The Chinese state-run propaganda newspaper Global Times mocked the ongoing NATO summit in Washington on Tuesday as a display of a “brittle” alliance, claiming that the fact that most member states hold free and fair elections – and thus routinely change their rules – weakens them.
The Global Times and other Chinese government outlets routinely disparage the concept of elections, encouraging the world to adopt totalitarian communism in the name of “stability.”
“Regardless of electoral democracy’s advantages, including transparency and competitiveness, it has flaws that should not be ignored. The biggest problem is that it cannot truly reflect the essence of democracy,” the state newspaper quoted a regime-approved “expert” declaring in 2019.
This week, the Times used the NATO summit as an example of the nefarious consequences of allowing the people of a nation to choose their leaders, expressing particular worry that former President Donald Trump may win the 2024 American presidential election and that populist conservative movements have expanded their bases of support in France and the United Kingdom.
The leaders of NATO member countries, and key allies such as Ukraine and South Korea, are meeting this week in Washington, DC, for their annual summit. Defending Ukraine from the ongoing Russian invasion and colonization of its territory is a top priority for the meeting, though leaders have also floated conversations on challenging China’s illegal claims in the South China Sea, where the Communist Party has been especially belligerent attacking American allies such as the Philippines.
The Global Times published an assessment of the summit condemning what it called plans to build an “Asian NATO” by forging stronger ties with South Korea and Japan and describing NATO generally as a source of global discord. The Chinese state outlet explicitly objected to NATO member states holding elections to decide their political leadership.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sits in the audience before President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the 75th anniversary of NATO at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“The NATO summit aims to project ‘unity’ and ‘shared interests’ outwardly, but internally, there are increasing anxieties and worries among member countries,” the Global Times assessed, citing a regime-approved professor. “For example, the rise of far-right forces in Europe, political challenges faced by Germany and France and other core European countries, and the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House have all added uncertainties.”
“The Tuesday summit came as some Democrats called on Joe Biden to step aside over his fitness and age, while Biden declined and defended his 2024 campaign,” the outlet continued. “Also in Europe, there is a major political turmoil in France – although the left-wing parties’ alliance won the decisive round of France’s legislative election on Sunday night, a parliament without a majority may lead to uncertainty in France, according to media reports.”
The Global Times has expressed particular alarm over France, where the National Rally (NR) party of populist leader Marine Le Pen made significant gains in this weekend’s legislative election. Cui Hongjian, the same professor cited in the NATO article, told the Times on Monday that the French left needs to make “systemic change” to silence conservatives, otherwise “the populist soil will continue to nourish the far-right, making them increasingly powerful in future elections.”
The Global Times presented the potential for various ideologies to vy for power in France and other NATO states on Tuesday as a threat, “political fragility” absent from systems such as China’s, where genocidal dictator Xi Jinping has ruled uncontested for over a decade.
The Times also objected to NATO’s “intentions to extend their influence into the Asia-Pacific region for geopolitical gain.”
“It underscores NATO’s origins in the Cold War era, designed as a military tool to bolster US hegemony, which critics said only exacerbates global instability and discord,” the outlet complained.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry weighed in on the NATO summit in a more measured way, but expressed similar concern that NATO countries are expected to discuss Chinese military belligerence against its neighbors.
“We firmly reject NATO’s vilification and blame-shifting against China,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Tuesday. “NATO should not use China to justify its insertion into the Asia-Pacific and attempt to disrupt regional dynamics. China is a force for world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.”
“We urge NATO to form the right perception of China, get rid of its Cold War mentality and zero-sum approach, stop scaremongering on security and making imaginary enemies, stop forming exclusive clubs in the name of collective defense, and play a constructive role for global peace, stability and development,” Lin demanded.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from right, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, President Joe Biden, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson pose during a family photo on the 75th anniversary of NATO at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
While the South China Sea situation, in which the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Coast Guard regularly attack civilian Filipino and Vietnamese ships in their own waters, has attracted NATO attention, NATO leaders have focused more on China’s relationship with Russia. The Chinese Communist Party has failed to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite its friendly trade relations with Kyiv and is one of Russia’s most important trade partners, helping Moscow avoid the consequences of Western sanctions.
China has also maintained close ties with Belarus, the last communist dictatorship in Europe and a key supporter of the Russian invasion. The Chinese military is currently conducting joint military exercises with Belarus through July 19, bringing the People’s Liberation Army to NATO’s border and offering Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko a vote of confidence on the world stage.
The outgoing head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said at an event in June that he believes NATO should consider making China pay for its support to Russia.
“China is fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, and, at the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West,” Stoltenberg said. “Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point — and unless China changes course — allies need to impose a cost. There should be consequences.”
In his opening remarks at the summit on Tuesday evening, host American President Joe Biden did not mention China, only noting that “countries from the Indo-Pacific region” were attending the event.
“And here with us — and here with us today are countries from the Indo-Pacific region. They’re here because they have a stake in our success and we have a stake in theirs,” Biden said.
Biden instead focused most of his specific remarks on aiding Ukraine, vowing increased military support for the country and announcing that America would priority Ukraine to receive “critical air defense interceptors.”
“Ukraine goes to the front of the line. They will get this assistance before anyone else gets it,” Biden asserted.
