By Andrea Shalal and Humeyra PamukSCHLOSS ELMAU , Germany, June 27 – NATO's first new strategy concept in a decade will for the first time cite China as a concern, but member states remain at odds over how to describe the country with the world's largest military and its relationship with Russia, according to NATO diplomats.Both the G7 summit of rich industrial democracies in Germany and the subsequent NATO summit will address China's deepening ties with Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and what is seen as the growing China's inclination to flex its geopolitical muscle and coercive economic power abroad.The new strategic concept to be approved at the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday and Thursday will address the growing threats posed by Russia and, for the first time, China, the world's second largest economy, US officials said last week. .A White House official expressed confidence Sunday that the document would include "strong" language on China, but said negotiations continue ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid on June 29-30.NATO diplomats said the United States and Britain have pushed for stronger language to reflect what they see as China's growing military ambitions and concerns that it could attack Taiwan, which Beijing considers its own territory.France and Germany, given significant European industrial investment in China, favor more measured references, said diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity as the document is still being finalized.One diplomat said a compromise was being outlined under which China would be described as a "systemic challenger" while including balanced language referring to a "willingness to work on areas of common interest" with Beijing.NATO officials are rushing to complete the strategic concept in time for the Madrid summit, at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine will take center stage.London recently adopted language that describes Moscow as an "acute and direct threat" and Beijing as a "strategic challenge."The Pentagon's latest annual report to the US Congress underscored the importance of "meeting the pace challenge posed by the PRC's increasingly capable military and its global ambitions."US officials stressed the importance of including China in NATO's updated strategic concept, so Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea were invited to the NATO summit for the first time.The point is to signal that NATO is not "taking its eye off China" even as it focuses on strengthening Ukraine's defenses, one of the officials said.“The democratic world has been strengthened both in Russia and in China.”"NATO cannot afford to ignore China," agreed a European official."Europe was a bit late in recognizing this, but views have definitely changed in light of Hong Kong," referring to Beijing's security measures in the Asian financial hub.A third official said: “We tried to build an era of being nice and encouraging China and got President Xi (Jinping),” the Chinese leader who critics say has led China down a more aggressive domestic and authoritarian path. abroad."So I think most people will think a different approach is necessary."Alluding to NATO's original mission to counter Russian threats to the West, he added: “NATO's area of ​​operations is north of the Tropic of Cancer.It has neither eastern nor western limits.So I think it's only fair that NATO looks at that."