is the wrong vehicle to deter a rising China. The U.S.-led, Brussels-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been stunningly successful, preventing major wars on the European land mass for most of its 75-year history. But both geography and NATO’s composition mean that the alliance is poorly positioned to thwart Beijing’s ambitions for mastery of the Indo-Pacific.
In his Jan. 31, 2024, remarks delivered at the Heritage Foundation, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg argued for NATO’s continued relevance. Stoltenberg pointed out that NATO has provided the United States with a vast array of allies. Stoltenberg noted that NATO has played a key role in shoring up security in Europe and creating a market for defense sales and partnerships. Stoltenberg was also correct to highlight that “managing the China challenge is not something the U.S. can do alone.” But the secretary-general’s implication that NATO can be a primary means to address the China threat is flawed.
