A senior NATO military leader has urged companies to prepare for a possible wartime situation by rethinking their supply chains to reduce pressure from rival countries such as Russia and China. Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, stressed that economic reform is as important as military capability in maintaining national security.
Speaking at an event organized by the European Policy Institute in Brussels, Bauer explained that deterrence is not limited to military force but includes the ability to maintain critical goods and services in any situation. ”If we can make sure that all necessary services and resources can be provided no matter what, that’s an important part of our prevention,” he said.
He highlighted growing threats, including acts of sabotage and geopolitical pressures that have already tested Europe’s resilience. “We thought we had a deal with Gazprom, but in reality, it was a deal with Vladimir Putin,” Bauer noted, referring to Russia’s use of energy supplies as a tool for political leverage. “The same goes for Chinese-owned infrastructure and goods. When we make deals with Chinese companies, we’re effectively making deals with President Xi Jinping.”
Bauer warned that the West is overly dependent on China for basic supplies. China currently produces 60% of the world’s rare earth resources and processes 90% of them, materials needed for technology, defense and renewable energy. Furthermore, he noted that many medicinal products, such as sedatives, antibiotics, antibiotics, and antihypertensives, come from China.
“We are naïve to think that the Chinese Communist Party never uses this leverage,” Bauer warned.
