According to Guangming.com, in recent years, NATO has continued to extend to the Asia-Pacific region.
The communiqué of the Vilnius summit pointed out that the development of the situation in the Asia-Pacific region may have a direct impact on the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.
In 2023, NATO will continue to strengthen cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
On January 25, NATO launched the Indo-Pacific Future initiative to further advance its partnership with the Indo-Pacific region.
In July, NATO signed "Individual Targeted Partnership Programs" with Japan and South Korea, respectively, to further institutionalize cooperation.
In addition, South Korea and Japan joined NATO's Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in May and November, respectively.
Since 2022, "if there is something in the Taiwan Strait, there is something wrong with Japan", has become the basic strategy of Japan to deal with the geopolitical relations in the Asia-Pacific under the new situation. By forcibly tying itself to the situation in the Taiwan Strait, it aims to highlight its strategic position and regional intervention capabilities in order to gain more Western support and further support from the United States.
As the United States and China establish a new diplomatic dialogue in the new situation, a framework for conflict control, and elections in Taiwan approach, the key situation is changing, and Japan is secretly trying to seek opportunities to intervene and make it appear abrupt in the Taiwan Strait.
According to the report, Japan recently passed the draft budget for fiscal year 2024 at a cabinet meeting, in which defense spending has increased for 12 consecutive years.
In addition, Japan plans to purchase another batch of 15 F-35 fighters from the United States.
Under the pretext of "counterattack," Japan actually wants to develop a preemptive offensive capability in order to "deter" its opponent and take the initiative to create a security environment favorable to itself.
Japan's attempt to "loosen itself" to get rid of the constraints of its pacifist constitution and the principle of "exclusive defense" in an attempt to become a military power will bring more uncertainty to the security of the Asian region.
Japan's substantial increase in defense budget and military strength will upset the existing military balance in Northeast Asia, exacerbate Japan's "security dilemma" with its neighbors, and may even trigger an arms race and create serious security risks.
According to the information released by the "South China Sea Strategic Situational Awareness", the US maritime surveillance ship "Able" carried out high-intensity operations in the waters west of the Mindoro Strait and north of the Nansha Islands.
The spy ship left Singapore on the 30th of last month and began to move to the waters north of the Spratly Islands on the 15th of this month, where it continues to this day.
Combined with the recent grim situation in the South China Sea, it is essentially provoking China and serving the Philippines' ambition to disrupt and occupy China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has publicly stated: "NATO's ambitions lie not only in Eastern Europe, but also in the South China Sea." He made such a statement shortly after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict last year.
After the end of the Cold War, NATO did not dissolve, but embarked on the path of expansion.
It is trying to involve Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan and South Korea by creating security anxiety, which could pose a major risk to Asia-Pacific and even global security.
In NATO's 2030 reform plan, NATO has identified Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand as four partners in the Asia-Pacific region, and plans to meet regularly to discuss security topics of common concern, aiming to expand NATO's influence from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region and even the world.
Obviously, Washington is not satisfied with forming an Asian version of "mini-NATO" (such as the "Quadrilateral Dialogue between the United States, Japan, India and Australia"), but is trying to directly extend NATO's political influence and military deterrence to China's neighboring countries and regions.
The recently formed Blue Pacific Partnership seeks to create a small maritime alliance in the Pacific aimed at China.
South Korea, the only country located on the Northeast Asian continent, has also become part of NATO's eastward expansion due to its close relationship with the United States in terms of security and strategic interests due to the special geopolitical factors of the Korean Peninsula.
Dai Fan, deputy dean of the School of International Relations at Jinan University, pointed out that the frequent contacts between the Philippines and foreign powers are a background that cannot be ignored. In recent years, NATO has become more and more deeply associated with some countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Lithuania, according to the reference news network.
The two sides released a new "Individually Targeted Partnership Program" to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The plan covers cooperation in 16 areas, including cyber defense and space security, and specifies the expansion of the Self-Defense Forces' participation in NATO exercises and joint operations for emergency assistance.
Fumio Kishida said he is willing to further deepen cooperation with NATO at a time when NATO is increasing its focus and engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
The end point of NATO's eastward expansion is **?Will it be a neighbor of China?”
The issue was raised by the Global Times in 1997, before the US military and the "Central Asian peacekeeping battalion" held joint military exercises in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Over the years, NATO has responded to this problem through its actions.
Whether it is the NATO summit inviting the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand to attend the summit for the first time, or the United States, the leader of NATO, constantly strengthening the existing alliance in the Asia-Pacific region in order to build a "grand multilateral" security framework, Asia-Pacific countries must remain vigilant.
Among the four Asia-Pacific countries, Japan and South Korea have sought help from the United States in many matters and are trying to enhance their international standing through the United States and NATO.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy has strengthened Australia and New Zealand's influence in the region, and the two countries are actively moving closer to the U.S. in the hope of having a greater voice in the international community.
However, NATO has gradually become a tool for the United States to maintain its hegemony, and it is a dangerous game for both NATO and the Asia-Pacific allies of the United States.
NATO's "Asia-Pacificization" has intensified suspicion and confrontation among countries in the Asia-Pacific region and undermined peace and stability in the region. Asia-Pacific countries must remain vigilant to guard against the manipulation of US hegemonism.
At his annual press conference in Moscow, Putin praised Russian-Chinese relations as one of the important guarantees for maintaining stability in the world. He noted that the normalization of relations between Russia and the West is proceeding slowly, due to the fact that the West often ignores Russia's interests.
At the same time, he criticized NATO's expansion of influence in Asia and attempts to undermine peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
For China and ASEAN countries, striving for a code of conduct in the South China Sea as soon as possible is the most effective way to counter the ambitions of the United States and the West.
These four countries have close strategic ties with the United States, but are highly dependent on China economically.
Japan and South Korea, which are currently facing economic problems, are currently the countries in East Asia that are most actively following the United States in confronting China. Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, have been friendly to China recently, and their economic performance is acceptable, so the pressure is not so great. This shows that China has a way to get the four countries to change their stance through economic means.