The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has said that the threat from Russia and China is the biggest challenge of our time. This was reported by UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
According to Bloomberg, European leaders traveled to Asia this week with a key message: we need to work more closely together to preserve the rules-based order against threats from China and Russia.
The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and French President Emmanuel Macron, during a series of speeches in Southeast Asia in recent days, emphasized the connection between Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine and Russia's deepening relations with China.
"This is the biggest challenge of our time," Kallas told an audience at the Shangri-La security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
"When China and Russia talk about jointly leading changes that have not happened for a hundred years and revising the global security order, we should all be extremely concerned," she added.
Kallas accused China of helping to develop Russia's military machine, saying that 80% of dual-use goods used to fight Ukraine come from the world's second-largest economy. She noted how US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned of the threat China poses to the rest of Asia, and said that Russia should also be a major concern.
"If you're worried about China, you should be worried about Russia," Kallas said.
Western officials accuse China of supplying Russia with critical technology, including drones, while claiming that both countries have engaged in cyberattacks, acts of sabotage, and dangerous activity related to infrastructure such as deep-sea cables.
Kallas called on European and Asian partners to work together to combat secret tanker fleets and revise maritime security laws. North Korea's direct support for Russia's military efforts, including missiles, ammunition and troops, has brought the conflict even closer to home on both sides of the world.
If China does not want NATO to be involved in Southeast Asian affairs or in Asia, it must prevent North Korea from being involved on European soil
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is absent from Singapore this week, which surprised European officials. This is the first time since 2019 that China has not sent its top military diplomat to the annual forum, where the head of the delegation usually delivers a speech and answers questions on the third day of the event.
Bloomberg notes that relations between China and Russia are complex. Although at first glance both sides express friendship "without restrictions", which has led to increased military and political exchanges, there are still key differences between them.
Russia has long wanted China to buy more of its non-energy goods and fears an influx of cheap Chinese goods due to the outflow of Western brands. Beijing has spoken out against Russia's nuclear threats and fears that it will be perceived as too closely tied to Russia, as this could carry the risk of sanctions and damage the potential for improved ties with Europe in a world concerned about tariffs and the instability of US President Donald Trump.
Trump wants to divide the world between the US, Russia and China - NYT28.05.25, 12:57 • [views_3663]