| Summary/Abstract |
This year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) initiated a strategic reflection about China, with the United States requesting allies to join in its attempt to come to grips with China's growing prowess. Beyond the Pacific, China has staged exercises in the Mediterranean and in the Baltic, and it has built a large new base in Djibouti, right on NATO's doorstep.1 Its ambitions in cyber and space have no geographic borders and are therefore of significance to the alliance. China’s expansion of an ever more sophisticated arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles has consequences in terms of deterrence and missile defense. Still, European allies are reluctant to endorse a role for NATO toward China. The failure of NATO to formulate a proper answer to China's ascent could undermine its relevance in the new world order and increase frustration on both sides of the Atlantic.
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