NATO to toughen G7 message on China despite Beijing's cries of 'slander'

Brussels: NATO leaders are expected to brand China a security risk to the Western alliance when they meet on Monday, a day after the Group of Seven rich nations issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing said slandered its reputation.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has described the summit, which U.S. President Joe Biden will attend for the first time, as a "pivotal moment". Members aim to show that the seven-decades-old defence alliance remains a central support for U.S. efforts to uphold peace and democracy around the world, including standing up to China and its rapid military rise.