Analysts cautioned that NATO’s incursion could increase unease among people who might see it as an infringement on the security and interests of the Indo-Pacific region, even as the alliance works to fortify its relationships with these allies.
For the third year in a row, non-member allies Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are in Washington, DC, for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit.
Known as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4), they are set to discuss defence industrial cooperation with NATO counterparts on Thursday (Jul 11).
Also on the agenda are concerns about threats posed by China and the dispute over Taiwan, as well as worries about Beijing’s stepped-up security ties with Russia and North Korea.
In 2022, the IP4 group suddenly became prominent worldwide. Beijing presented systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security, according to NATO, which designated China as a potential threat for the first time that same year.
Both factions, according to analysts, are united by shared worries about China’s increasing assertiveness and strategic orientation in the area.
According to Professor Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, NATO’s interest in the area reflects the economic and interregional ties between the Indo-Pacific, North America, and the European continent.
The Indo-Pacific region is economically vital to NATO and the entire world.” “There’s a lot on the line for (all) parties,” stated the senior fellow at the American think tank, the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security.
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