Joint Dec Signed w/EU, Says China 'Assertiveness' Presents Challenges

For the first time, a NATO-EU joint declaration has mentioned China, with the document stating: "We live in an era of growing strategic competition. China’s growing assertiveness and policies present challenges that we need to address." Text of joint declaration: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_...

• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the declaration earlier this morning in Brussels.
• While the comment on China is relatively vague, the very fact that both NATO and the EU are identifying China as a strategic competitor will continue to put the EU and its member states in a difficult position given the strong economic links between some EU countries and Beijing.
• Both sides commit to deeper cooperation: "We will further strengthen our cooperation in existing areas, and expand and deepen our cooperation to address in particular the growing geostrategic competition, resilience issues, protection of critical infrastructures, emerging and disruptive technologies, space, the security implications of climate change, as well as foreign information manipulation and interference."