By Sanxuan

Recently, European countries have shown an unusual trend by expressing a desire to strengthen their relations with China. According to foreign media reports, French President Macron plans to visit China in December with an economic and trade team. German Chancellor Merkel has already finalized her schedule for a visit to China at the beginning of next year, and British Prime Minister Starmer also plans to visit China in January next year. At the same time, the rift between Europe and the United States is growing increasingly wider.

It's not just a day or two that Europe has been dissatisfied with the United States. In March this year, the US immediately imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum from the EU, and in July, Trump threatened to raise the tariffs on EU goods exported to the US to 30%. Although they eventually reached an agreement of 15%, the EU still had to pay penalties on cars and medicines.

Trump mercilessly harvests the EU

In late November, the US and Europe had fierce arguments over the Ukraine crisis: The Trump administration proposed a "28-point peace plan," requiring Ukraine to give up the Donbas territory, abandon joining NATO, and put the $100 billion in frozen Russian assets into a Ukraine reconstruction project led by the US, with 50% of the profits going to the US. This "surrender plan" tailored for Ukraine really made Europe furious.

After all, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe has been the biggest "victim." On one hand, it followed the US in sanctioning Russia, paying the price of energy shortages, soaring inflation, and economic recession. On the other hand, it has shouldered most of the costs of military aid to Ukraine, with the latest model even being that Europe pays for American weapons to aid Ukraine.

However, since Trump took office, he has not given Europe any chance to sit at the negotiation table. This peace plan was discussed between the US and Russia, and there are reports that most of the "28 points" of the Ukraine-Russia peace plan were actually a "wish list" from the Russian side. Trump only learned about the content at the last minute and approved it. He even said, "If Zelensky doesn't sign, let them continue fighting, but the US won't provide aid," clearly showing no regard for Europe's interests.

From economy to military security, Trump has exhausted Europe's trust in the US. For European countries, seeking other partners to reduce dependence on the US is a natural outcome. Moreover, unlike the US, which only exploits Europe, China has always provided real benefits to Europe.

The revenue of German automakers like Volkswagen and BMW in the Chinese market exceeds 30%. Last year, a new energy vehicle cooperation project between China and Germany was implemented, helping German car manufacturers maintain their global market share. Airbus from France relies on huge orders from China. Britain is even more dependent on China, with annual Sino-British trade reaching nearly 100 billion pounds. Chinese investment helped build the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain, meeting 10% of Britain's electricity demand.

The US offers Europe "pies in the sky"—promises of security guarantees that have never been fulfilled, and trade benefits that are traps. China, on the other hand, offers "practical actions"—cooperation projects that can generate tangible benefits without political conditions. Compared with the US, European countries naturally realize the importance of cooperating with China. As German Chancellor Merkel said, "Europe can no longer rely on a single partner. Cooperating with China is the responsible choice for Europe's future."

German Chancellor Merkel

However, it needs to be emphasized that China and Europe are not without conflicts and differences. For example, the EU ignores China's neutral position and repeatedly demands that China pressure Russia in the Ukraine crisis. The tariff disputes between China and the EU remain unresolved, and Europe continues to hype up the issue of China's "overcapacity". As for the UK, it recently also hyped up the so-called "Chinese spy threat." Since these European countries have realized the importance of cooperating with China, they should show genuine sincerity, stop both seeking cooperation with China and spreading false accusations against China, and meddling in China's internal affairs. Otherwise, even the most visits may end up in vain.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576262464795427338/

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