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| This photo, provided by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), shows NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg having an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 27. Yonhap |
Japan and NATO must "remain united and firm" in the face of security threats posed by China, North Korea and Russia's war in Ukraine, Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday in Tokyo.
Stoltenberg, secretary general of the European and North American military alliance, warned that Beijing was keeping a close eye on developments in Ukraine and "learning lessons that may influence its future decisions".
He spoke alongside Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after the pair held talks as part of a trip to Asia by Stoltenberg aiming to boost ties with democratic allies.
"What is happening in Europe today could happen in East Asia tomorrow. So we must remain united and firm, standing together for freedom and democracy," he said.
Stoltenberg and Kishida said they were worried by the increasing cooperation they saw between China and Russia.
"We highlight with concern Russia's growing military cooperation with China, including through joint operations and drills in the vicinity of Japan," they said in a joint statement. (AFP)
