Global Challenge
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Native Stories in Tuesday Aruba Today’s June 15, 2021 Column: T: 582-7800 Island Insight www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 10 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper NATO leaders declare China a global security challenge By AAMER MADHANI, JONATHAN LEMIRE and LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO leaders on Monday declared that China poses a constant security challenge and is working to undermine global order, and they said they're worried about how fast the Chinese are de- veloping nuclear missiles. In a summit statement, the leaders said that China's goals and "assertive behavior present systemic chal- lenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security." While the 30 heads of state and government avoid- ed calling China a rival, they expressed concern about what they said were its "coercive policies," the opaque ways it is modernizing its armed forces and its use of disinformation. They called on Beijing to uphold its international commitments and to act responsibly in the interna- GLOBAL tional system. The statement comes as President Joe Biden has stepped up his effort to rally allies to speak in a more CHALLENGE unified voice about China's human rights record, its trade practices and its military's increasingly assertive NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden during a bilateral behavior that has unnerved U.S. allies in the Pacific. meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, June 14, Continued on next page 2021. Associated Press A2 TUESDAY 15 JUNE 2021 UP FRONT Continued from Front needs technical or intelli- Biden, who arrived at the gence support in response summit after three days to a cyber attack, it would of consulting with Group be able to invoke the mu- of Seven allies in England, tual defense provision to re- pushed for the G-7 commu- ceive assistance, accord- nique there that called out ing to White House national what it said were forced security adviser Jake Sul- labor practices and other livan. The president started human rights violations im- his day meeting with lead- pacting Uyghur Muslims ers of the Baltic states on and other ethnic minori- NATO's eastern flank as well ties in the western Xinjiang as separate meetings with province. The president leaders of Poland and Ro- said he was satisfied with mania to discuss the threat the communique, although posed by Russia and the differences remain among recent air piracy in Belar- the allies about how force- us, according to the White fully to criticize Beijing. House. The new Brussels communi- Biden's itinerary in Europe que states plainly that the has been shaped so that NATO nations "will engage he would first gather with China with a view to de- G-7 leaders and then with fending the security inter- NATO leaders pose for a group photo during a NATO summit in Brussels, Monday, June 14, 2021. NATO allies in Brussels be- ests of the alliance."" Associated Press fore his much-anticipated The Chinese Embassy to meeting with Russian Presi- the United Kingdom on said. "I want NATO to know presence "emphasizes the fense provision of the NATO dent Vladimir Putin in Ge- Monday issued a state- America is there." renewal of the transatlantic charter, a central tenet of neva on Wednesday. And ment saying the G-7 com- It was a sharp shift in tone partnership." De Croo said the alliance. with both summits, Biden munique "deliberately slan- from the past four years, NATO allies were looking When alliance members aimed to consult European dered China and arbitrarily when Trump called the al- to get beyond four stormy last met for a summit in Eng- allies on efforts to coun- interfered in China's internal liance "obsolete" and com- years under the Trump ad- land in December 2019, ter provocative actions by affairs," and exposed the plained that it allowed for ministration and infighting Trump grabbed headlines China and Russia. "sinister intentions of a few "global freeloading" coun- among member countries. by calling Canadian Prime Biden will meet later on countries, such as the Unit- tries to spend less on military "I think now we are ready Minister Justin Trudeau Monday with Turkey's presi- ed States." There was no im- defense at the expense of to turn the page," de Croo "two-faced" and French dent, Erdogan, on the sum- mediate reaction from the the U.S. said. Italian Prime Minis- President Emmanuel Ma- mit sidelines. Chinese government to the Looking forward, Stolten- ter Mario Draghi made a cron "nasty." Biden has known Erdogan new NATO statement. berg noted myriad chal- not-so-subtle dig at Trump, Trump lashed out after for years but their relation- Biden arrived at his first lenges still facing the alli- while welcoming Biden. Trudeau was caught on a ship has frequently been NATO summit as presi- ance. "This summit is a continua- hot mic gossiping with other contentious. Biden, dur- dent as leading members "We are meeting at the piv- tion of yesterday's G-7 and leaders about Trump turn- ing his campaign, drew declared it a pivotal mo- otal time for our alliance, is part of the process of re- ing photo opportunities into ire from Turkish officials af- ment for an alliance be- the time of growing geo- affirming, of rebuilding the long news conferences. ter he described Erdogan leaguered during the presi- political competition, re- fundamental alliances of Ahead of the summit, Ma- as an "autocrat." In April, dency of Donald Trump, gional instability, terrorism, the United States that had cron had declared NATO Biden infuriated Ankara by who questioned the rel- cyber attacks and climate been weakened by the "brain dead" because of a declaring that the Otto- evance of the multilateral change," Stoltenberg said previous administration," he void in U.S. leadership un- man-era mass killing and organization. at the start of a joint session said. "Think that President der Trump. deportations of Armenians Shortly after arriving at the of the NATO leaders. "No Biden's first visit is to Europe The White House said the was "genocide" — a term alliance's headquarters for nation and no continent and try to remember where communique to be signed that U.S. presidents have the first NATO summit of can deal with these chal- President Trump's first visit by alliance members at avoided using.q his presidency, Biden sat lenges alone. But Europe was?" the end of the NATO sum- down with NATO Secretary and North America are not Trump's first overseas visit as mit is expected to include General Jens Stoltenberg alone." president was to Saudi Ara- language about updating and underscored the U.S. Biden, who came to Brus- bia. Article 5 to include major commitment to Article 5 of sels following three days of Trump routinely berated cyber attacks — a matter the alliance charter, which consultations with Group of other NATO countries for of growing concern amid a spells out that an attack on Seven leaders in England, not spending enough on series of hacks targeting the one member is an attack was greeted by fellow defense and even threat- U.S. government and busi- on all and is to be met with leaders with warmth and ened to pull the U.S. out of nesses around the globe by a collective response. even a bit of relief. the world's biggest secu- Russia-based hackers. "Article 5 we take as a sa- Belgium Prime Minister Alex- rity organization and even The update will spell out cred obligation," Biden ander de Croo said Biden's questioned the mutual de- that if an alliance member facebook.com/arubatoday/ A3 U.S. NEWS TUESDAY 15 JUNE 2021 U.S. intel report warns of more violence by QAnon followers By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN ly refused to acknowledge and NOMAAN MERCHANT the election is over and WASHINGTON (AP) — A spoken baselessly of his vic- new federal intelligence re- tory being "stolen," despite port warns that adherents multiple court rulings and of QAnon, the conspiracy a finding by his own Jus- theory embraced by some tice Department upholding in the mob that stormed the integrity of the elec- the U.S. Capitol, could tion. One longtime ally told target Democrats and The Associated Press that other political opponents Trump has given credence for more violence as the to a conspiracy theory that movement's false prophe- he could somehow be rein- cies don't come true. stated into the presidency Many QAnon followers be- in August. lieve former President Don- Heinrich pressed FBI Direc- ald Trump was fighting en- tor Chris Wray in April to re- emies within the so-called lease an assessment of how "deep state" to expose a the government views QA- cabal of Satan-worshipping non. "The public deserves cannibals operating a child to know how the govern- sex trafficking ring. Trump's ment assesses the threat to loss to President Joe Biden our country from those who disillusioned some believ- In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo rioters break into the Capitol in Washington. would act violently on such ers in "The Storm," a sup- Associated Press beliefs," he said then. posed reckoning in which The movement around Trump's enemies would be predicts that while some QAnon-themed accounts, societal polarization in the QAnon has already been tried and executed. Some QAnon adherents will pull many followers have U.S., and the "frequency linked to political vio- adherents have now piv- back, others "likely will be- moved to less well-known and content of pro-QAnon lence, notably during the oted to believing Trump is gin to believe they can no platforms and discussed statements by public indi- Jan.