SEOUL: The recent attendance by four Asia Pacific leaders at the NATO summit reflects a “consequential shift” in the US transatlantic security partnership which Washington seeks to expand to better counter China, a senior US diplomat told Reuters.
In an interview in Seoul, US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who serves as a senior policy adviser to Secretary Antony Blinken, said he sees “great potential” for cooperation between South Korea and NATO, built on previous exchanges including global efforts to help Ukraine and European countries joining RIMPAC military exercises in Asia.
“I think one of the most consequential shifts we’ve seen over the decade is the growing relationship between our transatlantic partners and our partners here in the Indo-Pacific,” Chollet said.
Last month, Yoon Suk-yeol became the first South Korean president to attend a NATO summit in Spain, as he looks to play a bigger global role and forge European partnerships in the face of North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.
The participation of Yoon and leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand, as well as NATO’s newly adopted strategy concept that cited China as a concern for the first time, was “truly historic” and “the beginning of what could be a very close partnership”, Chollet said.
“I vividly recall a decade ago trying to talk to European allies about the importance of the Indo-Pacific and having a hard time getting them to be able to pay much attention. That has changed fundamentally,” he said.
“The foundation or the principle of our approach to China is … aligning with partners and allies.”
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