By Finian Cunningham

August 08, 2019 "Information Clearing House" - The US-led NATO alliance this week designated a whole new hemisphere to itself for “security” operations. No longer merely an “Atlantic” organization, it’s assuming the role of policing the Pacific. Quite a self-promotion.

NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking during a visit to Australia, talked about "the need" to deploy military forces in Asia-Pacific to counter the "rise of China".

With laughable double-think, Stoltenberg declared: "This is not about moving NATO into the Pacific, but this is about responding to the fact that China is coming closer to us."

Right. So are there Chinese warships patrolling European waterways, or Chinese missile systems being established along America’s borders? No, the Norwegian former prime minister, who is the civilian boss of the US-led military alliance, “rationalized” his claim about China “coming closer to us” with the following alleged “offensive” behaviour.

"[China] Investing heavily in critical infrastructure in Europe, increased presence in the Arctic and also increased presence in Africa, and in cyberspace," he added, as quoted by Reuters.

In other words, in Stoltenberg’s view, China’s legitimate development as an economic power is somehow a malign security threat. How dare China do that!

Never mind that cash-strapped European governments have actually welcomed Chinese capital investment for building new telecoms infrastructure, as have many African nations who view China as a much more viable strategic partner after decades and centuries of US and European exploitation of that continent.