“Sewage of the Cold War”: China’s Expanding Narratives on NATO
Although China’s views on NATO have fluctuated since the early days of the Cold War, Beijing’s recent statements on the alliance have sharpened. This report argues that they amount to a “rhetorical attack” on the alliance’s legitimacy that can potentially undermine trust among its Asia-Pacific partners and, more broadly, confidence in Western ideas of collective security. The report offers recommendations for investments NATO should make in understanding, tracking, and countering Chinese narratives about the alliance.
About the Report
Drawing on open-source information and communications, this report examines the recent adversarial shift in China’s public statements about NATO and builds the case that NATO should invest in efforts to understand, track, and counter China’s narratives about the alliance. The report was commissioned by the China program of the United States Institute of Peace.
About the Author(s)
Philip Shetler-Jones is a senior research fellow at the International Security Studies Department of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, where he focuses on geopolitical relations in the Indo-Pacific region. Previously, he served as an officer in the UK Royal Marine Commandos; held positions at the United Nations and the European Union; and consulted for NATO, the Organisation for Security Co-operation in Europe, the UK Ministry of Defence, and Chatham House.