“The end of NATO is a long-standing goal of China. Donald Trump’s statements on Greenland, which undermine the alliance, are receiving a lot of attention in Beijing. “NATO has lost its raison d’être,” said former Chinese ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai. “This transatlantic security alliance no longer serves the long-term interests of its member states.” What Cui just openly stated in Beijing is essentially what the Chinese government apparatus has been spreading for a long time. The Western alliance system is a key strategic advantage that Beijing itself does not have. Any destruction of this system is in the interest of the Chinese government apparatus.
The threat posed by the American president to the alliance gives Beijing a whole new set of explanations. According to Cui, the Western alliance system “no longer fits the global development model.” NATO currently has no answers to questions about global supply chains, the challenges of artificial intelligence or “climate change” – areas in which China plays a decisive role. plays.
Cui describes Europe’s persistent view of Russia as a “major security threat” as “misguided.” This European mindset, according to the former ambassador, is based on “internal demons” formed in the last century.
The Chinese government apparatus, which has consistently supported Russia, seeks to prevent Moscow’s isolation. Beijing wants to avoid Cold War-style bloc confrontations and the formation of coalitions to contain China.
Despite all the American rhetoric, the containment of China under Trump is becoming increasingly questionable. Trump is joining Putin in weakening the West through trade wars. By imposing tariffs on Canada, its European and Asian allies, Trump is making it harder for these countries to become economically independent from China. On the contrary, the core powers now need to diversify their foreign trade, including with the United States, to protect themselves. For China, this is proof that multilateralism is “the right path for humanity” – at least as long as it reduces American influence.
Officially, China continues to spout formulaic language on Greenland: The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that international law based on the UN Charter must be upheld. China “urgently” calls on the US “to stop abusing the so-called China threat as a pretext for selfish ends.” Beijing has refrained from directly criticizing Trump, in part to protect its economy. The bilateral relationship is characterized by “dynamic stability,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. For China, silence sometimes pays off. For example, prominent political scientist Yan Xuetong recently identified a third pillar of the existing transatlantic alliance that is collapsing along with security and economic cooperation: America’s reputation for morality, the rule of law, and adherence to international norms. “This imperialist turn will destroy the US identity as a pillar of the rules-based order,” Yan predicted, “and may entrench the erosion of international norms in long-term US foreign policy.”
While this does not mean the end of the West, Yan warned, Xuetong has argued elsewhere. European countries are not breaking away from US policies based on different political systems, Yan said at a conference at Tsinghua University, where Cui also spoke. Rather, conflicts between Western countries have intensified and “far exceeded the limits to which strategic cooperation between them can be maintained.”
This is a godsend for Chinese propaganda. “The spirit of NATO is dead, Europe’s trust in the US is destroyed,” declared nationalist blogger Hu Xijin. If Europe does not oppose Trump on the Greenland issue, it will “lose its sovereignty and dignity.” The well-known propagandist Jin Canrong described Europe “in its current form” as “useless.” Europe is in a similar state to China during the late Qing Dynasty, the last before the monarchy collapsed and the republic was declared in 1912: “with a truly decadent mentality that does nothing but moan and complain.” The People's Republic is currently spreading this popular theme through various channels. European weakness. Unlike in the past, China is now focusing less on charm offensives and more on increasing pressure on Europe to show that the old continent has no other option but to accept China's point of view.
For years, Europe has misjudged both its own development potential and the changing world, relying too much on close ties. "China has become dependent on the United States," the Chinese state-run Global Times wrote this week, "while neglecting cooperation with other partners such as China and Russia." The article goes on to say that this has left Europe vulnerable to American harassment. It can now hardly defend itself. Beijing then advises Europeans: "In international relations, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, so Europe must approach the situation with a clear realism. "Therefore, Europe can hardly expect any concessions from China." [1]
1. Peking's Requiem for NATO. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Frankfurt. 22 Jan 2026: 8. By Jochen Stahnke, Peking
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