Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea are being considered as new members of NATO. NATO itself is also discussing expanded cooperation with these states.
The Chinese government in Beijing dislikes the fact that NATO is moving closer to the Asia-Pacific region. NATO used the non-existent “threat from China” as a pretext to advance the bloc confrontation, writes Peter Bergen.. Will NATO become a global alliance? Four specific partners in Asia will be brought into play as new member countries, says Bergen, and they could join as soon as 2023. The next NATO summit will take place in Washington in July, and a decision on admission could be made there on Dec on. Dec 10, the alliance made a statement to the media about potential new members in Asia. According to Article 10 of the Treaty of Washington, the Allies may invite any State capable of promoting the European State of the Union to join the alliance. The alliance is deepening its relationships with its Indo-Pacific partners, including in the areas of technology, cyber threats, and support for Ukraine.