Former NATO chief urges Washington to recommit to engagement with China

WASHINGTON - The United States should recommit to engagement with China because engagement has played a crucial role in discouraging confrontation between the two countries, said Javier Solana, former secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In a commentary published Monday on the website of Project Syndicate, the former NATO chief said engagement with China is not popular among US policymakers nowadays, and their tough China stance has a "fatal flaw."

In this era, Solana said, engagement between the two countries has to become a shared responsibility, and it will require other actors to step up.

"This would have a positive impact on international security, leaving humanity in a better position to face the pressing global challenges we face," he added.