NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang in New York

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News September 23, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22 to discuss bilateral ties and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Stoltenberg said in a statement that “We stand ready to continue our dialogue on global security” with China. The NATO secretary general stated that during his meeting with the Chinese foreign minister he called on China “to use its influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine”

According to the NATO statement, the secretary general also raised NATO’s concerns on “human rights and China’s military activity near Taiwan.”

In June, NATO adopted a new Strategic Concept at the Madrid Summit, which termed China’s “ambitions and coercive policies” as a challenge to “NATO’s interests, security, and values.” The NATO official press release stated that the Allies “remain open to constructive engagement with the People’s Republic of China, including to build reciprocal transparency, with a view to safeguarding the Alliance’s security interests.”

During his meeting with Stoltenberg, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “As a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council, China is open to conducting dialogue and exchanges with NATO, and is willing to jointly promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.”

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, Wang highlighted the importance of strengthening communication, enhancing understanding, and preventing misunderstandings and false information “in the spirit of frankness and mutual respect.”

The Chinese media sources highlighted that during the meeting, the NATO secretary said that “China plays an important role in global issues with its growing economy and influence.” Stoltenberg also noted that the NATO Alliance does not consider China as a rival, attaches importance to maintaining and strengthening engagements with China, and has a positive attitude towards developing relations with China.

*^{NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaking during a press conference. (Image Credit: NATO)}*

Stoltenberg stated that “China plays an important role in global issues with its growing economy and influence.” NATO Alliance expects to explore cooperation with China in arms control, climate change, and other fields in order to better cope with global challenges. In response, Wang said that “China is willing to carry out necessary cooperation with NATO on global issues and contribute to peace and stability.”

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang last held in person meeting during the Munich Security Conference in 2020 and also met virtually in September 2021 for talks on NATO-China relations and international security challenges.