Chris and the Peak team proudly introduce the newest contributor for Peak Insiders, the Forward Observer geostrategic intelligence summary. Each week, Mike Shelby and his team will share the intelligence, observations, details and foresight impacting global affairs. This week, Mike explains the latest moves by NATO and how China is responding.
Executive Summary:
- NATO’s Strategic Concept identifies China as a strategic competitor.
- NATO coordination and integration with South Korea, Japan New Zealand, and Australia.
- Signals a new role to defend the Western order around the globe.
- The Chinese are building a competing international order and responding to “Global NATO” with Xi’s new Global Security Initiative.
Eastern Flank
NATO officials unveiled a new Strategic Concept, which focuses on Russian deterrence and adds China as a strategic competitor. NATO uses the report to reinforce sentiment that they don’t seek military confrontation with Russia, but also don’t discount the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO countries or interests.
As a part of the new Strategic Concept of increased deterrence, NATO is mobilizing some 300,000 troops for a “high level of readiness” in order to contain Russian military activity to Ukraine. The decision will involve some heavy lifting from the United States, which has already deployed the headquarters company of the 101st Airborne Division to Europe and plans to rebase the Army’s V Corps headquarters to Poland. The new posture also includes rebasing attack aviation, Stryker units, an infantry battalion, air defense, and F-15s from interior bases in Germany and the UK to Poland, Lithuania, and Romania, among others.