'Be prepared for wartime scenario': Top Nato official warns Western businesses about China, Russia

A top Nato official has warned Western businesses about threats from China and Russia.

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer on Monday told Western business leaders that their commercial decisions have strategic implications and warned them to prepare for a wartime scenario regarding threats from China and Russia.

Flagging the West’s dependence on Russia for energy and China for supply chains, Bauer said that it would be “naive” to think that these countries would not use such dependency to their advantage.

Speaking at an event European Policy Centre, Bauer noted that China produces up to 60 per cent and processes up to 90 per cent of all rare earth minerals. He further said several things of everyday use, such as ingredients for critical medicines such as sedatives, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and blood pressure medicines also come from China.

“If we can make sure that all crucial services and goods can be delivered no matter what, then that is a key part of our deterrence…We are naive if we think the Communist Party will never use that power. Business leaders in Europe and America need to realise that the commercial decisions they make have strategic consequences for the security of their nation,” said Bauer, who serves as the Chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (Nato) Military Committee, as per Reuters.

Bauer went on to note that such a scenario has already been seen regarding Russia in the sphere of energy supplies.

Bauer said, “We’re seeing that with the growing number of sabotage acts and Europe has seen that with energy supply. We thought we had a deal with Gazprom, but we actually had a deal with Mr Putin and the same goes for Chinese-owned infrastructure and goods. We actually have a deal with (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping).”

Bauer said that businesses need to prepare their production and distribution lines as per wartime scenario and highlighted the importance of economies in wars.

“Businesses need to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly. Because while it may be the military who wins battles, it’s the economies that win wars,” said Bauer.