NATO's defense ministers (and possibly a few leaders) will meet on October 17-18 in what will be new Secretary-General Mark Rutte's first proper meeting as the head of the organization. It's also the first time the defense ministers of the military alliance's four "Indo-Pacific partners" -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea -- join for a session with their 32 NATO counterparts. It does signal the push, largely from the United States, to focus more on the growing influence and threats posed by China. While Beijing isn't officially branded…
