Stoltenberg Announces Need to Update NATO’s Strategic Concept Because of China, Russia

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - NATO's 2010 Strategic Concept requires update since the situation has changed, it does not take into account the rise of China and the deterioration of relations with Russia, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after the first day of the videoconference of the heads of the alliance's defence ministers.

"I propose to the Heads of State and Government, when they meet here later this year, that they should agree to update NATO's Strategic Concept. I do so because I think the time is right. We have a strategic concept we agreed back in 2010, and that concept actually serves us well, but since then the security environment we face has fundamentally changed. For instance, in the current strategic concept we are not addressing the shifting balance of power and the security consequences of the rise of China. We hardly mention climate change. ... Back in 2010, we were working for establishing what we thought to be a strategic partnership with Russia. Since then we've seen Russia being responsible for aggressive actions against neighbours, the illegal annexation of Crimea, and the things have fundamentally changed. So we need to update our strategic concept, we need to recommit to our core values and we need to use it to further strengthen the bond between North America and Europe," he said.