NATO Secretary General Rutte has been very active recently, criticizing Russia and always taking the opportunity to comment on China, making remarks about it. He was Prime Minister of the Netherlands for 10 years, relatively low-key, single, and often cycled to a small restaurant for dinner after work. He has little presence, but his popularity among the public is quite high. Why did he change after becoming NATO Secretary General? He started to show off his presence.
Recently, he also made statements at the Munich Security Conference:
"The long-term threat from Russia exists. By the way, we should not have naive illusions about China."
"Regarding the Arctic, it's not just Russia, but also China."
The US wants to buy Greenland, but Rutte didn't say a word, yet he used the fact that Greenland has never seen Chinese ships to talk about China, regarding it as a threat.
Rutte's remarks indicate that although China is a "near-Arctic country," in the eyes of the West, it is an external power. Its infrastructure investments or scientific activities in the region may be viewed as potential strategic deployments with dual uses.
China's interest in Arctic energy may, in Rutte's and the West's view, attempt to influence the global energy landscape.
Rutte believes that China's activities in the Arctic should not be seen merely as purely scientific or commercial endeavors, but rather as part of its global influence.
In summary, Rutte's statement is a microcosm of Europe's shift in security thinking towards "great power competition," indicating that there may be greater vigilance towards China's involvement in Arctic issues.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857108627505216/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.