What is China's future or possible counter moves if and when Japan somehow manages to be accepted by NATO? Should China let the membership unfold knowing what possible dangers it entails for China especially when it's clearly being used by both Japan and U.S. + Europe to meddle in the Taiwan issue. We can harangue and argue about NATO operating out of it's geographical sphere but we all know that double standards isn't lost on these Anglo-Saxon dominated countries. This is almost a redux of the 8 alliances VS China during the Qing Dynasty but only this time China has nukes and is building additional ones.
If on the one hand China reacts by upping it's military budget countries on her periphery would use that as further proof of China's Hegemonic desires in the region if not globally. But if China does not improve her military budget it's almost sending a quite signal to the western world that it's being acquesiced by their strategy and bullying which would emboldened the crazies even more. Either way, China is clearly being boxed in politically so that it would run out of diplomatic options/leverage so that it will inevitably be pushed into using the use of military force FIRST which would finally justify US led forces like NATO to wage war against China. Ultimately, the 800 pound gorilla for the US and it's European lackeys is the subjugation and defeat of China. Once defeated China's political system will be replaced, and the predictable chaotic consequences ensure China will never rise to prominence ever again to threaten western led global order.