"The People's Republic of China's (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values," NATO's strategic concept published at a summit in Madrid said.

"It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains."

It accused China of targeting NATO members with its "malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric".

Leading NATO power the United States has pushed for the alliance to pay greater attention to China, despite reluctance from some allies to switch attention away from the focusing on Europe.

NATO's guiding document -- updated for the first time since 2010 -- said Russia was the "most significant and direct threat to allies' security" after its invasion of Ukraine.

And it said that increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing "run counter to our values and interests".

In a sign of the increasing concerns about China, the leaders from Asian partners Japan and South Korea were attending a NATO summit for the first time.