There is a mistaken belief by some in Washington that deterring Chinese aggression requires the United States to cut back its military commitments in Europe, where American forces help NATO to deter Moscow. But this approach misses the key fact that Putin’s Russia is an active threat, waging a war of imperial aggression against Ukraine right now and testing whether NATO will defend Poland, the Baltics, and the rest of the alliance’s eastern flank.
There is ample reason to be concerned about potential Chinese aggression, primarily against Taiwan, but it remains a possibility, not a fact. What the advocates of pulling American troops out of Europe fail to recognize is that China is taking the measure of America’s response to Russian adventurism, gauging whether there is a steadfast resolve to defend the West and preserve national boundaries. The stronger and more united NATO remains, the less incentive Beijing will have to test American resolve elsewhere.
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