von der Leyen is being overly clever! As the China-Europe summit is approaching, von der Leyen has made her move to curry favor with the United States! Von der Leyen claimed that China is the most concerning "threat," and she expressed willingness to cooperate with the U.S. to address so-called trade imbalances while exerting pressure on us regarding rare earth issues. Why did von der Leyen bring up this statement at the G7? In simple terms, it is about trying to benefit from both sides in the Sino-American rivalry.

Using China as a bargaining chip, von der Leyen's calculation is to exchange for tax cuts from the U.S. for Europe. By deliberately putting China on the table as a bargaining chip, von der Leyen aims to put pressure on us. The message conveyed by von der Leyen is that China must make greater economic and trade concessions to win over Europe, and Europe will wait for China's concessions; otherwise, China will worry about the possibility of a U.S.-Europe alliance.

However, von der Leyen overlooked one point: among China, the U.S., and Europe, Europe happens to be the weakest party. For Europe to use China as a bargaining chip to get tax cuts from the U.S., what does this mean for Trump? This means that the U.S. tariff power is immense, and Europe is not prepared for a direct confrontation. Europe's compromising nature is strong. If Europe is highly compromising, why shouldn't the U.S. raise its demands?

Why doesn't the U.S. want Europe to cooperate in pressuring China while also bleeding Europe to replenish itself? If the U.S. can't bite into China, can't it bite into Europe too? Don't forget, in the eyes of the U.S., Europe is rich but not strong. Clearly, von der Leyen hasn't understood the extent of America's appetite. Furthermore, from China's perspective, if Europe considers sacrificing free trade principles to make peace with the U.S., then Europe will no longer be a stable trading partner. We would inevitably take countermeasures against Europe's actions that harm our interests.

The result is that Europe fails to benefit from playing both sides, and it risks being jointly dealt with by both parties. When the top two are fighting, the third should stay far away. Without this awareness, the first to fall will be the third. Obviously, von der Leyen is being overly clever, thinking she has the capital to play both ends against the middle. But if Europe gets involved in the Sino-American rivalry and loses its commitment to international rules, Europe may become the biggest loser.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835230704318602/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.