NATO-People’s Republic of China Competition

Year 2023, Issue: 77, 330 - 349, 28.07.2023

Gökhan Tekir

https://doi.org/10.51290/dpusbe.1259924

Abstract

The rise of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in economic, technologocial, and political areas is the most serious systemic challenge to the Atlantic bloc after the end of the Cold War. During the era of the U.S. President Donald Trump, the measures against PRC’s rising remained one-sided due to Trump’s suspicions againts NATO alliance. With the election of Joe Biden to the U.S. presidency, his policy of strengthening transatlantic alliance enabled NATO to adopt a common approach concerning the PRC. The PRC’s support to Russia in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its measures against Uyghur population in Xinjiang, and its strong language in Taiwan issue are factors that led to change in Europe’s threat perception. Thus, European countries started to side with the USA concerning the PRC. NATO identified the PRC as a systemic challenger in 2021 and announced that it will act cooperatively against the security threats that PRC caused. NATO identified political, economic, and digital spheres competition areas with the PRC. It should be expected that NATO will strengthen its partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region; solidify cooperation between the USA and European countries to provide common approach concerning the PRC; and adopt an active position in cybersecurity to counter the activities of the PRC in the cyber area.

Keywords

NATO, the People’s Republic of China, the USA, the EU, Competition

NATO-Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti Rekabeti

Abstract

Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti’nin (ÇHC) ekonomik, teknolojik ve siyasi alanlarında yükselişi, Soğuk Savaş’ın sona ermesinden sonra, Atlantik bloğuna yönelen en ciddi sistemik meydan okumadır. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) Başkanı Donald Trump döneminde ÇHC’nin bu yükselişine yönelik önlemler, Trump’ın NATO ittifakına yönelik şüpheci tavrı nedeniyle tek taraflı olarak kalmıştır. Joe Biden’ın ABD başkanlığına seçilmesiyle transatlantik ittifakını güçlendiren politikası NATO’nun ÇHC konusunda ortak bir tutum almasını kolaylaştırmıştır. ÇHC’nin Rusya’nın Ukrayna işgalinde Rusya’yı destekleyen bir tutum alması, Şincan bölgesinde Uygurlara yönelik uygulamaları ve Tayvan konusunda sertleşen üslubu Avrupa’nın ÇHC konusundaki tehdit algılamasını değiştiren faktörlerdir. Böylece, Avrupalı ülkeler de ÇHC konusunda ABD ile benzer konuma gelmeye başlamıştır. NATO, 2021 yılında ÇHC’yi sistemik bir meydan okuyucu olarak tanımlamış ve 2022 yılında da ÇHC’nin neden olduğu güvenlik tehditleri karşısında ortak hareket edeceğini açıklamıştır. NATO, politik, ekonomik ve dijital alanları ÇHC ile rekabet alanları olarak tanımlamıştır. NATO’nun ÇHC ile mücadele kapsamında Asya-Pasifik bölgesinde ortaklıklarını güçlendireceği, politik olarak ABD-Avrupa ülkeleri arasında ÇHC konusunda ortak bir tutum almak için iş birliğini tahkim edeceği ve ÇHC’nin siber alandaki faaliyetleri için siber güvenlik alanında aktif bir pozisyon alacağı beklenmelidir.

Keywords

NATO, Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti, ABD, AB, rekabet

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